The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

I really loved all the Jerry Thomas drinks I made this time, they were all quite light and delicious! I gave directions for one drink or for bulk – as is often the case that one wants a drink without throwing a party.

Imperial Punch

(for one person)

3 oz of claret (any dark red blend will do)
3 oz of soda water
1 sugar cube
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of Maraschino
1 piece of muddled cucumber

Allow the sugar cube to dissolve in the soda water. Muddle the cucumber. Add all the ingredients together including the soda water. Strain.

Imperial Punch

(according to Jerry Thomas)

28 oz of claret (any dark red blend will do)
28 oz of soda water
4 tablespoons of powdered white sugar
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 liqueur-glass of Maraschino (how much is a liquor glass)
3 or 4 slices of cucumber rind

Allow the sugar to dissolve in the sugar water. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Thirty-Second Regiment Punch aka Victoria Punch

(for one person)

1 piece of lemon peel
1.5 oz brandy
1.5 oz Jamaica rum
2 sugar cubes
2.5 oz water
¾ oz of steamed milk

Muddle the lemon peel with the brandy and rum. Strain. Add sugar cubes, water, and steamed milk. The drink WILL curdle. Strain through a cheese cloth (which was brilliant and opened my eyes to a lot of other possibilities that I have steered away from because of curdling). Stir and enjoy!

Thirty-Second Regiment Punch aka Victoria Punch

(according to Jerry Thomas)

(Recipe taken from the late Wiliam H. Herbert, Esq.)

Six lemons
32 ounces of brandy
32 ounces of Jamaica rum (I used Myers)
1 pound of white sugar
56 quart of water
16 oz of boiling milk

Cut the lemons into slices and allow them to steep in the brandy and rum overnight. Then add sugar, water, and milk. Once it is well-mixed strain through a jelly bag (don’t have a jelly bag, you can just use cheese cloth and honestly most people who make jelly prefer an old pillow case to a jelly bag anyhow).

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What is a jelly bag? It is a bag made out of muslin or another thin material where one puts ripe fruit in a manner so that the bag hangs and the fruit juice drips out from the bag into a collection bowl.

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This punch may be bottled, and can be drank hot or cold.

Light Guard Punch

(for one person)

2 oz of champagne
½ ounce sherry
½ ounce cognac
½ ounce of white wine
1 piece of pineapple
1 piece of lemon

Light Guard Punch

(for a party according to Jerry Thomas)

84 oz of champagne (3 bottles)
28 oz of pale sherry
28 oz of cognac
28 oz of Sauterne
1 pineapple
4 lemons

Cut the pineapple into small pieces. Slice the lemons. Mix all the ingredients together in a very large container (you will need a three-gallon container to make this punch recipe). Add the sliced fruit. Add sugar if desired. As for the punch bowl, place it inside another punch bowl packed with ice and rock salt so that the top bowl is nestled within the larger bowl.

Philadelphia Fish House Punch

(From a recipe in the possession of Charles G. Leland, Esq.)

(Jerry Thomas says this recipe should be “generally sufficient for one person”) I personally think this recipe is sufficient for three or four people.

The Fish House Punch is one of the oldest cocktails in American history, and was first concocted in 1732 at the Schuylkill Fishing Company (a men’s only club where George Washington liked to chill). The punch was created to celebrate the first time women were allowed in the club (but only for a day) at the annual Christmas Party. It was supposed to be just “something to please the ladies palate but get them livelier than is their usual wont.”

5 ounces lemon juice
5 ounces of simple syrup
8 ounces of cognac
4 ounces of peach brandy
4 ounces of Jamaican rum
20 ounces of cold water

Mix ingredients and serve in a punch bowl.  Should be served with ice.

Philadelphia Fish House Punch

(For one person)

Here is a bit different recipe for one person and I do believe a bit more accurate, as Fish House Punch typically has black tea in it.

1 ounce of lemon juice
1 ounce of simple syrup
2 ounces of cognac
¼ ounce of peach brandy
¼ ounce of dark rum
3 ounces of chilled black tea

Stir ingredients, add ice, and enjoy!

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Link to more info on Fish House Punch.

Link to other Jerry Thomas Recipes.

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Yesterday, December 5, was Repeal Day. Seventy-seven years ago prohibition was lifted. It’s crazy to think that the day my grandfather was born, there wasn’t any champagne. My grandfather’s father didn’t go to the bar with his friends and celebrate – there were no bars. You couldn’t buy alcohol without a prescription. It’s crazier to think that my great grandfather (on the other side of the family) made a killing bootlegging liquor across Lake Erie.  He had a knack at carrying picnic baskets loaded with whiskey bottles across Mackinac Island on Lake Michigan. It assured my grandmother a very luxurious lifestyle in a time when most were just trying to put food on the table.

You should always celebrate Repeal Day with a drink, but even better – what about having a drink in a speakeasy. My friend Erica Reilly and I decided that what this town needed was a bar that only exists for one night, a little bit of magic and then poof it’s gone.

We took over the maté shop (if you don’t know anything about maté – please click here), which has an ideal location in a downtown alley. It even has a heavy metal rolling door at its entrance. We got there in the afternoon with another friend of ours and revolutionized the space. We draped the entire area, brought in lighting, kinetic sculpture by Chris Cole, a jazz singer, a dj, and a full bar. It was AWESOME. We did six cocktails, all of them with an interesting story. We had an amazing turnout for a cold, icy, blustery, December night (especially for a Sunday). Everyone who came was dressed in cocktail attire from the 30’s. It was truly beautiful. And then just like that, poof, we tore it all down and it right back to being a maté shop. It was pretty magical.

as a mate shop

as a speakeasy

THE COCKTAIL LIST

East India Cocktail
Brandy, Pineapple, Raspberry Syrup, Orange Curacao, Maraschino, Angostura Bitters
No one knows for sure how old this cocktail is, but the first mention of it is in Harry Johnson’s 1882 New and Improved Bartender’s Manual. If you don’t know much about Harry Johnson he was a rival to Jerry Thomas, the author of the first published cocktail book in the U.S. As for why the drink is titled the East India Cocktail, it was a favorite of the British Raj, the British delegates who ruled England’s colonies in the Far East. Unlike today, India did not just refer to the one country but to all of the British Colonies in the Far East at this time (India, Burma, Malaya, and Singapore).

