Do you ever watch old movies, some of which used to be in black and white and are now colorized? They are still classics, but never quite the same as the first time around. The same may be said for timeless cocktails. The first time we taste them they are marvelous on our taste buds. Every time thereafter, a bit of their mystique fades away. Yet, updated liquors and modernized recipes revamp cocktails to tantalize fading attention.
When I was a young teenager my mother took me to an old fashioned theater to see the production of Auntie Mame starring Rosalind Russell. It was just a film showing at the theater, but it was complete with an intermission where we left our seats to go get popcorn in the basement area. Even the smell of the popcorn seemed different from regular theaters where butter is slathered on in grease loads. As a teenager the experience with my mother was more memorable than Auntie Mame in all her peculiar grandeur on the big screen. But as an adult my children gave the DVD to me for Christmas this past year. It was wonderful watching it again. Was it the same as the experience in that theater with my mother so many years ago? No. But it brought back distinct memories that can never be experienced again.
There was something else I discovered in watching this classic movie; it is fascinating to discover the fashionable drinks of the time in movies that remain timeless in our memories.
Rosalind Russell plays Auntie Mame, a flapper from the roaring 20’s, who lives a carefree, eccentric sort of life. She enjoys life to the fullest even when she is charged with the care of her orphaned nephew, Patrick. Auntie Mame endeavors to save him from the stuffy, conventional executor of Patrick’s father’s estate by teaching him the wild and zany ways of an avant-garde world. Along the way, there are four cocktails I took notice of. I am not so sure that was really the intent of the producers. At any rate, the movie is a must see in my opinion and the cocktails are of course classics any way you look at them.
The rage in the movie was a Daiquiri with honey which Auntie Mame did not like at all. In my opinion a Daiquiri with granulated sugar is absolutely awful since the sugar does not dissolve properly and there is a perfectly good cure for that all; Simple Syrup – 2 parts sugar dissolved in 1 part water.
The Daiquiri (the way it’s supposed to be – according to 10 Cane)
2 measures 10 Cane Rum
1 measure Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
1 measure Simple Syrup
Lime Wheel Garnish
Place liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wheel.
Bacardi Daiquiri
1 measure Bacardi Superior Rum
1 measure Lime or Lemon Juice Freshly Squeezed
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
Place ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend. Strain into chilled cocktail glass or strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
Oronoco Rum is highlighted in this next Daiquiri recipe as found on theBar.com.
Oro Daiquiri
1-1/2 measure Oronoco Rum
1 measure Fresh Lime Juice
1 measure Simple Syrup
Lime Wedge Garnish
Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wedge.
And of course, my personal favorite Daiquiri recipe which follows a standard 2:1:1/2 ratio for base liquor, tart or juice, and liqueur or syrup add in.
Daiquiri
2 measures Rum
1 measure Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 measure Simple Syrup
Lime Twist Garnish
Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime twist.
Autie Mame was fond of champagne. While champagne is marvelous on its own, why not in a cocktail?
Champagne Cocktail –International Bartender Association
4-1/2 measures Chilled Champagne or Sparkling Wine
1/2 measure Brandy
1/2 Sugar Cube
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Maraschino Cherry & Orange Slice for Garnish
Add two dashes Angostura Bitters to chilled champagne flute and half sugar cube. Pour brandy over sugar cube. Top with chilled champagne. Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.
Picon Whiskey Cocktail – Cocktail Data Base
1-1/4 measure Rye or Bourbon Whiskey
1-1/4 measure Amer Picon
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
Lemon Twist Garnish
Place liquids and sugar in mixing glass with ice. Stir to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.
Lastly there is the Martini that young Patrick learned to make and serve proficiently. While every cocktail under the sun on a drink menu seems to qualify under the term of “martini” these days, the one Patrick served in Auntie Mame was shaken with no olive.
“CEO” Martini – Chopin Extra Olives
2-1/2 measures Chopin Vodka
3 Extra Large Bleu Cheese Stuffed Olives
Place vodka in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with olives. Optional: Olive brine to taste for Dirty CEO.
Belvedere Classic Martini
2 measures Belvedere Pure Vodka
Dash Lillet Blanc
Lemon Twist, Olive or Cocktail Onion Garnish
Place ice in mixing glass. Add Lillet Blanc. Swirl and discard liquid. Add vodka to prepared ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish as desired.
Pravda Perfect Martini
2 measures Pravda Vodka
1 measure Pure Water
Combine liquids in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled martini glass. No need for garnish. It’s perfect.
Cheri Loughlin is a leading cocktail and photography resource for beverage companies, event planners, businesses and individuals. High resolution cocktail and beverage stock photography images are available in downloadable digital format in the newly redesigned Stock Photography Gallery at www.cheriloughlin.com.
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