358. Van Lee Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz Castle & Key London dry gin
  0.75 oz Dubonnet Rouge
  0.25 oz The Famous Grouse scotch whisky

Fill mixing-glass with broken ice, stir, strain into a cocktail glass, serve. — This variant on an Apéritif Cocktail (be it Byrrh, Saint Raphael, or Dubonnet), spiced up with a notion of Scotch whisky, first appears in JM1910 with Byrrh instead of Dubonnet, as usual in the earlier books. It is not picked up by Straub, and appears to be named for one of the local fixtures at Jack’s bar.

334. Spaulding Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1.25 oz Beefeater Gin
  0.75 Dubonnet Rouge
  1 tsp The Famous Grouse blended Scotch

Fill shaker with fine ice, shake well (30 seconds), strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This sweet martini-riff with a tinge of smoky scotch first appears in Straub 1913 and is borrowed in JM1916.
 

302. Rob Roy Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz The Famous Grouse
  1 oz Noilly Prat Rouge
  3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Stir with 1/2 glass full of cracked ice, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This famous Scotch-Manhattan, supposedly named for the opera rather than the folk hero, originally appeared in JM 1908–1910 as a sherry-based cocktail with sweet (Ballor) vermouth and a dash of orange curaçao. Only in 1912, the third edition, is the present, presumably more correct, recipe introduced (with Peychaud’s being spelled “Peychard’s”—indistinguishable in an old New York accent). The version incorporated by Straub called for 1 dash each of Angostura and Orange bitters instead. This is similar to the Robber Cocktail of Barflies and Cocktails (1927) which forgoes Orange Bitters. The Savoy (1930) also calls only for Angostura, and notes interestingly: “Particularly for St. Andrew’s Day, to open the evening for the usual enormous annual gathering of the clans at the Savoy.” The Old Waldorf Bar Days only specifies Orange Bitters, no Angostura. It is well to note that the Waldorf, as the originator, may be expected to present the recipe most faithful to the original. Also note, no cherry garnish is specified in any of these recipes.

301. Robin Cocktail

 My interpretation:
  1.75 oz The Famous Grouse blended Scotch whisky
  0.25 oz cinchona-calisaya liqueur

Fill mixing-glass half-full with ice, stir 20 seconds, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with amarena cherry, serve. — This orange-tinged, slightly bittersweet, Scotch-forward cocktail, perfectly finished by the cherry, first enters the JM canon in 1916, a borrowing from Straub or otherwise inherited from the Old Waldorf tradition. The Old Waldorf Bar Days (1931) renders the drink in equal parts Scotch and calisaya, specifies stirring and straining (hence implying ice), and also features the cherry. The Robber Cocktail in Barflies & Cocktails (1927) is tantalizingly close, a Rob Roy served with a cherry. We may view the Robin as a riff on the Rob Roy replacing both vermouth and bitters with calisaya.

300. Robert Burns Cocktail

My intepretation:
  1.5 oz The Famous Grouse blended Scotch whisky
  0.5 oz Noilly Prat Rouge
  1 dash St. George Absinthe Verte

Fill mixing-glass with broken ice, shake well (about 30 seconds), strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This classic Scotch cocktail goes heavy on the base, surprisingly similar to the modern version. In 1908, Jack was a little confused on the Scotch trio of recipes which appear in close proximity here. The first, the Robert Burns, was to be made with equal portions of Scotch whisky and French (Chappaz) vermouth, with 3 dashes of absinthe. This was only amended in JM1916, after Straub’s Manual appeared and according to that recipe, which also rightly introduced the option of Scotch (Robert Burns was himself Scotch, so it makes sense). The Irish option remained, perhaps due to the popular taste for that whisky among those of Irish descent living New York at the time. The drink ought to be stirred, as specified in the earlier, pre-Straub editions of Jack’s Manual.