Corpse Reviver
Gin, Grand Marnier, Dolin White Vermouth, Fresh Lemon

This is one of my favorite drink names, it’s so visual and alluring. You cannot help but wonder, what exactly is the tincture that could revive someone from the dead?
Surprisingly, it’s very light and delicious!
The Corpse Reviver originated at the turn of the 20th century, although it took four or five different forms during prohibition. Although today the drink is almost always served after the sun goes down, traditionally The Corpse Reviver was drank in the morning.
“Four taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”
- Harry Cradock 1895 (barman at the Savoy, New York City)

Fish House Punch
Dark Rum, Cognac, Maraschino, Green Tea, Champagne

This punch was believed to have been created in 1732 at the Schuylkill (SKOO-kull) Fishing Club – which was a gentleman’s club of sorts in what is now Pennsylvania. George Washington was known to frequent there and it’s a really wonderful thing if he did have a Fish House Punch and you are still able to have one today. George didn’t bring Martha to the club however, as women weren’t allowed in The Fishing Club until 1848. The drink got it’s name from the Club – which everyone referred to as The Fish House. As for rum, the colonists drank almost nothing but – as it was a bi-product of Caribbean sugar production and there were distilleries all over the East Coast.

Jack Rose Cocktail
Applejack, Lemon Juice, Pomegranate Grenadine

No one knows for sure where the Jack Rose Cocktail got it’s name, but there are a couple of theories.
The first is that it is named for it’s color and ingredients – Jack for applejack and Rose for the pink color from the pomegranate grenadine.
The second is it was named for a popular gambler of the time, Bald Jack Rose.
The third is that it was named by the man who supposedly created it, Joseph P Rose, who was a New Jersey restaurateur who once held the title World’s Champion Mixologist.
It is currently Rachel Maddow’s favorite cocktail.

Modern Mule
Vanilla Hawthorn Infused Vodka with Handmade Ginger Beer

Vodka didn’t really become popular in The States until the 70s, but there was one vodka drink that did become popular in the 1950s and that was the Moscow Mule. This is our version with our own handcrafted ginger beer and a vodka that is infused with vanilla, chamomile, spearmint, lemongrass, tilia flowers, blackberry leaves, hawthorn, orange blossoms and rosebuds.
The Moscow Mule was invented in 1941 by John G. Martin, who was an East Indian Food Distributor who sold ginger beer, and John “Jack” Morgan, the proprietor of the Cock ‘n’ Bull Tavern. They put the two together and obviously the rest is history.

Hauté Maté
Maté, Maté, and More Maté

We really can’t thank Santiago and Tanja enough for having us here tonight and we really wanted to make a special cocktail in honor of them and the space – which has brought a breath of fresh air and hometown love to Bend’s downtown.

The Haute Maté is has three different blends of mate in it with prana blend vanilla bean maté gomme syrup, traditional maté infused aged rum, and shanti maté tincture with a splash of fresh lemon, a dash of absinthe, Fee Bros 1864 Bitters and an egg white shake.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE COCKTAIL

Pick some liquors from the list
Tell us some flavors that you like
We’ll make you a cocktail

BEER

Boneyard Brewery :::: RPM IPA :::: Bend, OR $3 (10 oz)
Deschutes Abyss 09 :::: Imperial Stout :::: Bend, OR $6 (5 oz)
Boulevard Brewery :::: Imperial Pilsner :::: Kansas City $4 (5 oz)

ABSINTHE

What is Absinthe?

It is an anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as “grande wormwood”, together with green anise and sweet fennel. Absinthe traditionally has a natural green colour but can also be colorless. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as la fée verte (the Green Fairy).

Why was it illegal?
Politics of course.

OBSELLO

SPAIN
100 PROOF (grape spirit)

TASTING NOTE:

Hazy forest green color. Rich aromas of anise, saddle soap, orange spice cake, menthol, nuts, and mint tea follow through on soft, silky entry to a dryish medium-full body with accents of dried citrus and wintergreen. Finishes with a long, herbal anise seed and white pepper fade.
A big, brawny absinthe.

LUCID

FRANCE
124 PROOF (beet spirit)

TASTING NOTE:

Light green color. The aroma is spicy and herbal with nice amounts of anise and fennel.
Nice balance of anise and fennel and wormwood.
The finish has a hint of spiciness that is almost peppery.

VERSINTHE

FRANCE
90 Proof (grape spirit)

TASTING NOTE:

Very light and pale in color.
The nose is pretty with light anise and pretty floral botanicals.
Mellow with a lightly sweet profile but the finish is very bitter.
The finish has a herbaceous zing with a slight numbing and a tinge of bitterness.

