Cocktail of the Hour -- the Aviation

To truly enjoy the Aviation and appreciate its name, you have to think back to when air travel was a luxury. Picture a elegant seating area inhabited by suave gentlemen and well-coifed ladies. Imagine full-service dinners on tables with real table cloths served by happy stewardesses (term used for historical effect).

In that context, the Aviation's name and makeup makes more sense. It's a bit of a mystery -- I couldn't find much background on this Prohibition-era cocktail other than it was inspired by the air travel available around that time. It's a crisp cocktail with a tart bite and a dry finish. Per the recipes I found online, it's also incredibly versatile.

Per Wondrich's article on Esquire, it's made with maraschino liqueur, but no crème de violette. This recipe first appeared in Harry Craddock's 1930 edition of the Savoy Cocktail Book, and makes the drink reminiscent of the icy cloudscape that passengers experience when they fly.

According to most other sources, the crème de violette is essential: it provides the drink's recognizable hazy purple-blue color. Either way, it's a gorgeous drink that can call up memories of a simpler -- and more glamorous -- time. To find your way back, experiment with the proportions until you find what takes you back.

Recipe: 1 tsp Crème de Violette (optional) 1/2 oz maraschino liqueur 3/4 oz freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice 2 oz gin

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, and shake vigorously until chilled, about 12-18 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry (optional).

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Ramos Gin Fizz

The Ramos Gin Fizz is one of the most time-intensive and physically challenging drinks for bartenders. In fact, its original instructions call for a 12-minute-long hard shake. Though most modern bars will shake it for two to five minutes, it still requires an intense physical effort. As a result, some bars will charge a lot more for this libation if it's ordered during peak service hours.

Out of respect for my fellow bartenders, I'd been hesitant to post about it. With the advent of spring, this delicious, traditional New Orleans cocktail is something I've been craving on a regular basis. As well, its surprisingly straightforward place in history should be discussed and respected.

With all that said, please be considerate of your bartender when ordering this drink.

Historically, this drink has its origins  in the 1880s. Henry Ramos, a New Orleans bartender of the time, created this drink and ignited a craze. It became so popular that he had at least ten bartenders on the clock every night to keep up with demand. It's not hard to see why -- its creamy, fluffy texture is reminiscent of Lebanese ice cream and its taste is light, delicate, floral and entirely tasty.

As with most classics, variations on this drink have been made with different syrups, juices and garnishes. As spring approaches, experiment with different gins (I prefer either the Old Tom style) or different proportions to fit your taste.

Recipe:

1 dash orange flower water (orange blossom water is the same thing) 1 egg white .5 oz fresh lemon juice .5 oz fresh lime juice .5 0z simple syrup .75 oz heavy whipping cream 2 oz gin

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake vigorously without ice for at least 45 seconds. Add ice and shake vigorously for several minutes until the tin is frosty. Strain into a chilled Collins glass and top with soda water to create the foam cap.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Manhattan

After researching a lot of cocktails with contentious origins, it comes as no surprise that the ever-popular Manhattan has many origin legends. The drink was definitely a bar staple by the 1860s, but the details of where and when it was created are largely lost to history. One of the most interesting stories was that it was invented for a party thrown by Winston Churchill's mother at the Manhattan Club. Unfortunately, the historical record indicates that she was across the pond giving birth during the time of this party. Other sources give credit to a bartender named Black who worked in another bar in Manhattan. If this was the case, it's likely that this libation was created to be one of the five cocktails named for New York City's five main boroughs. Despite its lack of historical figures, this tale is likely the most true.

Interestingly, putting together an original Manhattan is almost as  impossible as piecing together its backstory. The oldest recorded recipe calls for a few dashes of Boker's bitters in equal parts rye whiskey and sweet vermouth. A few decades ago, the original Boker's bitters went out of production, so unless you're willing to shell out some serious cash for a vintage bottle, you're unlikely to ever taste the most historic Manhattan.

