Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Happy Hour and the Classic Cocktail


We, as law students, are invited to a lot of happy hours- sponsored by our student organizations, bar association divisions we may be joining, and law firms as well. They're training us to be alcoholic, you see.

All in all, this means a lot of drinking. We take as a given that appearances and first impressions are very important at these events, and put our best foot forward in our manner of dress and decorum. What we don't think about too often (at least I haven't until very recently) is that what we drink may say quite a bit about our personalities as well.

At a recent event, a fellow student expressed to me his shared affinity for tradition and the classical approach to dress and mannerisms as he sipped away on an Old-Fashioned.

Although I love my beer as much as any person (at that time I had a Walt Whit from Philadelphia Brewing Co.), I took notice at his poise - that drink made him look classy - a throwback to the idealized days where men wore hats and suits everywhere they went, when people still held doors, and people were free of the technological distractions which fill our lives. Consequently, after I finished my beer, I ordered a Manhattan. The best cocktail I've ever had. Strong, plain, and absolutely delicious.

That being said, there are six fundamental drinks that every gentleman (and lady) should know. David A. Embury, in his book 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, articulates them and provides the recipes. They are the Martini (made with Gin), The Manhattan, The Old-Fashioned, The Daiquri, The Sidecar, and the Jack Rose.

Below are the recipes he recommends- simple, classy, and quintessential to the cocktail tradition. Normally, I'm a beer or Martini guy, but I'll be keeping these drinks in rotation at the next few happy hours.


The Martini
7 parts English gin
1 part French (dry) vermouth

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, twist lemon peel over the top and serve garnished with an olive, preferably one stuffed with any kind of nut.

The Manhattan

5 parts American whiskey
1 part Italian (sweet) vermouth
dash of Angostura bitters to each drink

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and serve garnish with a maraschino cherry.

The Old-Fashioned
12 parts American whiskey
1 part simple syrup
1-3 dashes Angostura bitters to each drink

In an old-fashioned glass, add bitters to simple syrup and stir. Add about 1 ounce of whiskey and stir again. Add two cubes of cracked, but not crushed, ice and top off with the rest of the whiskey. Twist lemon peel over the top and serve garnished with the lemon peel and a maraschino cherry.

The Daiquiri
8 parts white Cuban rum
2 parts lime juice
1 part simple syrup

Shake with lots of finely crushed ice and strain well into a chilled cocktail glass. Other excellent variations include the Daiquiri Grenadine, with a few drops of grenadine per drink substituted for some of the simple syrup and the Daiquiri De Luxe, with Orgeat or Crème d'Ananas in place of simple syrup and a mixture of lime and lemon juices.

The Sidecar
1 part Cointreau or triple sec
1 part lemon juice
1 part Cognac or Armagnac

Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon if desired.

The Jack Rose
3 parts Applejack
2 parts lemon juice
2 dashes Grenadine

Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon if desired.


No comments: