Tract · Cocktails

Spirit-forward · Stirred · Historical · complexity 2/5

Appetizer

An old Scotch whiskey short drink sharpened with Angostura, syrup, and a trace of lemon.

Served in Pony tumbler. Ice: Chipped ice.

Family

Variants (3)

Recipes of American and Other Iced Drinks by Charlie Paul (1902, p.12)

dashlemon juice — Source says two drops.acid
lemon peel — Added after straining.acid
dashAngostura bitters — Source says three or four drops.base
0.5Scotch whisky — old Scotch whiskeybase
dashplain syrup — Source says three or four drops.sweetener
  1. Fill a tumbler with chipped ice.
  2. Add the ingredients, stir well, strain off, and add a small piece of lemon peel.

Garnish: Lemon peel

Ice: Chipped ice

Applegreen's Bar Book by John Applegreen (1904, p.63) — Applegreen 1904

0.5 ponyAbsinthe — absinthebase
2 dashPepsin bitters — pepsin bittersbitter
Soda water — seltzerdilution
1 ponysweet vermouth — vermouthmodifier
ice — iceother
  1. Shake the absinthe, pepsin bitters, and vermouth with ice.
  2. Strain into a small thin tumbler, add a little seltzer, and serve.

Ice: Packed mixing glass

Nose
Anise, vermouth herbs, and digestive bitters rise sharply.
Palate
This is another strong aperitif-era checkpoint, showing medicinal bitters, absinthe, and vermouth operating together in a way later cocktail histories often ignore.
Finish
The finish is bitter-herbal and sharply dry.
Summary
A tiny medicinal aperitif from the absinthe-vermouth fringe.

Manual del Barman by Antonio Fernandez (Tony) (1924) — Tony 1924, el aperitivo

0.5 small glassAbsinthe base
1 chorrogum syrup base
2 chorroorange bitters bitter
1 small glassvermouth Torino modifier
ice other
  1. Stir well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Ice: Ice

See also: Hungarian Bracer, Absinthe Cocktail, Brain Duster