VODKA
Crater Lake :::: Grain Mash :::: Bend, OR
diamond:::: Grain Mash :::: Bend, OR
Oregon Spirit Distiller :::: Pendleton Wheat :::: Bend, OR
Ultimat :::: Wheat, Potato, and rYE :::: POLAND
Dry Fly :::: Winter Wheat :::: Washington
Pearl :::: Winter Wheat :::: Canada
Medoyeff :::: Graiin Mash :::: Portland, OR
Blavod BLack Vodka :::: Grain Mash :::: Great Britain

FLAVORED VODKA
Square One :::: Botanical :::: Rigby, Idaho
42 Below :::: Honey Flavored :::: New Zealand
Pinky :::: 12 Botanicals :::: Sweden
Wasabe :::: Sake Flavored :::: The Netherlands
Svedka :::: Lemon :::: Sweden
Svedka :::: Clementine :::: Sweden
Pearl :::: Coconut :::: Canada
Mazama :::: Spicy Peppers :::: Bend, OR
Kofia :::: Coffee and Hazelnut :::: Bend, OR
Stolichnaya :::: Raspberry :::: Russia
Yazi :::: Ginger :::: Hood River, Oregon

GIN
Cascade Mountain:::: Bend, OR
Brokers :::: Great Britain
Ransom Old Tom Gin :::: Sheridan, OR

RUM
Cruzan :::: Coconut :::: St. Croix
1 Barrel :::: Belize
10 Cane :::: Trinidad
Appleton Estate :::: Jamaica
The Old Mill :::: Gold Rum :::: St. Croix (Finished in Oregon)
Batavia-Arrack :::: sugarcane and red rice :::: Java, Indonesia
Cachaça 51 :::: Brazil

WHISKEY
Makers 46 :::: Kentucky, USA
Knob Creek :::: Kentucky, USA
Four Roses Small Batch ::::Kentucky, USA
Jefferson Small Batch ::::Kentucky, USA
Pendleton:::: Canada
McCallan 12 :::: Speyside, Scotland
Glenlivet 18 :::: Speyside, Scotland
Bushmills Black Bush :::: ireland

TEQUILA
CorrAlejos :::: Anejo
Aha Toro :::: Anejo
Chamucos :::: Reposado
Corzo:::: Silver

COGNAC
Hennessy XO :::: France
Hennessy VSOP :::: France

LIQUEURS
Worker Bee :::: honey Mash :::: Yamhill County, Oregon
Blackmaker :::: Root Beer :::: Lewiston, Maine
Tuaca :::: Brandy Base with Vanilla and Orange :::: Italy
St. Germain :::: elderflowers :::: france
Canton :::: Ginger :::: France
Chambord :::: Black Raspberry :::: France
Tópas :::: Black Licorice :::: Iceland
Pimm’s :::: It’’s a secret – but light fruity flavor :::: Great Britain
Bénédictine :::: Herbal :::: France

SIPPING BITTERS
Fernet Branca :::: Italy
Branca Menta :::: Italy
Luxardo Bitters :::: Italy
Liquore Strega :::: Italy
Amaro Nonino :::: Italy
Averna Amaro Sicillano :::: Italy

AQUAVIT
Aalborg Akvavit :::: Denmark

SCHNAPPS
Brennivin :::: It will make you a man :::: Iceland
Kirschwasser :::: Cherry :::: Portland, Oregon

GRAPPA
UvaViva Italiana di Poli :::: Italy

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

Today was the first day when I really feel like a vampire since I was only awake for three hours of daylight. Thus is the curse of the night owl who lives in the Northern Hemisphere (if only I could afford to migrate). But as such, I thought it comforting to make Jerry Thomas warm punches (with a couple of other punches thrown in for good measure).

The most interesting piece of trivia I ran across was concerning Kinahan’s Irish Whiskey, a product I’d never heard of. But as I haven’t heard of a lot of things that I’ve later found to be quite delightful, I was excited to find an excuse to order what I thought would be an expensive bottle of Irish Whiskey that I was sure to be the next best thing. But it turns out that the Kinahan Distillery has been out of business for over 100 years. Once again, it appears that Jerry got the last of what might have been a very  good thing.

I found this information that Jack Kinahan had posted on-line concerning the history of his family’s business.

Kinahan’s LL whiskey was a rectified whiskey and not a distillery product, which means that the whiskey was distilled in other distilleries; it was most likely a blend from different distilleries that was mixed on the Kinahan property. Daniel Kinahan founded the company in the early 1800’s and named his whiskey LL after the 4th Duke of Richmond who was Lord Lieutenant (LL) of Ireland 1807-1813. The whiskey was extensively marketed in England from 1841 onwards, achieving popularity at home and abroad in the ensuing half century. Difficult trade conditions encountered from 1900 until 1910 and unimaginative management led to increasing unprofitably and the running down of available capital. (In other words they really good at spending more than they made!) In 1910 the directors and shareholders decided to go into voluntary liquidation in order to avoid possible bankruptcy. Bagot & Hutton then marketed the remaining stock of LL whiskey, a long established Dublin wine and spirit house. Bagot Hutton & Kinahan was established in 1927 and survived until 1988.

Anyhow, I used Jameson.

Hot Irish Whiskey Punch
2 ounces of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey (a couple of interesting notes here:  Jerry Thomas spells Jameson Jamieson and this is also where he calls for Kinahan’s Irish Whiskey)
4 ounces of hot water
2 lumps of sugar

Rinse the glass in hot water in order to warm it up. Dissolve the sugar well in the half of the hot water and then add the whiskey. Then add the rest of the water with a small piece of lemon rind or a thin slice of lemon.

Hot Scotch Whiskey Punch
2 ounces of Glenlivet or Islay Whiskey
4 ounces of hot water
2 lumps of sugar

Rinse the glass in hot water in order to warm it up. Dissolve the sugar well in the half of the hot water and then add the whiskey. Then add the rest of the water with a small piece of lemon rind or a thin slice of lemon.

Thomas has the following side note in reference to the hot drinks:

Sugar does not readily dissolve in spirits. It is necessary, therefore, in making a hot toddy or a hot punch to put the hot water in before the spirits, or at least sufficient water to entirely dissolve the sugar, taking care to warm the glass before adding the water.

The best Hot Whiskey Punch is made with pulverized rock candy. This is preferable to sugar  for any hot drink made of whiskey or brandy.

