1939 The Gentleman's Companion volume II Beeing an Exotic Drinking Book

THE EXOTIC DRINKING BOOK

BALAK.LAVA SPECIAL No. II, when LADIES ARE PRESENT Just why handsome women prefer sweet and creamy cocktails has always troubled us, but they do; and anyway a lot of things about handsome ladies have troubled us, so why get tweaky about the busi– ness at this late date? ... Put r jigger of ki.immel, Yz jigger each of absinthe, cognac and kirschwasser, into a shaker. Add Yz tsp orgeat syrup and r to rYz tsp of thick cream. Shake briskly and serve in a tall– stemmed cocktail glass. And for heaven's sweet sake don't think this snake-in-the-grass drink is a harmless and gentle lady's affair just be– cause it has cream in it! FIRPO'S BALLOON COCKTAIL, the CALCUTTA CLASSIC Our college mate C. Byron Spofford, at the time American Commer– cial Attache in Calcutta for all of India, Burma and Ceylon, once gave a dinner celebrating the farewell of a very o£Hnionated.pair of men wished on him from Russian Famine Relief Headquarters by Her– bert Hoover. We seem to recall their names as being Sabine and Ren– shaw, but that doesn't matter-it didn't then, and it certainly doesn't now. The thing that does matter is that Firpo mixed us a special round of Balloons-named because the 5th one consumed is guaranteed to set us bobbing about up under the ceiling. Firpo's is Calcutta's one smart night spot. It was all very gay in spite of the Hoover sycophants. . . . To r jigger of really good rye whisky add the same of Italian vermouth and absinthe-substituting Pernod Veritas lacking the true wormwood spirit. Now donate 2 dashes of orange bitters, or Angos– tura if preferred, and r Yz to 2 tsp of egg white. Shake well. Serve in a big saucer type champagne glass. This is another one to watch cannily lest our pedal extremities fold up at some totally inappropriate moment. THE BARRY COCKTAIL, from MANILA, and MET FIRST in 1926, then again LATER. As MIXED at the ARMY & NAVY CLUB This is included through clinical mixing interest. It is exactly the same as a Martini, but using Italian vermouth instead of the dry French type; adding Angostura bitters rather than orange, and . 15 .