Smith Cocktail

Modern American Drinks by George J. Kappeler (1895, p.43) — George J. Kappeler 1895

1. Fill a mixing-glass half-full with fine ice.
2. Add the Angostura bitters, Holland gin, and French vermouth.
3. Shake until cold.
4. Strain into a cocktail glass and twist a small piece of lemon peel on top.

Garnish: Lemon peel

Nose

Dry vermouth and lemon sharpen the deeper Holland-gin base into a taut aromatic line.

Palate

This feels like a genever-side answer to the drier Martini field, bringing old gin weight into the new dry-vermouth idiom.

Finish

The finish is dry, herbal, and firm.

Summary

A dry Holland-gin vermouth cocktail bridging the old genever world and the newer aperitif mode.

The Smith is valuable because it proves that the move toward French vermouth and drier service was not confined to Tom-gin or London-style branches. Even Holland gin could be pulled into that evolution.

Shaking rather than stirring is notable here. It chills the drink aggressively and gives the dry structure a slightly harder edge in service.

Cocktails by Pedro Chicote (1928, p.222) — Apricot and mint cream

1. Shake and serve in a cocktail glass.

Ice: 3 to 4 pieces ice

This matters because it preserves another apricot-and-mint after-dinner branch in the late Chicote field.