Cold Whiskey Punch
1 tablespoon powdered white sugar in a little water
1 ounce of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3 ounces of Irish or Scotch Whiskey

Fill the glass with shaved ice, shake well, and dress the top with two thin slices of lemon, and berries in season. Serve with a straw.

Arrack Punch
1 tablespoon powdered white sugar in a little water
1 ounce of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce of Batavia Arrack
1 wine glass of Jamaica rum
1 piece of pineapple

Fill the glass with shaved ice, shake well, and dress the top with two thin slices of lemon, and berries in season. Serve with a straw.

Milk Punch
1 teaspoon of fine white sugar
2 ounces of brandy
.5 ounce of Santa Cruz Rum
4 ounces of milk
Small lump of ice

Fill with milk, shake the ingredients well together, strain into a large glass, and grate a little nutmeg on top.

Hot Milk Punch
1 teaspoon of fine white sugar
2 ounces of brandy
.5 ounce of Santa Cruz Rum
4 ounces of warmed milk

Rinse the glass in hot water in order to warm it up. Dissolve the sugar well in the half of the warm milk and then add the rum. Then add the rest of the milk.

Manhattan Milk Punch
1 teaspoon of fine white sugar
2 ounces of brandy
.5 ounce of Santa Cruz Rum
4 ounces of warmed milk
5 drops of Aromatic Tincture

Rinse the glass in hot water in order to warm it up. Dissolve the sugar well in the half of the warm milk and then add the rum. Then add the rest of the milk and the tincture.

Egg Milk Punch
1 teaspoon of fine white sugar
2 ounces of brandy
4 ounces of fresh milk
.5 ounce of Santa Cruz rum
1 egg
small lump of ice

Fill the glass with fresh milk, shake the ingredients well together, and strain into a large glass. It is up to you, but I just used the white. Although Thomas calls for the entire egg.

To check out how to make Aromatic Tincture – click here

To check out Jerry Thomas Measurements from the turn of the century – click here.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

Oh Jerry Thomas, we’ve spent almost a year together and the goal is to be finished with one another in a month – but I’m afraid that we might not break up so soon.

Anyhow, today I made some of the punches. A lot of the punches recipes are given in quantities enough to drunken an entire  frat house, but these punches’ recipes are given in one person quantities and they are also served cold. None of these punches are all that exciting and most of them don’t taste much different than the spirit that is in them. I personally liked the brandy punch with a little extra raspberry syrup.

But the most interesting thing I learned from making these punches is the history of Medford Rum, which is no longer available. Daniel Lawrence & Sons  (at this point America’s most renowned small batch distillery) distilled Medford Rum in Medford, Massachusetts from 1715 to 1905 (so dear Mr. Thomas was able to get some of the last of it before they ended 295 years of rum production). It was supposedly a very flavorful and robust rum made from molasses, which was a bi-product of sugar production in the Caribbean. Lawrence believed that he made the best rum in the world, touting that he used only the finest molasses. Medford’s economy thrived thanks to the Lawrence’s’ distillery, the rum business needed coopers, shipbuilders, and a large production team. No one knows the true reason that they decided to end production, but most likely it was because sales were dropping probably because of the temperance movement that eventually led to prohibition. The Lawrences stopped producing Medford rum, but sold the label to the M.S. Walker Company (but not the recipe). Supposedly, they still produce Medford rum – but I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Anyhow, I used Myers in place of Medford because it is a dark, flavorful, and robust rum.

Brandy Punch

1 teaspoon of powdered white sugar dissolved in a little water
1 teaspoon of raspberry syrup
2 ounces of brandy
1 ounce of Jamaica Rum (I used Appleton Estates)
1 ounce of lemon juice
2 slices of orange
1 piece of pineapple

Fill the tumbler with shaved ice, shake up thoroughly, and dress with berries of the season. Serve with a straw.

Brandy and Rum Punch

1 teaspoon of powdered white sugar dissolved in a little water
2 ounces of Santa Cruz Rum (refers to rum from the Virgin Islands, I used Cruzan dark)
1 ounce of brandy
1 ounce of lemon juice
1 slice of orange
1 piece of pineapple

Fill the tumbler with shaved ice, shake well, and dress the top with sliced lime and berries in season. Serve with a straw.

Gin Punch

1 tablespoon of raspberry syrup
1 tablespoon of powdered white sugar, dissolved in a little seltzer water
3 ounces of Holland gin (I used the Bols Genever – which is now available in Oregon!)
Juice of half a small lemon
1 slice of orange
1 piece of pineapple
2 dashes of Maraschino

Fill the tumbler with shaved ice, shake well, and dress the top with sliced lime and berries in season. Serve with a straw.

Medford Rum Punch

Take 1 tablespoonful of powdered white sugar dissolved in a little water

1 teaspoon of powdered white sugar dissolved in a little water
3 ounces of Medford rum
2 ounces of Jamaica rum
2 or 3 dashes of lemon juice
1 slice of orange

Fill the tumbler with shaved ice, shake well, and dress the top with sliced lime and berries in season. Serve with a straw.
(I don’t know if this is even a cocktail, tastes just like rum.)

Santa Cruz Rum Punch

1 teaspoon of powdered white sugar dissolved in a little water
2 ounces of Santa Cruz rum
1/2 ounce of Jamaica rum
3 dashes of lemon juice
1 slice of orange (cut into quarters)

Fill the tumbler with shaved ice, shake well, and dress the top with sliced lime and berries in season. Serve with a straw.

The Medford Historical Society has a very interesting article about Medford rum on their website – to check it out pleas click on the link.