As well, modern palates (and bartenders) favor spirit-heavy drinks over vermouth-heavy drinks. As a result, the most popular recipe for a Manhattan calls for a 2:1 ratio of whiskey to vermouth. Thanks to a few marketing campaigns featuring the Manhattan, bourbon has largely eclipsed rye in common recipes. Though this substitution doesn't affect the presentation, it gives the drink a much smoother, sweeter taste overall than a rye Manhattan.

The rye Manhattan is a dark, slightly sweet cocktail with a hint of spice from the whiskey. An orange peel garnish adds a citrusy nose that compliments the wine and dark fruit of the first sip. Garnishing with a maraschino cherry, by contrast, adds a very sweet finish to a sweet, but balanced drink. Though the origins of this practice are unclear, written records would seem to indicate that the orange peel garnish came first.

Choosing complimentary vermouths and whiskeys is one of the biggest parts of making a delicious Manhattan. For example, a more bitter vermouth like Punt e Mes won't necessarily compliment either the boldness of Rittenhouse rye or a smooth bourbon. However, a more rounded, earthier vermouth like Cocchi Vermouth di Turino or Carpano Antica Formula can bring out the best qualities in either liquor.

Since no two people have the exact same taste preferences, experimentation is the best way to find our your favorite drink recipes. Try out different combinations and see what works for you.

Recipe: 3 dashes Angostura bitters 1 dash Heering cherry liqueur 1 oz sweet vermouth 2 oz rye whiskey

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well incorporated. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel or maraschino cherry depending on your preference.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Ward 8

Out of all the contentious drinks I've featured so far, the Ward 8 might just top them all. With at least three origin stories and hundreds of recipes, the diversity of its manifestations almost rivals the Old Fashioned's. In fact, when a New York Sun writer called for readers to submit their Ward 8 recipes in the 1940s, he received more than 500 replies.

People get territorial over their whiskey cocktails.

According to the available mishmash of cocktail history, Boston was definitely the Ward 8's birthplace. It was probably created within a decade of 1900, and is most likely named for one of the city's voting districts. The most popular backstory is that it was created to celebrate a political boss's election victory in north Boston, but this story seems to have originated in 1951. Other sources credit other bartenders who worked at the hotel where this alleged party occurred and yet others give credit to other venues.

The Ward 8 is a whiskey sour sweetened with grenadine. The use of orange juice and the amount of grenadine varies by recipe, but however it's made, it usually turns out light, spicy and slightly dry. Since so many recipes for this beverage exist, I'm not going off the reservation by saying that if my recipe doesn't suit your fancy, tweak it until it does.

Ward 8 1 tsp - .5 oz grenadine (to taste) .5 oz lemon juice .75 oz orange juice 2 oz whiskey Add all ingredients to a shaker tin. Shake vigorously for 13-17 seconds or until cooled through and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Cocktails, food and more cocktails

Before you get worried, let me clarify: the title describes my reading list, not my nightly routine. Currently, I've got a foot-high stack of cocktail history books on my coffee table and a couple more in my bag. As both a craft bartender and food/drink writer, deep dives into cocktail history and lore have sharpened my skills and deepened my interest in the subject. I'm also lucky to have friends and loved ones who loan me books. Since the craft cocktail movement is still building here in Birmingham, it is also relatively new to public understanding. As a result, local libraries don't have much related material. My coworkers and friends have been invaluable in pointing me towards the best history and reference books in the field. Here are a few books that I've thoroughly enjoyed:

