#41 Cocktail: Bloody Mary

 One story about the birth of the Bloody Mary has it that the owner of a New York speakeasy created it as the Bloody Meyer, during Prohibition. But the more popular , and certainly true, tale is that it was first concocted at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, circa 1924, by bartender Fernand "Pete" Petiot.
    In 1934, Fernand was hired by john Astor, the owner of New York Regis Hotel, and there he presided over the King Cole Room, introducing New Yorkers to his creation. At some point, Bloody Mary was known as the Red Snapper, one story has it that Astor objected to the Bloody Mary name and insisted to be changed.
     The main  difference between today's and yesterday's versions is that the later contained as much vodka as tomato juice and it was served straight up as a cocktail. as opposed to being presented on the rocks in a highball glass.

2 ounces vodka

4 ounces tomato juice

fresh lemon juice to taste

black pepper to taste

salt or celery salt to taste

prepared horseradish to taste

Worcestershire sauce 

hot sauce to taste

  

#22 Cocktail: Bennett

    During the years of the Prohibition, at the underground clubs, many centered around Long Beach's amusement zoneknown as the Pike, inventive bartenders enjoyed new respect for disguising the taste of the day's alcohol. They created a new generation of cocktails heavy on fruit juices to mix with the bathtub gin.
   That is how the Bennett cocktail was created. The original version of the cocktail had no sweetening agent and it was mouth-puckering to say the least.

2 ounces gin

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce simple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

#19 Cocktail: Artillery Punch

    On Dec.4 at the Feast of Saint Barbara it is traditional to conduct the 'punch ceremony'.  Starting with a bottle of last year's punch, ingredients are added one by one in a theatrical fashion, with humor and imagination creating the list of ingredients.  The battery commander tastes the punch after each ingredient is added, and keeps saying 'it's not quite right, something is missing' until all the ingredients are added and stirred.  once the concoction is satisfactory, all the artillerymen dip their tin cups into the punch and toast one another until there is only enough punch to fill the bottle for next year's ceremony.
   The punch originated with the Chatham Artillery, Savannah, Ga., and has been served in that city for almost 200 years. It is delicious, seductive, powerful.

The Chatham Artillery was organized in 1786.  The earliest mention of their punch, however, was in 1819, when it was considered a worthy refreshment for President James Monroe, who was in Savannah, GA, for the launching of the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.

This is the punch that knocked out Admiral Schley when he visited Savannah in 1899 after the Spanish War.  Admiral Cervera's Spanish shells were harmless to the brave American admiral, but Artillery Punch scored a direct hit which put him out for two days.

1 bottle (750 ml) rye whiskey

1 bottle (750 ml) red wine

25 ounces chilled strong tea

12 ounces dark rum

6 ounces gin

6 ounces brandy

1 ounce Benedictine

12 ounces fresh orange juice

6 ounces fresh lemon juice

6 ounces simple syrup

1 large block of ice

lemon wheels for garnish

#12 Cocktail: Apricot Sour

  Not much to say about this cocktail. It's just a sour with no history. Probably it has one, but is unknown.
   But if  you like sours, then this is a delicious cocktail.

2 ounces apricot liqueur

1 ounce lemon juice

1 orange wheel, to garnish

1 maraschino cherry, to garnish

#3 Cocktail: Amaretto Sour

   Like all sours, this cocktail is very refreshing and tasty. And the Amaretto......mmmm, I like the Amaretto

2 ounces amaretto

1 ounce lemon juice

1 maraschino cherry, for garnish

1 orange wheel for, garnish