The Medford Historical Society brings you the history of Medford Rum.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

I was lucky this weekend to have some extra help behind the bar as it allowed me to make all of the Jerry Thomas “Cocktails” – which was no small feat as there are twenty of them. The drinks are all quite simple, the term cocktail appears to just mean that a couple ounces of spirit gets a dash or two or gum syrup or Maraschino and a dash or two of Angostura or Boker’s Bitters (which I used Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Boker’s Bitters). For the most part, adding a dash or two of sweetness and a dash or two of bitters added a tiny nuance that made the drink more interesting and sweet – but not such a dramatic difference that I would go through the process of making gum (gomme) syrup (see that post here) or buying or making Boker’s bitters (see that post here). Jerry reccommends that you shake with shaved ice, but I ended up putting some shaved ice in a couple of the drinks rather than straining them off. We actually have a new muddler that looks like a police baton – scary, but it makes really awesome crushed ice and honestly, the shaved ice really makes these drinks a lot more special. Anyhow, enjoy!

A couple of these drinks I’ve made before and blogged about them, but I thought it would be nice to keep all the “cocktail” drinks together, so I made them again.

Bottle Cocktail

Take an empty brandy bottle

Add one ounce Boker’s Bitters
Add two ounces of gum (gomme) syrup
Add a half ounce of orange curaçao
Fill it two thirds of the way with brandy
Add five ounces of water
Fill to the top with your choice of brandy, whiskey, or your choice of gin

Brandy Cocktail

2 ounces of brandy
1 – 2 dashes of orange curaçao
2 dashes of bitters (either Boker’s or Angostura)
3 – 4 dashes of gum (gomme) syrup

Fill the glass one third of the way with shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a lemon twist.

Champagne Cocktail
1 lump of sugar
1 – 2 dashes of Angostura bitters (I personally like a lot more than that)
1 small lump of ice (I’d never put ice in a champagne cocktail until today)
5 ounces of sparkling wine

Drop the sugar cube to the bottom of the glass, drip the Angostura bitters on the cube, slowly add the wine (as it is going to want to spill over)

Coffee Cocktail
1 ounce of brandy
2 ounces of port wine
1 fresh egg (If you use the entire egg, make sure that it is really fresh or you will find that this drink is terribly disgusting. If you don’t have uber fresh eggs, just use the white.)
1 teaspoon powdered white sugar
2 to 3 lumps of ice

Break the egg into the glass, put the sugar, port wine, brandy, and ice in the glass. Shake up and strain. Grate a little nutmeg on the top.

I’ve made this drink before, and I still don’t get why it is called Coffee Cocktail. Even Thomas states, “The name of this drink is a misnomer, as coffee and bittes are not to be found among its ingredients, but it looks like coffee when it has been preoperly concocted, and hence probably its name.” Just so you know, it doesn’t look like coffee.

Also I don’t know if you really need the egg in this drink, it’s not really adding much – especially if you can’t get really fresh eggs and you are just using the white. As the drink has no citrus, it doesn’t get really frothy.

Fancy Vermouth Cocktail (make it with both sweet and dry, liked it better with dry)

2 ounces of vermouth
1 – 2 dashes of Maraschino
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 quarter slice of lemon

Fill the glass one third of the way with shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon.

Gin Cocktail
2 ounces of gin
1 – 2 dashes of orange curaçao
2 dashes of bitters (either Boker’s or Angostura)
3 – 4 dashes of gum (gomme) syrup

Fill the glass one third of the way with shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a lemon twist.

Improved Brandy Cocktail

2 ounces of brandy
1 – 2 dashes of Maraschino
1 dash of Absinthe
3 dashes of bitters (either Boker’s or Angostura)
3 – 4 dashes of gum (gomme) syrup

Improved Gin Cocktail

2 ounces of Holland gin (if you didn’t know, Bols Genever is now available in Oregon)
1 – 2 dashes of orange curaçao
2 dashes of bitters (either Boker’s or Angostura)
3 – 4 dashes of gum (gomme) syrup

Fill the glass one third of the way with shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a lemon twist.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail

2 ounces of whiskey
1 – 2 dashes of Maraschino
1 dash of Absinthe
3 dashes of bitters (either Boker’s or Angostura)
3 – 4 dashes of gum (gomme) syrup

Fill the glass one third of the way with shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Rim glass and serve with a lemon peel.

Japanese Cocktail
2 ounces of brandy
2 dashes of Boker’s Bitters
1 tablespoon of orgeat (almond) syrup
1 or 2 pieces of lemon peel

Fill the glass one third of the way with shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon peel.
Not quite sure why Thomas thought this should be Japanese Cocktail, suppose it is because of the orgeat syrup.

Jersey Cocktail (Temperance drink)

5 ounces of cider
1 teaspoon of fine white sugar
2 dashes of bitters (either Boker’s or Angostura)
3 or 4 lumps of ice

Manhattan Cocktail

1 ounce of rye whiskey
2 ounces of vermouth (I used sweet and dry, preferred it with the sweet)
3 dashes of Boker’s bitters
2 small lumps of ice

Shake and strain. Garnish with a quarter piece of lemon. Can sweeten it with gum (gomme) syrup.

Martinez Cocktail

1 ounce of Old Tom gin
2 ounces of Vermouth (I used dry)
2 dashes of Maraschino
1 dash of Boker’s Bitters
2 small lumps of ice

Shake and strain. Garnish with a quarter piece of lemon. Can sweeten it with gum (gomme) syrup.

Morning Glory Cocktail

1 ounce of brandy
1 ounce of whiskey
1 dash of Absinthe
2 dashes of Boker’s Bitters
2 dashes of orange curaçao
3 dashes of gum (gomme) syrup

Stir thoroughly and remove the ice. Fill the glass with soda water, stir with a hint of sugar and garnish with a lemon twist.

Old Tom Gin Cocktail

2 ounces of Old Tom gin (I personally love The Ransom Old Tom style gin made in Portland)
1 – 2 dashes of orange curaçao
2 dashes of bitters (either Boker’s or Angostura)
3 – 4 dashes of gum (gomme) syrup

Fill the glass one third of the way with shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a lemon twist.