• Jim Meehan's The PDT Cocktail Book This funky, modern cocktail book breaks down every part of the bar experience into interesting and manageable segments. All pieces of drink-making and preparation are explained, including infusions and syrups specific to each recipe. Though some home bartenders may have to rebalance a few recipes to please their own palates, it's a wonderfully accessible primer on all things bar-related.
• Jerry Thomas's How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant's Companion or The Bartender's Guide Thomas's historical cocktail guide is delightfully Victorian without being prudish. Widely considered the great-great-great grandfather of modern mixology, Thomas is responsible for much of the flair and technique that made the American Cock-Tail into what it's become today. However, many of the recipes are written in measurements vague enough to kill even the best constructed drink. Luckily, modern cocktail historian David Wondrich has written a fantastic biography of Jerry Thomas called Imbibe! that translates and, in some cases, slightly rebalances these cocktails for the modern palate.
• Wondrich also crafted a fantastic history of punch in Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl. At once sassy and informative, this guide traces the drink's origins, takes a stab at its exact date of birth, goes on to give historical recipes with translated, user friendly modern equivalents.
• David Embury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks is an unintentionally hilarious, overtly sexist and absolutely curmudgeonly take on bartending. Embury himself never worked a bar shift, but had such strong ideas of how drinks should be made that he taught seminars on the matter after Prohibition. I'm only a few chapters in, but have laughed out loud multiple times.
• Brad Thomas Parsons's Bitters is both historical and practical for the home bartender. If you've ever been curious on what exactly bitters are or how they're made, pick up a copy and enjoy. (Disclaimer: I've only read the introduction).
• Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails is a delightful romp through pre- and post-Prohibition cocktails. Home bartenders beware: some of the recipes aren't balanced for modern tastes. Some drinks might not be to your taste.

Cocktail of the Hour -- Blood and Sand

As much as I love all things whisk(e)y, I'm still dipping my toes in the peaty waters of scotch and scotch cocktails. One of my recent favorites is the classic Blood & Sand. Composed of equal parts blended scotch, Heering cherry, orange juice and sweet vermouth, the drink is surprisingly smooth and sensuous. This tipple first appears on the radar in Henry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book. Its name is most likely derived from the 1922 movie that starred Rudolph Valentino, but its history is otherwise unknown. More recently, its revival was almost halted by its ingredient list. In fact, master bartender Dale DeGroff rediscovered the recipe in the mid-1990s and was so intrigued by the combination that he both doubted its value and had to try one.

Though the ingredients might seem incompatible at first glance, the result is a rich, almost-tropical-punch drink. Rich cherry liqueur adds weight, sweetness and velvety texture that's balanced by the orange juice's acidity. The scotch gives the drink the smoky, peaty notes that are grounded by the rich wine-y-ness of the sweet vermouth. On paper, it appears of be a cacophony of tastes, but in reality, it all comes together for a right, delicious experience.

Recipe:

.75 oz orange juice .75 oz Heering cherry .75 oz sweet vermouth .75 oz blended scotch 

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake until well-mixed, about 13-17 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and serve.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Negroni

Despite all of the amazing alcoholic products exported from Italy, it's not a place known for its cocktails. Since the country didn't have to get creative to make illegal spirits palatable, few recipes have emerged. However, a few Italian cocktails have become critical parts of cocktail history.

One that has inspired endless variations is the Negroni. Like many other cocktails, this one doesn't have a clear cut backstory. Its origin is traced by some back to 1919. At that time, Count Camillo Negroni is said to have ordered an Americano (equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth) with gin and no soda.

The result was and is a cocktail with a beautiful ruby tone. Taste-wise, the Campari adds a bitterness and sweetness that plays around the gin's herbaceous bite. Sweet vermouth balances these flavors with a smoky, wine-y earthiness. Though many bartenders have rebalanced this cocktail to please modern palates, others argue passionately that these variations are not actually Negronis.

For that reason, I've included the original recipe. By what I can tell, it's also the most historical, so it's the best suited for my purposes. Other interesting variations to try include the Boulevardier (sub bourbon for gin), a 1794 (sub rye for gin) or a Boulevarista (sub tequila for gin). With one Google search, I uncovered more than twenty variations, and scores of others exist in books and bars all over the world. With the number of possibilities available, it's just a matter of finding one that's to your taste.

Recipe:

1 oz Campari

1 oz sweet vermouth

1 oz gin

Combine in a mixing glass and stir for 12-15 seconds or until combined to taste. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel.

Cocktail of the Hour -- the Martinez

As you might have gathered, cocktail history is equal parts interesting, contentious and vague. For every cocktail with a crystal clear genealogy, five more exist in a much more nebulous place. Such is the case with the Martinez.

