Innocents Aloft: And Other Souvenirs Of Days France

The Drink

4 JIGGERS GIN                    1 JIGGER RASPBERRY SYRUP
JUICE OF 1 LEMON             1 JIGGER APRICOT CORDIAL
JUICE OF 1 LIME                  1 JIGGER OF APPLEJACK BRANDY
1 JIGGER RED WINE            SUGAR TO TASTE

-From So Red the Nose

Speaking of overly strong concoctions, here Henry Justin Smith manages to break Frank Buck’s previous record with a whopping eight-shot cocktail. Such is my dedication to my craft that I did indeed manage to drink an entire Innocents Aloft in one sitting. I do not recommend you follow my example. Although delicious, this one was made to share.

Anthony Adverse

The Drink

To 2 measures of Barbadoes (sic) Rum mix 1 of lime juice, a dash of bitters, and a small quantity of brown sugar to taste and a strong dash of brandy.
Ice. Shake well and serve immediately.

– From So Red the Nose

The Anthony Adverse is an interesting and enjoyable combination of flavors. The key is the brown sugar, which keeps the drink from being unbearably tart. After some experimenting, I found a scant tablespoon is the literal sweet spot for me.

Lust for Life

The Drink

The man who found seven loves in the life of Vincent Van Gogh hopes that the printer will not call this cocktail a Lust for Wife, although even that is not without its virtues.

1/2 SLOE GIN             1/2 APRICOT BRANDY
JUICE OF 1/2 LIME
Fill with ice, shake and serve

– From So Red the Nose

Well…hmmm. I think this drink might be a little more suited to the 1930’s palette. Let’s look at the ingredients one by one, shall we?

Bring ‘Em Back Alive

The Drink

There is nothing like a Singapore Gin Sling for helping to see snakes in the Malayan jungles and giving you the courage to tackle them bare-handed. 

1 JIGGER D.O.M (Benedictine), 2 JIGGERS CHERRY BRANDY, 3 JIGGERS DRY GIN, JUICE OF ONE LIME, DASH OF ORANGE BITTERS, DASH OF ANGOSTURA BITTERS

Add water or soda (as preferred) in Amount Equal to the Above Ingredients. Mix with Swizzle Stick Until Foamy. Add Ice Chipped Fine, and Serve.

– From So Red the Nose

Frank Buck’s re-imagining of the Singapore Sling is the only drink I have made so far that can properly be called “fruity.” But it’s a serious, dark-colored, 1930’s kind of fruity.  Just compare my picture to this one of a modern Sling. See how much prettier and pinker the 2014 version is?

Tarzan

The Drink

1 OUNCE BACARDI
1 TEASPOON COINTREAU
JUICE OF 1/2 LIME
1/2 TEASPOON SUGAR

Shake Well with Shaved Ice Until Enough Ice is Melted to have a 2 Ounce Drink

-From So Red the Nose (No clever quote about the drink this time. The SRTN blurb only speaks to Tarzan’s skill with the ladies. )

I have been careful, when making the drinks from So Red the Nose, to follow the directions exactly as written in order to recreate the 1930’s drinking experience as precisely as possible. This has already caused some problems, what with the liquor brands that have stopped production sometime in the past 79 years, or ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek instructions like: “Select…six of your finest McIntosh trees and place a hive of bees under each.”