Saratoga Cocktail

1 ounce of brandy
1 ounce of whiskey
1 ounce of vermouth (I used sweet)

Shake and strain. Garnish with a quarter piece of lemon.

Soda Cocktail (Temperance drink)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 dashes angostura bitters
1 bottle plain soda
3 or 4 lumps of ice

Vermouth Cocktail (make it with both sweet and dry, liked it better with dry)
2 ounces of vermouth
2 dashes of Boker’s bitters
1 quarter slice of lemon

Shake the vermouth and bitters. Strain, add the lemon as garnish. If you like it sweeter, add a couple of drops of gum (gomme) syrup.

Whiskey Cocktail

2 ounces of whiskey (I used the Maker’s 46, just because it’s the newest thing on the shelf – perhaps some sort of crazy dichotomy)
1 – 2 dashes of gum (gomme) syrup
2 dashes of Boker’s Bitters
3 – 4 dashes of gum (gomme) syrup

Fill the glass one third of the way with shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a lemon twist.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

As it was one of the last days that felt like summer before the rain comes in a couple of weeks, followed by what inevitably will be dark days and snowstorms I spent the day outdoors instead of making cocktails. I thought to get ambitious and stir and shake my way through the “Cocktail” series, but that is 19 drinks, which will take awhile – even if they are made in assembly line format. So I decided a better plan is to start working on the tinctures, as there is no doubt that there will be some ingredient that will be a huge burden to find and will entail slouthy detective work.

First order of business, find food-safe solferino dye to make solferino coloring. Solferino is a purplish dye that was discovered in 1859, the year a battle was fought at Solferino (which was a large battle fought by France and Sardinia against Austria as part of Napoleon III attempts to unite Italy as one nation. As a side note, magenta – which is a very similar color to solferino is also named after an Italian town where a battle was fought.) At this time, I cannot find any solferino colored dye – but there is a store in town with a million different food colors, so that will be my next stop.

Next, I need gentians, which are pretty purple flowers found throughout much or the world. They are used as a bittering agent and in Africa they are used to fight malaria, in South America they are used a snakebite remedy, and in Europe they are used as a digestif. Both the petal and the root are used for medicinal reasons and Thomas doesn’t state what part of the flower to use, so perhaps I’ll make three tinctures – one petal, one root, and one a combination of the two. Gentian, fortunately, is not that hard to find.

A Real quick side note is that there is a gentian bitters distilled in France by Pernod called Suze, which unfortunately is not available in the U.S. But if someone is ever in France and wouldn’t mind picking me up a bottle, well it would be greatly appreciated.

Next I need valerian, which I’ve only heard reference to in the old movie Murder on the Orient Express and it sounds like something that could possibly be illegal – but it is easily found all over the web as a sleep agent. The valerian will be used in Thomas’s Aromatic Tincture, which I believe will smell like Christmas (with ginger, cinnamon, and orange peel).

So it looks like early next week when everything arrives I can start making these tinctures.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

I decided this weekend to make the Crusta series for a couple of reasons. One, I got a bottle of what is only commercially available Boker’s bitters in the world (which I am proud to say tastes almost exactly like the Boker’s Bitters that I made) and Crusta sounds like crusty, which is how my work week started. I went in early to work on some cocktails that I’m doing for Hood River Distilleries, deciding that I would function at a higher level with some nutrition I went out for a quick bite to eat. Upon my return, the restaurant was about to open so I went to change clothes to find that I had left my work shirt at home. “No problem, I thought.” I had dropped some items off at the dry cleaner a few blocks away that were ready to pick up, including a shirt perfect for work. I spent thirty minutes at the dry cleaners while they scoured the building only to find that they couldn’t find my clothing (AHAHAHAHAH!). I called a friend who lived nearby to see if I could borrow a shirt, “No problem, I’m at home – come on by.” So I went to grab my bike to go over to her house, only to find a clipped bike lock and no bike. Thus leading to the crusty attitude. Let me just say, nothing like a Brandy Crusta to improve one’s mood.

To create the Crustas, you need a couple of good looking lemons with thick healthy peels – as this is what gives the drink it’s character. It would also be nice to have a stemmed glass with a bowl that is approximately three ounces, as the presentation will be greatly enhanced.

Brandy Crusta

2 ounces of brandy
2 dashes of curaçao
1 dash of lemon juice
3 dashes of Boker’s bitters
3 dashes of gomme syrup (or six dashes of regular simple syrup)

Rim the glass with sugar by way of a lemon peel. Pare the skin off of a lemon so that you are getting almost the entire skin off of the lemon in one fell swoop. Place the lemon peel so that it is lining the inside of the glass with the yellow side out and the white side touching the drink.

Put the ingredients together, shake, and strain.

* A little note about Boker’s bitters. If you are interested in making your own, please check out my link here. You will find that they aren’t that hard to make and it will be a lot less expensive that buying them.

But, for the first time since prohibition, there is someone manufacturing Boker’s bitters on a commercial scale (the product comes from Scotland). The guy behind them is a cocktail enthusiast named Adam Elmegirab, who is also preoccupied with Jerry Thomas’s works and fortunately was motivated to bring Boker’s Bitters back on the market. In the States, you can purchase them through Wally’s Wine and Spirits and with shipping they cost around $40.

Whiskey Crusta

2 ounces of whiskey
2 dashes of curaçao
1 dash of lemon juice
3 dashes of Boker’s bitters
3 dashes of gomme syrup (or six dashes of regular simple syrup)

Rim the glass with sugar by way of a lemon peel. Pare the skin off of a lemon so that you are getting almost the entire skin off of the lemon in one foul swoop. Place the lemon peel so that it is lining the inside of the glass with the yellow side out and the white side touching the drink.