198. John Wood Cocktail

My interpretation:
  0.5 oz The Famous Grouse
  1.5 oz Casa Mariol Vermut Negra
  1 T lemon juice
  1 dash homemade kümmel
  1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake well (30 seconds), strain, and serve. — This cocktail, resembling almost a punch in its attentive balance, appears first in the Savoy Cocktail Book with Irish rather than Scotch whisky, and is then picked up for JM 1933 with a slight change. I have to admit, I think Jack improved this recipe by the substitution of Scotch, though I don’t know if John Wood approved it.

 

168. Highland Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz The Famous Grouse
  1 oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

Shake with ice, strain, serve. — This recipe, essentially a shaken Rob Roy or Scotch Manhattan without bitters, is lifted directly from Straub 1913, etc., for JM 1916.

161. Hamilton Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1.5 oz Dubonnet
  0.5 oz The Famous Grouse

Stir with broken ice, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This cocktail, nowadays known as a Rob Roy (esp. with bitters and a cherry), first appears under this name in JM 1910s (Third Edition). The bitters and cherry and not necessary. There is a Hamilton in the Lowlands of Scotland, which leads us to conclude that perhaps a Scotch of that area, such as Auchentoshan, might be most appropriate.
 

130. Express Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz The Famous Grouse
  1 oz Dolin Rouge
  1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This Rob Roy riff, substituting orange bitters for angostura, appears in Straub 1913, from whence it is borrowed by JM 1916.
 

65. Butcher Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1.5 oz The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch
  0.75 oz Bombay Sapphire
  0.75 oz Martini & Rossi Rosso

Fill mixing-glass with broken ice (i.e., about 10-12 oz broken ice), stir, strain, and serve. 
— This bracing Jack’s Manual stand-by first appears on the 1910 edition and continues unchanged. Was it named for a local butcher who liked a fix after a long day at the chopping-block, or for its impenitent butchering of esteemed mixological traditions? The unexpected harmony between Gin and Scotch has since been rediscovered in the “Smoky Martini.”

 

46. Bobbie Burns Cocktail (for Two)

My interpretation:
  1 tsp (barspoon) fresh orange juice
  1 tsp (barspoon) Luxardo maraschino
  1 tsp fine sugar
  1.5 oz The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch
  1.5 oz Yzaguirre Rojo Sweet Vermouth

Shake with ice, strain into two glasses. — This drink, which I hesitate to call a cocktail (perhaps a sort of blossom) comes from Straub’s pocket manual and is designated there also as “for two”—so I made two. Not sure that’s what was meant. Since Straub specifies 1/2 jiggers, Jack has 50%’s here. Still, two 1/2 jiggers will only get you one drink. Also note, the usual recipe for a Bobbie Burns today is a bit different.



 
 

27. Beals Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1.5 oz The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch
  0.75 oz Martini & Rossi Extra Dry
  0.75 oz Martini & Rossi Rosso

Shake with ice, strain, serve in whisky glass. A “perfect” version of the Beadlestone served down.

 

26. Beadlestone Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1.5 oz The Famous Grouse
  1.5 oz Martini & Rossi Extra Dry Vermouth

Shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon if desired.
 

17. Auto Cocktail

This is the drink also known as the Automobile Cocktail. Being still on the page 42 of the 1933 Edition and therefore lacking the specific vermouth attribution, we continue to apply comparative historic mixology and consult the 1916 Edition:

That’s certainly clearer. Once again, we are informed not only that the Vermouth is French but that the Gin is (Old) Tom. Curiously, most recipes today seem to call for Sweet or Italian Vermouth

My interpretation:
  1.25 oz Vermouth (Casa Mariol Negro or M&R Extra Dry)
  1.25 oz Uncle Val’s Restorative Gin
  0.75 oz The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky

Shake over ice, strain and serve. Garnish with lemon. Note that I decided to try both, and I have to say it’s close, but I lean toward the Dry. I’d certainly accept either if I were offered it. For a sweeter, more Scotch-heavy variant, see the Butcher (No. 65).