Dark Ages History Flashcards
Cosmopolitan
Created by Toby Cecchini in 1988 while working at The Odeon.
He said that he had set out to create a spin on a pink cocktail that a waitress had reported was making its way around San Francisco’s gay bars: The Cosmopolitan, as it was known, was a mix of rail Vodka, Rose’s Lime Cordial, and Rose’s Grenadine. He incorporated 2:1:1:1 ratio with 1.5 oz Absolut Citron (which had just hit the market) with .75 oz each of Cointreau, fresh Lime juice (which they had for their Margaritas) and Ocean Spray cranberry juice (in place of the Grenadine). He served his up and garnished with a Lemon twist, and says it’s a notably paler rendition of the cocktail that most drinkers now associate with the Cosmopolitan.
- It was rumored to have been created by Cheryl Cook of South Beach in Miami, FL in 1985. Dale Degroff, who popularized it at the Rainbow Room in New York City, NY in the late-1980s/early-1990s, even gives Cheryl credit for the drink. DeGroff was falsely given credit for inventing the drink by New York Magazine in 1996, which he quickly denied.
When Madonna was spotted drinking one, and it appeared on the second season of Sex and the City, it’s popularity skyrocketed. Degroff’s recipe was 1.5 oz Absolut Citron, 1 oz Cranberry, .5 oz Cointreau, .25 oz Lime juice, garnished with a flamed Orange peel.
Bramble
Created by Dick Bradsell while working at Fred’s Club (in London’s Soho district) in 1984.
Inspired by the fresh blackberries he pick as a child on the Isle of Wight.
It is named after a blackberry bush.
Original Recipe: 2 oz Dry Gin, 1 oz Lemon juice, .5 oz Simple syrup, .5 oz Crème de Mûre. Short-Shake the first three ingredients together, strain over crushed ice in a Double Old Fashioned glass, float the Crème de Mûre on top, and garnish with a Lemon Wheel and two blackberries.
Long Island Iced Tea
There are two popular theories concerning the creation of this drink.
1) Created in the 1920s during Prohibition by an “Old Man Bishop” in Long Island community of Kingsport, TN. It originally contained Whiskey and Maple syrup amongst the other liquors. The drink was then perfected by his son, Ransom Bishop.
2) Created by Robert “Rosebud” Butt in 1972 while working at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, NY
Sloe Gin Fizz
Sloe Gin was created in the early 1800s, so this drink could have been made for the first time shortly after.
First appeared in the Sunset Magazine (out of Oakland, CA) in 1898.
It also appeared in the Esquire Drink Book in 1956, which began its popularity in America during the Disco era / Dark Ages.
Original Recipe was 2 oz Sloe Gin, .75 oz Lemon juice, .25 oz Simple syrup, Topped with Soda Water.
Our version is a Silver Sloe Gin Fizz since it uses Egg White.
Amaretto Sour
- The Lazzaroni family of Saronno, Italy, claims the title as the inventors of Amaretto. They invented the Lazzaroni Amaretti macaron cookies around 1786 for the King of the region. Then in 1851, they created Amaretto Liqueur, which consisted of an infusion of their cookies with a little caramel for color.
- Another story, promoted heavily by Disaronno Amaretto, is that in 1525, a church in Saronno, Italy commissioned artist Bernardino Luini (one of Leonardo da Vinci’s pupils) to paint its sanctuary with frescoes. As the church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Luini needed to depict the Madonna, but was in need of a model. He found his inspiration in a young widowed innkeeper, who became his model and (in most versions) lover. Out of gratitude and affection, the woman wished to give him a gift, but her simple means did not permit much, so she steeped apricot kernels in brandy and presented the resulting concoction to Luini.
- The name “amaretto” originated as a diminutive of the Italian word amaro, meaning “bitter.” which references the distinctive flavour lent by the Mandorla Amara or by the drupe (stone fruit) kernel.
- The origin of the drink is unclear, but we know it came after the creation of Amaretto and the Sour family of drinks (both in the 1850s). It’s likely the original recipe was simply Amaretto and Lemon juice.
- Popularized in the 1970s.
Vesper
Fictionally created and named by fictional secret agent James Bond in the 1953 novel, Casino Royale, by Ian Fleming. In the book, he asks for “Three measures of Gordon’s, One measure vodka, Half a measure of Kina Lillet, shake it over ice and then add a thin slice of Lemon peel.” He ended up naming it after his female counterpart, Vesper Lynd.
In reality, it was created by Fleming’s friend, Ivar Bryce. In his autobiography, Bryce tells us that the Fleming’s first Vesper was actually a frozen Rum concoction with fruit and herbs, served to him by the butler at evening drinks at the Duncan house in Jamaica.
The original version contained Kina Lillet, but since Lillet reformulated the recipe to the less alcoholic and less bitter Lillet Blanc in 1986, we use Cocchi Americano in its place.
Espresso Martini
Created by Dick Bradsell in the late-1980s while working at Fred’s Club (in London’s Soho district).
Bradsell claimed that he invented the drink for young lady who asked for something that would, “Wake me up, and then fuck me up.”
The original recipe was 1.5 oz Vodka, .75 oz freshly extracted Espresso, .75 oz Kahlua, .25 oz Simple syrup. Shaken and strained into a Martini glass, and garnished with 3 Coffee Beans placed in the center of the glass.
The drink is also known as the Vodka Espresso or Vodka Espresso Cocktail.
Pink Squirrel
Invented in the 1950s by Bryant Sharp at his bar, Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Pink Squirrel was invented as an ice cream drink and is still served as an ice cream drink there and in many parts of the upper Midwest.