Put the ingredients together, shake, and strain.

Gin Crusta

2 ounces of gin (might I recommend the Ransom Old Tom Style Gin)
2 dashes of curaçao
1 dash of lemon juice
3 dashes of Boker’s bitters
3 dashes of gomme syrup (or six dashes of regular simple syrup)

My favorite? The Brandy Crusta.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

It’s been a chaotic week with the climax being the one of the other bartender’s departure, who is the bartender I work the weekends with. We met many years ago when she was a sassy line cook with the mouth of an ex-con. I spent half the time trying to decipher a charming accent that is part drawl, part bam, and part her own language mixed in with an occasional loud expletive to really drive the point home. Nonetheless, she has a heart of gold, works like a mule, never says no, and will always go the extra mile – so when I was hiring a new bar assistant and she called me last year – it was an easy yes.

I feel lucky that I’ve been able to teach some truly awesome people how to bartend. Not only has it opened up a floodgate of one dollar bills in their lives, but in some cases it’s been the opportunity to learn who one is, hone one’s people skills, and learn to combat uber-levels of stress with a ridiculous smile on one’s face. And quite honestly, isn’t that the gift that keeps on giving.

Anyhow, I’m back from a mini four-day bender that started with the host’s birthday, moved on to the other bartender’s last night, proceeded with a bitch-ass going away party, and ended with a Monday afternoon champagne lunch and dinner bbq. Fortunately, it is not hard to go back to work when the job is to make a cocktails. I decided to make the juleps and smashes since my neighbors gave me a heap of mint from their garden to work with.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

So what is the difference between and julep and a smash?
In the julep, the mint is stirred and treated very carefully. In a smash, the mint is smashed (and typically steeped for longer). Otherwise, they are very similar. Thomas also calls for a tiny bit of water in the smash, but otherwise all the smashes and juleps consist of a base spirit, mint, and sugar.

A newspaper article from 1901 perhaps says it best, “Steep your mint leaves in whiskey over night; don’t crush them with a spoon. If you do you are making a mint smash, not a julep.”

The Real Georgia Mint Julep

1.5 ounces of Cognac
1.5 ounces of peach brandy
1 teaspoon of fine white sugar
3-4 mint sprigs

In a tumbler add the sugar to the water until it is dissolved, then add the mint, and then the brandy. Then stir the drink with a spoon (at this point I would let it steep for five – ten minutes) and then add shaved ice.

This drink is delicious and take time this week and make yourself one, especially since Thomas worried about the future of this drink, “The mint julep still lives, but it is by no means fashionable. Poor juleps have ruined the reputation of the South’s most famous drink.”

O.K. this isn’t peach, but this is a nice spin on The Real Georgia Mint Julep and I would be proud to name it The Real Oregon Mint Julep

The Real Oregon Mint Julep

1.5 ounces of brandy
1.5 ounces of pear brandy*
1 teaspoon of fine white sugar
*(Might I recommend Clear Creek Distillery’s Williams Pear Brandy. It takes 30 pounds of pears to make one bottle and they also make a bottle with an actual pear in it – the pear has to grow inside the bottle meaning that they have an orchard with bottles hanging off of the trees).

Mint Julep

3 ounces of brandy
2.5 teaspoons of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint

Mix the sugar and water together, carefully press the mint into the mixture (at this point I would let it steep for five – ten minutes). Remove the mint, add the brandy and fill with shaved ice. Take the mint and use it as a garnish, allowing the leaves to make a bouquet. Add berries, a slice of orange, and a dash of dark rum and serve with a straw.

What a hit!  I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve never made a mint julep correctly. Usually I muddle the mint (for time’s sake), make it with whiskey and I’ve never added berries, oranges, or a dash of rum. This is absolutely delicious!

Gin Julep

3 ounces of gin (I totally recommend the Ransom’s Old Tom Pre-Prohibition style gin)
2.5 teaspoons of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint

Mix the sugar and water together, carefully press the mint into the mixture (at this point I would let it steep for five – ten minutes). Remove the mint, add the brandy and fill with shaved ice. Take the mint and use it as a garnish, allowing the leaves to make a bouquet.

Whiskey Julep

3 ounces of whiskey
2.5 teaspoons of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint

Mix the sugar and water together; carefully press the mint into the mixture (at this point I would let it steep for five – ten minutes). Remove the mint, add the brandy and fill with shaved ice. Take the mint and use it as a garnish, allowing the leaves to make a bouquet.

Pineapple Julep

(Not quite sure why this is called a julep as it doesn’t call for any mint.)

Recipe for one drink
1 ounces of raspberry syrup
1 ounces of Maraschino Liqueur
1 ounces of Old Tom Gin
2 ounces of sparkling wine
2 pieces of pineapple
Stir and add ice

Recipe for a punch bowl
4 ounces of raspberry syrup
4 ounces of Maraschino Liqueur
4 ounces of Old Tom Gin
1 quart of sparkling wine
1 ripe pineapple

Mix everything together in a punch bowl and add ice. Garnish with seasonal berries.

Raspberry syrup recipe
1/2 cup puréed raspberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Bring the sugar and water to heat until it begins to bubble. Pull it off the burner, let it cool and add ½ cup raspberry purée.

Now for the smashes, which tend to be a lot mintier.

How long should I let the mint steep for?
I would say no less than 15 minutes, I’ve done ten minute steeps before and that is really the minimum to get any sort of mintiness out of the leaf. I would recommend overnight if possible and if you are making these drinks for a bar – I would steep by the fifth or half-gallon so people don’t have to wait 15 minutes for a cocktail. I’ve also had good luck using mint tea bags if you don’t have any good mint (two mint teabags to one fifth whiskey has worked well).

