I recently got a copy of the Savoy Cocktail Book. I'm puzzled though about the measurements in the cocktail recipes. Are they Fluid Oz, just a guide to proportions, or what? Because most of the recipes end up looking rather small. For instance, Aviation:- 1/3 Lemon juice, 2/3 Gin, 2 dashes Maraschino. Surely that's not a 1 Fl-Oz (30ml) drink?
I also find it interesting the way tastes must have changed. The Italian-French cocktails where Vermouth is a key ingredient have a lot more Vermouth than we'd use now. My Gran was a flapper in the 20s and 30s and used to like Gin&It roughly half in half. We'd probably find that intolerably sweet now as it's more like a super fortified red Vermouth than a cocktail. The idea of a Perfect Martini that is 1/2 Gin, 1/4 Italian, 1/4 French is also pretty weird now.
But as an inspiration for combinations or approaches it's fascinating, just not quite a fool-proof recipe book.
I think I'll have to put the Savoy Bar in the bucket list next to the bar at Dukes Hotel. The problem is I always seem to be driving (usually motorcycles) when I go into London.
Savoy Hotel Special Cocktail #1
- 50ml Gin (robust like Beefeater)
- 25ml French Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
- 5ml Grenadine (or Pomegranate syrup) (2 barspoons)
- 2.5ml Absinthe or Pastis (1 barspoon)
Shaken, Cocktail Glass, Lemon Peel squeezed (or flamed)
I'm guessing the grenadine and absinthe quantities but it seemed to work. Beautiful colour, not too sweet, complex flavours. The delicate pink makes it look like a girl's drink but it's not. Think of it as more like a lilac shirt worn with a suit!
Also, remember that liquor quality used to be super low and cut with terrible things — so more sweetness would have improved the taste in the case of the booze not being very good.