The Barnum Was Right Cocktail

Good luck trying to nail down the origins of the Barnum Was Right cocktail, but Ted Haigh says it existed, so let’s all agree that he’s right, because this cocktail is one you don’t want to miss. (1)

Recipes for this drink vary greatly (at the Varnish in Los Angeles, they use apricot liqueur instead of apricot brandy, and the Milk & Honey family of bars seems to have agreed on using 0.5 oz less gin and peach liqueur), and so do the results (2). By FAR the best version is made (as Ted suggested) with Marie Brizard Apricot Brandy (aka “Marie Brizard Apry”), and (as I suggest) one dash of each kind of Angostura (instead of two of aromatic Angostura). The resulting cocktail is spicy but smoothly fruity with an unexplainable roundness that makes your mouth smile involuntarily. Someone I recently made the cocktail for exclaimed “I…well then if that isn’t…just…wonderful!”

Usually The Cocktail Explorer only suggests brands, but I have to make a note of the Marie Brizard Apry: if you can’t find it, don’t bother. With any other liqueur taking the Apry’s place, this drink is an exercise in mediocrity. So if you see a bottle, buy two, because you will want to make these more than you think.

The Barnum Was Right Cocktail and its ingredients, save Angostura Orange Bitters

BARNUM WAS RIGHT COCKTAIL
2 oz Gin
1 oz Marie Brizard Apricot Brandy
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
1 Dash Angostura Orange Bitters

• combine all ingredients into iced shaker
• shake vigorously and strain into cocktail coupe
• garnish with lemon peel (though none is preferred)

Personal Favorite Brands:

Saint George Terroir Gin, Saint George Botanivore Gin, Beefeater Gin

Sources:
(1)  Haigh, Ted. “Barnum “Was Right” Cocktail.” Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. Deluxe ed. Beverly, MA: Quarry, 2009. 60. Print.
(2) Sam Ross’ (of Milk & Honey fame) “Bartender’s Guide” mobile app

The Manhattan Cocktail

Supposedly invented at the Manhattan Club in the late 1870s, the Manhattan cocktail is one of the world’s most endearing drinks.(1) Even though the first time we see the Manhattan recipe actually in print is 1930…and it’s called the “Tennessee Cocktail” served on the rocks…an understood history has been agreed upon that I’ll pass along here.(2)

The Manhattan was invented in the Manhattan Club and became popular in the late 1870s. It was made with American rye whiskey. The drink stayed popular during Prohibition, when Canadian whiskey was often used, since the American rye supply was running low. By the time Prohibition was repealed, those in the north continued to use Canadian whiskey (which can legally be called “Rye Whisky” even if not made with at least 51% rye like American rye whiskey), and the south fell in love with using bourbon, since it was easier to get. (3) Now it is perfectly acceptable drink any of those spirits in your Manhattan cocktail (though traditionalists often prefer rye), so be sure to clarify when ordering at the bar, or they will likely default to rye or the regional standard.

And a fun trick to impress your friends if making these at home is to tell them that the ratios reflect Manhattan’s area code: 212 (see recipe below).

NOTE: If you enjoy Manhattans, you must try a Boothby and a Greenpoint

A Manhattan made with Punt e Mes vermouth and lemon rind garnish

THE MANHATTAN COCKTAIL

2 oz Rye Whiskey (or Bourbon)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

• combine all ingredients into either a mixing glass with ice or an iced shaker
• stir or roll until cold
• garnish: either brandied cherry dropped into the glass, or a citrus peel

Personal Favorite Brands:

Templeton Rye Whiskey, Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Punt e Mes sweet vermouth

VARIATIONS: There are many exciting variations that deserve their own posts (like the Boothby Cocktail), but there are also many variations with little or no ratio changes and basic ingredient tweaks. Here are the four worth mentioning:

1. Dry Manhattan – Dry Vermouth instead of Sweet Vermouth (with lemon twist)
2. Perfect Manhattan – equal parts Sweet and Dry Vermouth
3. Fanciulli Cocktail – Fernet Branca instead of Bitters
4. Rob Roy – Scotch instead of Rye
5. Ruby Manhattan – port instead of vermouth

Sources:
(1) Murphy, Patrick. The Barman’s Corner. N.p.: n.p., 1945. Print.
(2) Strong, P. Shake ’em Up! By V. Elliot. N.p.: n.p., 1930. 39. Print
(3)  http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._870/section-B.02.020.html (accessed 5-7-13)

The Purgatory

The Purgatory Cocktail and its ingredients

This drink owes its existence to Ted Kilgore, who was bar manager at the Monarch Restaurant in Maplewood, Mo when he made the gutsy choice of putting Benedictine and Green Chartreuse in the same glass.