Brandy Smash

2 ounces of brandy
3 to 4 sprigs of mint
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of white sugar

Thomas tells his readers to press the mint in the sugar water, but I think you are going to get a much better smash allowing the mint to steep in the spirit first and then adding the other ingredients.

Add the water and sugar and garnish with a slice of orange and a fresh sprig of mint.

Gin Smash

2 ounces of gin
3 to 4 sprigs of mint
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of white sugar

Thomas tells his readers to press the mint in the sugar water, but I think you are going to get a much better smash allowing the mint to steep in the spirit first and then adding the other ingredients.

Add the water and sugar and garnish with a slice of orange and a fresh sprig of mint.

Whiskey Smash

(delicious!)
2 ounces of whiskey
3 to 4 sprigs of mint
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of white sugar

Thomas tells his readers to press the mint in the sugar water, but I think you are going to get a much better smash allowing the mint to steep in the spirit first and then adding the other ingredients.

Add the water and sugar and garnish with a slice of orange and a fresh sprig of mint.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

With the arrival of my husband’s family, I’ve found myself thinking that afternoon cocktail trysts are more than agreeable – and I, unlike most, am in a lucky position to justify it as R&D work. Today, I remade all of the Cobblers – excited that I had a reason to disappear for half of the day and perhaps more excited that there are seven Cobblers, enough to leave from this afternoon’s jaunt in a spirited glow.

According to Jay Hephurn from Oh My Gosh (a really great blog if you enjoy
reading about cocktail history) the cobbler is an old form of mixed drink
that consists of a base spirit, typically some sort of wine, a wee bit of
sugar and fresh fruit. It predates Jerry Thomas by a couple of years and
perhaps gained popularity because it was one of the first drinks to contain
ice and come with a straw! Hephurn continues stating that the most popular
cocktail was the sherry cocktail, which is crazy because I don’t even carry
sherry at the bar because I NEVER have anyone ask for it. Anyhow, if you are not familiar with sherry – it is produced from a white wine grape in a certain part of Spain and fortified with brandy. The flavor of sherry can be all over the board, ranging from dry and less sweet to bold, syrupy, and jammy. (Point being – don’t diss on sherry until you’ve tried a couple.)

Sherry Cobbler

5 ounces of sherry (I used the Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Sherry – which is brazen with a distinct flavor of plump raisins)
1 tablespoon of fine white sugar
1 orange wheel (cut in four)
Add ice, shake – serve with the ice. Top with fresh berries and serve
with a straw.

Champagne Cobbler

5 ounces of champagne
1 tablespoon of fine white sugar
1 orange peel
1 lemon peel
Add ice, shake – serve with the ice. Top with fresh berries and serve
with a straw.

Catawba Cobbler

5 ounces of Catawba wine (as it is really really hard to find, you could use
any rosé)
1 tablespoon of fine white sugar
1 orange wheel (cut in four)
Add ice, shake – serve with the ice. Top with fresh berries and serve
with a straw.

Hock Cobbler

5 ounces of German white wine
1 tablespoon of fine white sugar
1 orange wheel (cut in four)
Add ice, shake – serve with the ice. Top with fresh berries and serve
with a straw.

Claret Cobbler

5 ounces of claret
1 tablespoon of fine white sugar
1 orange wheel (cut in four)
Add ice, shake – serve with the ice. Top with fresh berries and serve
with a straw.

Sauterne Cobbler

5 ounces of sauterne
1 tablespoon of fine white sugar
1 orange wheel (cut in four)
Add ice, shake – serve with the ice. Top with fresh berries and serve
with a straw.

Whiskey Cobbler

3 ounces of whiskey
1 tablespoon of fine white sugar
1 orange wheel (cut in four)
1 dash Maraschino
Add ice, shake – serve with the ice. Top with fresh berries and serve
with a straw.

So I finally broke open my bottle of Catawba wine for this series of drinks – and let’s just say that it tastes like a wine cooler and my guess is that it is mainly sold to people under the age of 21. As the catawba grape is one of America’s few native grape species (one of the others being the beloved jam grape the concord), anyone who loves any wine being produced in California, Oregon, or Washington can be extraordinarily grateful for the fact that European grapes were brought over – as we would be drinking terrible unbalanced  kool-aid wine that lacked any personality or depth.

My favorite of the cobblers – Champagne cobbler. The hint of sugar and fresh berries make a glass of champagne even the more luxurious.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

So I’m back on board with the Jerry Thomas Project – I want to apologize for not working on his drinks recently. The truth of the matter is that I lost the book – and I finally broke down and bought a new book only to find the one I lost immediately upon receipt of the new book. But it actually makes it easier as now I have a copy for the bar and a copy for home. The cocktail I’m making today is simple – you can make it in any bar in America, no special bitters, no wines that haven’t been produced in over a century, and no other mesmerizing ingredients that we can’t find but Jerry Thomas took for granted.

El Dorado Punch

Ingredients:

1 pony of brandy
1/2 pony of Jamaican Rum (might I recommend Appleton Estate)
1/2 pony of bourbon
1 tablespoon of sugar dissolved in water
1 slice of lemon

* (1 pony = 1 ounce)

Fill the tumbler with ice, shake well and serve with berries or small pieces of orange. (It is the beginning of berry season here in Oregon, so this could be a great thing to do with you farmer’s market leftovers.

This drink quite honestly isn’t all that great. It is extremely boozy and I would rather have the brandy, rum, or bourbon by itself on the rocks rather than mixed together with a hint of sugar. But it is a fun recipe concerning the history of rum punches. Wayne Curtis in his book, “and a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails” states, “Punch could be found wherever rum was found — which is to say, everywhere in America within horse cart distance of the West Indian trade.” In the 18th century, every American household had a punch bowl, most made out of ceramic although wealthy individuals often times had a custom made silver punch bowl. Thomas makes a lot of punches, although not that many with rum. So this is a little leftover from before Thomas’ time.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.