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Sophisticate Style
Reviving thrills of the past
Q: I'm starting a cocktail social club with some friends. We're hoping to capture the sophisticated elegance of old movies and their glamorous starlets. What style of drinks should I be serving?
-- K.
Fleming, New Hope, Pennsylvania
As far as traditional cocktails go, the 30s and 40s was a great time for mixing. Bartenders were almost chemists in their precision and documentation of recipes. There were rules and specific styles one adhered to if they were to remain part of polite society. The end result included Ades, Cobblers, Collins, Coolers, Cups, Daisies, Eggnogs, Fixes, Fizzes, Flips, Highballs, Juleps, Pousse Cafés, Punches, Rickeys, Sangarees, Slings, Smashes, Sours, Swizzles and Toddies.
So what are these styles all about? Let's look into Old Mr. Boston's DeLuxe Official Bartender's guide compiled by Leo Cotton in 1935.
Ade - These are perfect warm-weather drinks, served tall and frosty with plenty of ice and garnished with slices of fruit. They are made primarily with sweetened lemon or lime juice and a variety of liquors and may be filled with plain or soda water.
Cobbler - These tall drinks are generally served in a large goblet. They are made with lots of shaved ice, fruit and liquor decorated with berries, fresh fruit and, if desired, a sprig of mint. Serve with straws.
Collins - These are tall, cool drinks belonging to the Punch family, with Tom and John the best known members. Any basic spirit can be used, with the juice of lime or lemon, over ice cubes in a frosted 12 ounce highball glass, with sugar added to taste and filled with soda water. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a cherry.
Cooler - A cooler is a tall, warm-weather drink not unlike an individual Punch except that less lemon or lime juice is used in a Cooler (usually just fruit rinds). They are made with different types of spirits, flavoring, cracked ice and a carbonated beverage.
Cup - These delectable wine cocktails are made with brandy and Curacao mixed with sweet wine, dry champagne or cider. Make in glass pitchers with ice cubes and serve in stemmed claret glasses.
Daisy - These overgrown cocktails are made of liquor, grenadine (or other cordial), and lemon or lime juice. Usually shaken with cracked ice, they are served in a stein, metal cup or old fashioned glass over an ice cube and decorated with fruit.
Eggnog - This is a most agreeable enriching way to take whole eggs and milk. They can be served in cups, from a bowl at the holiday season or in a tall individually prepared glass. In either case, a sprinkling of nutmeg is a must.
Fix - These sweet miniature Cobblers are made in highball glasses with spirit, lemon juice, sugar and lots of shaved ice. Serve with fruits, berries and straws.
Fizz - An early morning, mid-afternoon or evening pleasure these are made from spirit, citrus juices and sugar, shaken with ice and strained into small highball glasses, which are filled with "fizz" (soda) water, though different carbonated beverages, even Champagne, may be used. A few call for egg whites or yolks.
Flip - This combination Eggnog and Fizz is made with spirit, egg and sugar, shaken well with cracked ice and strained into short-stemmed flip glasses. Good early-morning or bedtime drinks, sprinkled with nutmeg.
Highball - These are all-time favorites and simple to make. Practically any liquor may be used, in combination with ice, soda or plain water, ginger ale and a host of other carbonated liquids.
Julep - Juleps come from Kentucky, but are cool and refreshing anywhere. Traditionally made with Kentucky bourbon and fresh mint leaves (muddled, crushed or whole), these may be made with rye, brandy, gin, rum or champagne. Serve with shaved ice in an ice-frosted glass with a mint or fruit garnish and straws.
Pousse Café - These sweet striped wonders are made from a series of cordials and liqueurs poured in succession so that one floats on another. Follow the recipes exactly to get the layers of ingredients in the right order.
Punch - Perfect for parties, they can be mixed in endless variety. Cold punches usually contain citrus juices with two or more spirits or wines. Hot punches often use milk, eggs and cream as a base.
Rickey - A cross between a Collins and a Sour, they are always made with lime, cracked ice, soda water or some other carbonated beverage. The spirit may be whiskey, gin, rum or brandy. Serve with the rind of the lime left in the glass.
Sangaree - These are taller, sweet Old Fashioneds (without bitters); they may be made with whiskey, gin, rum or brandy, with port wine floated on top, or with tine ale, porter or stout, with a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Sling - These are like Sangarees, but made with the addition of lemon juice and a twist of lemon peel. Usually served in an Old Fashioned glass.
Smash - These are junior sized Juleps served in Old Fashioned glasses. Make with muddled sugar, ice cubes and whiskey, rum, gin or brandy as well as sprigs of mint and a squirt of soda water, if desired and garnish with fruit.
Sour - Made with lemon juice, ice sugar and any basic spirit, these are tart lemony cocktails similar to a highly concentrated Punch. Decorate with a lime slice and cherry.
Swizzle - These drinks originally came from the West Indies where a swizzle stick is a twig having three to five forked branches on the end; it is inserted into the glass or pitcher and twirled rapidly between the hands. Tall, cool drinks of lime, sugar, spirit, bitters and packed with shaved ice.
Toddy - These may be served hot or cold. Dissolve a lump or teaspoon of sugar in a little water. Add spirit, ice or hot water and stir with clove, nutmeg, cinnamon or lemon peel.
For your group's purposes, you may want to choose a style for each event. Encourage your guests to bring a bottle of the main spirit of their choice and you provide the additional mixing modifiers and canapés. Be sure to have an exciting drink for the designated drivers as well, otherwise they'll be tempted to join the crowd.
Cheers!
Miss Cocktail
