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 1887.
The Gin Fix, The Brandy Fix, and The Santa Cruz Fix
You might think that all of these drinks would be made exactly the same – but for some unknown reason Jerry Thomas put some raspberry syrup in the gin fix. Once again, I can safely assume that there was a lack of foresight in naming his cocktails and I often feel that Thomas thought it a real bother to name his drinks. (Which I completely understand because you only have so many “good names” and then you are just pulling at straws to figure a name that describes the drink, sounds delicious, is catchy, and easily pronounceable.)
Anyhow, these are all easy drinks to make right now at your home. No bitters that haven’t been available for 100 years. No fancy syrups. Just sugar, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and spirit (except for the gin fix which uses a little raspberry syrup). The Brandy Fix is pretty much a sidecar, which is one of my favorite cocktails. And if you really think about it, a margarita is almost a tequila sidecar (but with lime instead of lemon).
Here are the updated recipes in modern measurements.
Brandy Fix
1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup (or 2 teaspoons of sugar)
.5 ounce of curacoa*
2 ounces of brandy
(please remember that all cognacs and piscos are also brandy and can be used interchangeably)
Shake vigorously and strain. Thomas recommends serving it with a lemon and lime slice.
* Don’t have curacoa? Use triple sec, Grand Marnier, Citronage, or any other orange liqueur.
Gin Fix
1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce raspberry syrup*
2 ounces of gin
(this is a great way to try a new gin – see my post on Ransom Old Tom Gin)
Shake vigorously and strain. Thomas recommends serving it with fresh berries.
* Don’t have raspberry syrup – use raspberry jam.
Santa Cruz Fix
1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup (or 2 teaspoons of sugar)
.5 ounce of curacoa*
2 ounces of dark rum
Shake vigorously and strain. Thomas recommends serving it with an orange and a pineapple.
* Don’t have curacoa? Use triple sec, Grand Marnier, Citronage, or any other orange liqueur.
- Columbine Quillen I am a mixologist bartender and this is my blog.