The Green Chartreuse lends a pungent herbal taste, which is wonderfully tempered by the complimentarily-herbal Benedictine. Instead of fighting with each other, these liqueurs work together to bring out the best in each other, giving hints of honey (from the Benedictine) and a subtle anise earthiness (from the Green Chartreuse) that shine nicely against the dark nuttiness of the rye whiskey. It should be noted that, since the rye is the stage the other ingredients perform on, it must be quality; if a cheap rye is used, the cocktail will suffer to the point of being mediocre.

According to the SF Gate, Ted Kilgore made this drink for a coworker who asked him for a drink that would help the pain of his rough night disappear. Ted handed him a Purgatory with a warning: “If you drink very many of these in succession, you will experience this drink’s namesake. You have been forewarned.”” (2)

THE PURGATORY COCKTAIL

2.5 oz Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Benedictine

• combine all ingredients into either a mixing glass with ice or an iced shaker
• stir or roll until cold
• twist lemon peel over glass and rub over rim, add as garnish

Personal Favorite Brands:

Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Templeton Rye, Whistlepig Rye, Rittenhouse Rye

Sources:
(1) http://www.sheknows.com/recipes/purgatory-cocktail
(2) http://www.sfgate.com/wine/article/Heaven-Almost-it-s-a-Purgatory-cocktail-2523985.php

The Greenpoint

The Greenpoint is a variation on the Brooklyn cocktail (which itself is a Manhattan variation) created in 2005 by Michael McIlroy at the infamous NYC bar Milk & Honey (3).  It was named after Greenpoint, Brooklyn as an homage to both its cocktail roots and the green hue of the Chartreuse. (And while it’s an adorable name, it may be why some misinformed establishments make the drink with Green Chartreuse, which isn’t nearly as good.)  It’s a superbly herbal variation that brings depth of taste without being overpowering. Some recipes don’t call for the dash of orange bitters, but thanks to extensive research I can say that they are dead wrong. The sweet vermouth is more up for debate (see “NOTE” below), but either version is a superb drink, and may replace the Manhattan as a favorite (like it did for The Cocktail Explorer!). It’s also tasty shaken (even though that goes against the rules)!

The Greenpoint (shaken) and ingredients, save orange bitters

THE GREENPOINT COCKTAIL

2 oz Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth or Punt e Mes Vermouth*
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
1 Dash Orange Bitters**

• combine all ingredients into either a mixing glass with ice or an iced shaker
• stir or roll until cold
• twist lemon peel over glass and rub over rim, add as garnish

*NOTE: Different sources will give you different recipes, some saying that the Greenpoint uses sweet vermouth (1)(2)(3) and others telling you to use brand name sweet vermouth Punt e Mes (4)(5). It’s fabulous either way, but because bartenders at The Varnish (Los Angeles) and Little Branch (a sister bar of Milk & Honey in Manhattan) have told me they use sweet vermouth, that’s what I default to. (Plus sweet vermouth is easier to find and kinder to your wallet.) However, if you have the opportunity to use Punt e Mes, do it; this is widely considered the best sweet vermouth on the market, and elevates any cocktail that calls for “sweet vermouth” generically.

**Using Angostura Orange bitters will make this drink exceptionally spice-heavy, so I prefer to use purely orange bitters (listen below) to let the spice of the Yellow Chartreuse take center stage.

Personal Favorite Brands:

Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Cinzano Sweet Vermouth, Fee Brothers Orange Bitters, Regan Orange Bitters

Sources:
(1) http://liquor.com/recipes/greenpoint
(2) http://ohgo.sh/archive/brooklyn-cocktail-variations-red-hook-greenpoint-bensonhurst-recipe
(3) Sam Ross’ (of Milk & Honey fame) “Bartender’s Guide” mobile app
(4) http://blog.vincekeenan.com/2012/08/cocktail-of-week-greenpoint.html
(5) http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Greenpoint