Tract · Cocktails

Highball · Built in glass · Historical · complexity 2/5

Rocky Mountain Cooler

An egg, sugar, lemon, and cider cooler finished with nutmeg.

citrus · sweet · apple · spice · summer · refreshing · casual

Served in Long thin glass.

Family

Variants (6)

Modern American Drinks by George J. Kappeler (1895, p.48) — George J. Kappeler 1895

0.5 wholeLemon juice (fresh) — juice of half a lemonacid
1 wholeegg — eggbase
cider — ciderother
nutmeg — nutmegother
1 tablespoonsugar — fine sugarsweetener
  1. Beat up one egg with the sugar and the juice of half a lemon.
  2. Fill up with cider and stir well.
  3. Serve in a long thin glass and grate nutmeg on top.

Garnish: Grated nutmeg

Nose
Nutmeg, cider, and fresh lemon rise together with an egg-softened aroma.
Palate
This is an unusual cooler, combining restorative egg logic with cider refreshment in a way that sits halfway between a cooler and a light egg sour.
Finish
The finish is softly spiced, appley, and creamy-light.
Summary
A hybrid egg-and-cider cooler from the mixed territory between restorative drink and summer refresher.

The Rocky Mountain Cooler matters because it shows that the cooler branch could absorb egg texture and not remain confined to simple spirit-plus-fizz formulas.

The egg must be properly beaten with the sugar and lemon first; otherwise the drink will separate rather than integrating into a smooth cooler-like texture.

Jack's Manual by J. A. Grohusko (1910, p.76)

1 lemonlemon juice acid
1 eggegg base
cider — Fill glass with cider.other
nutmeg — Grate a little nutmeg on top.other
1 teaspoonfulsugar sweetener
  1. Build the egg, sugar, lemon juice, and cider in a glass.
  2. Grate a little nutmeg on top and serve.

Garnish: Grated nutmeg

Ice: None

The Buffet Blue Book by John H. Considine (1912, p.47)

1 lemonlemon juice — Juice of one lemon.acid
1 eggegg — Beaten up.base
cider — Fill up.other
nutmeg — Grate on top.other
0.5 tablespoonfulpowdered sugar sweetener
  1. Put the beaten egg, powdered sugar, and juice of one lemon in a medium-size thin glass.
  2. Fill up with cider, stir well, grate nutmeg on top, and serve.

Garnish: Grated nutmeg

Ice: None

Bartenders' Guide: How to Mix Drinks by Wehman Bros. (1912, p.21)

1 small lemonlemon juice — Lemon juiceacid
1 wholeegg — Eggbase
cider — Ciderother
nutmeg — Nutmegother
0.5 tablespoonsugar — Powdered sugarsweetener
  1. Beat the egg with sugar and lemon juice, add cider, stir well, grate nutmeg on top if desired, and serve.

Ice: Ice

Bartenders' Manual by Bartenders Association of America (1913, p.39)

1 small lemonlemon juice — Lemon juiceacid
1 wholeegg — Eggbase
cider — Ciderother
0.5 tablespoonpowdered sugar — Powdered sugarsweetener
  1. Stir well and grate nutmeg on top if desired.

Garnish: Optional nutmeg

Cocktails by Pedro Chicote (1928, p.247) — Egg yolk and cider

0.5 lemonlemon juice — Jugo de medio limonacid
1 yolkegg yolk — Yema de un huevo frescobase
ginger ale — Top the large glass with ginger ale.dilution
1 glasscider — Cidraother
nutmeg — Nuez moscada ralladaother
  1. Shake very well, strain or pour into a large glass, top with ginger ale, and add grated nutmeg.

Garnish: Grated nutmeg

Ice: Shaken with ice

This matters because it preserves a yolk-and-cider cooler branch inside Chicote's Madrid long-drink section.

See also: Eggnog, Saratoga Cooler