Sometimes called the father of the Martini, this drink is supposedly named for the town in California where it originated. Other cocktail lore suggests it is one of Jerry Thomas's creations or is named after the bartender who invented it. Unfortunately, there is little information to back up any of these stories.

Even if the Martinez didn't have a direct impact on the creation of the Martini, each drink represents a different route for mixing gin-based drinks. The Martinez is basically a gin Manhattan complete with sweet vermouth, while the Martini gets the dry vermouth treatment.Interestingly, recipes for each cocktail have varied widely over the last century. Thomas's How to Mix Drinks (etc) presents a cocktail that has a 2:1 vermouth to gin ratio, while The Savoy Cocktail Book inverts these proportions.

Personally, the more modern recipe is more pleasing for my palate. Though you can occasionally catch me drinking straight vermouth, I prefer cocktails that accentuate the base spirit rather than covering it. In this case, the vermouth tends to overpower the Old Tom gin. This style is heavier on botanicals than the now-popular London Dry gin, and is not as widely available. In fact, only one store in the entire state of Alabama carries a brand of Old Tom.*

The result is a light, nutty drink with a sweetness balanced by the addition of bitters. Even though it finishes dry, the addition of the sweet vermouth provides a depth of flavor beyond the Martini's searing dryness.

Recipe

2 dashes orange bitters

1 tsp maraschino cherry liqueur

1 oz sweet vermouth

2 oz Old Tom gin

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice, stir for 12-15 seconds or until the drink is to your taste. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

*Hayman's Old Tom gin is available at Lou's Pub in Birmingham. Disclaimer: I have not been paid or compensated to mention them in this post.

Cocktail of the hour -- the Moscow Mule

As a disclaimer, the Moscow Mule is the first and will probably be the last vodka drink I feature here. With a name that translates literally as "little water," this colorless and tasteless spirit doesn't add anything to cocktails other than alcohol content. Too many other delicious products exist to focus much energy on a substance that is renowned for its ability to blend in.

Ranting aside, the Moscow Mule is almost solely responsible for making vodka popular. Back in 1934, Rudolf Kunnett bought the rights to a French vodka brand called Smirnoff. Five years later, employee Jack Martin convinced the Heublein Inc. corporation to buy out Kunnett. They then bottled all of the remaining stock with whiskey corks from another unsuccessful venture. Despite its popularity with a certain faction of day drinkers, the product still hadn't caught on by 1946.

At this time, Martin started hanging out in a Hollywood joint called the Cock 'n' Bull Pub. The bar's owner was having an equally bad time trying to sell the spicy ginger beer he had been bottling. When both ingredients were dumped into a copper mug (made by yet another struggling businessman) and a lime wedge squeezed on top, the Moscow Mule was born. Topped with a meaningless but catchy name, this mixed drink was marketed well and helped popularize vodka.

Though we have this drink to blame for the increasingly sweet and artificially fruity vodka drinks that followed, this simple and refreshing concoction may just serve as the gateway to  drinking a Southside or Tom Collins. If that's the case, this vodka drink may just be able to cancel out a little bit of the harm it's done to the popular palate.

Recipe

.5 oz lime juice

2 oz vodka

ginger beer

Squeeze or pour lime juice into a chilled Collins glass or copper mug. Add a few cubes of ice, then add vodka and, if desired, a splash of simple syrup. Fill to the brim with ginger beer and lightly stir to combine. 

Cocktail of the Hour: the Improved Whiskey Cocktail

I'm not much for the idea that the certain spirits should only be drunk during certain times of the year. If I waited for cold weather in Alabama to drink red wine or whiskey, I would still have a long time to wait. Luckily, even a spirituous* cocktail can revive a thirsty soul and cool him or her down. One such beverage is the Improved Whiskey Cocktail. With recipes dating back to the 1876 edition of Jerry Thomas's How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant's Companion or The Bartender's Guide, this cocktail sprang from a source similar to the Old Fashioned. In the days of yore, few drinks had defined names. Simply enough, patrons wanting any sort of mixture of whiskey, water and sugar would order a Whiskey Cocktail.

