Recipes adapted from Charles H. Baker’s, The Gentleman’s Companion: Being An Exotic Drinking Book or, Around the World with Jigger, Beaker and Flask, originally published in 1939. It’s still sold by Derrydale Press, the original publisher, now under the title, Jigger, Beaker, and Glass.)
Between the Sheets
.75 oz cognac
.75 oz Cointreau
.75 oz London dry gin
.75 oz fresh lemon juice
Baker: “Shake briskly with lots of cracked ice and serve in a Manhattan glass.”
Sahara Glowing Heart
1 oz London dry gin
1 oz absinthe
1 oz apricot brandy
.5 oz grenadine.
Baker: “Shake with lots and lots of ice and strain into a large saucer champagne glass, and pray Allah for forgiveness of all imminent and future sins of the flesh.”
La Zaragozana’s ne Plus Ultra
.5 oz apricot brandy
.5 oz Benedictine
.5 oz Chartreuse
.5 oz Cointreau
.5 oz cognac
.5 oz creme de cacaco
dash anisette
Baker: “Frappe quickly and serve promptly.”
Colonial Cooler
1.5 oz London dry gin
1.5 oz sweet vermouth
1 tsp. orange curacao
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Baker: “Stir with a goodly lump of ice in a small highball or sour glass, and top off with a squirt of soda, garnished with two sprigs of mint and a stick of ripe pineapple.”
Mexican Firing Squad Special
3 oz good tequila
1 oz lime juice
.75 oz grenadine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Baker: “Use a tall collins glass and snap fingers at the consequences… Chill the glass, pack with finely cracked ice, turn in the mixtureand garnish with slice of orange, 1 of pineapple, and a red cherry.”
Barbados Buck
1.5 oz dark rum
1.5 oz light rum
.75 oz lime
.25 oz sugar syrup
ginger beer
Baker: “Put a large lump of ice in the biggest tumbler in sight — a 16 oz size is proper…. stir this friendly group to mix thoroughly, then fill the big glass with ginger beer.”