As maraschino liqueur, absinthe and other spirits came on the scene, their introduction into this family of beverage spawned a new creation -- the Fancy Whiskey Cocktail. About fourteen years later, the Improved Whiskey Cocktail joined its fancy counterpart in Thomas's book. Since that time, both of the cocktails have been reformulated to fit more modern standards of measurement by David Wondrich in Imbibe! which was later picked up by The PDT Cocktail Book. This recipe is the one below.

Currently, the PDT recipe is my favorite riff on this particular cocktail. It's a simple drink with sweet and bitter notes that balance and soften the edges of the rye whiskey. As they say, rye whiskey makes the band sound better, makes your baby cuter, makes itself taste sweeter, oh boy!

Recipe:

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 dash absinthe (or rinse the glass with absinthe)

.25 oz simple syrup

.25 oz maraschino liqueur

2 oz overproof rye whiskey

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and drop in a handful of crushed ice. Put a few whole cubes on top and stir til the drink is diluted to your taste or about 13-17 seconds. Garnish with a lemon peel.

*spirituous: A drink that contains (almost) all liquor and no citrus.

Cocktail of the Hour: the Daiquiri

In much of the restaurant industry, "blender" is a curse word. They are not only loud, breakable and time-consuming, but also pretty much useless in classic recipes. Believe it or not, one such drink is the daiquiri.

Named for a Cuban beach, this beverage's root date back to before the Spanish-American War. From there, its history gets hazy. Some sources suggest that the classic daiquiri's proportions mimic the daily rations of rum, citrus and sugar given to British sailors, suggesting that their grog was a less refined version of this cocktail. Other stories suggest that, since sugar cane and lime are indigenous to Cuba, that it was a combination of available resources.

What we know for sure is that this drink -- and many of its many variations -- has served up inspiration for writers and artists of all kinds. Hemingway himself frequented Cuba's La Florida (the self-proclaimed "Cradle of the Daiquiri"), and his drink made it into 1937's Bar La Florida Cocktails as "The Henmiway Special." Boasting translation skills on par with its spelling, this book is entertaining, but probably not the most reliable source.

After that point, the daiquiri became popular again in the 1940s and 1970s. Like many other cocktails, its most recognizable present form is actually a re-imagining from the 1960s/70s/80s that ratcheted up its sugar content to appeal to the public palate. Its most classic form, however, is a humble beverage that balances tart with sweet. Mix one up today to find out why it's inspired countless variations.

Recipe:

2 oz white rum

1 oz lime juice

1 oz simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake for 10-12 seconds or until cooled through. Strain and serve straight up.

Cocktail of the Hour: The Southside

As the story goes, the Southside was named for the South Side of Chicago's bootlegging joints. During Prohibition, citrus and sugar were mixed with bathtub gin to make it drinkable. Even if it wasn't one of the creations of that era, it is still a delicious gimlet variation. In the years since, it has become an institution at many country clubs. Even Tory Burch has claimed a vodka-based version of this drink as her favorite. The version documented in Townsend's The Bartender's Book is gin-based, and the spirit's botanicals add a layer of complexity to the taste. Fortunately, we don't live during Prohibition, and many of the products previously unavailable in Alabama are now here. Experimenting with different gins will yield slight changes in the cocktail's flavor and body, but the citrus and mint are somewhat forgiving.

This beverage is best made while the weather is warm and mint is in season. Since we've only got a few weeks left that meet both requirements, shake one (or few) up for the perfect picnic/tailgating/afternoon tipple.

Recipe:

4-6 mint leaves

1 dash Angostura bitters*

1 oz lime juice

1 oz simple syrup

2 oz gin of your choice

Lightly bruise -- do not pulverize -- mint leaves in the shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake for 10-12 seconds to combine. Strain into a chilled glass.

*Editor's note: the traditional Southside isn't made with bitters, but they add depth of flavor. Try it both ways!