286. Prince Henry Cocktail

My interpretation:
  0.75 oz Aria American Dry Gin
  0.75 oz Noilly Prat Rouge
  0.5 oz Hiram Walker Crème de Menthe (white)
  1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters

 Frappé (shake vigorously with fine ice), strain into chilled cocktail glass, serve. — This cooling, minty Martini-riff appears first in laconic Straub, from which it is borrowed for JM 1916 without filling in the directions. Frappé drinks in this time are almost always strained. In the Old Waldorf Bar Book (1931), the Prince Henry is a Martini with a dash of crème de menthe on top, while the Prince is whisky with crème de menthe and orange bitters. This is further support for a Martini-style strained drink, rather than one served on fine ice (which frappé usually signifies today). The Old Waldorf Bar would be more trustworthy in this case than Straub, since it is based on the original recipe book to which Straub may or may not have had access. The 1935 revision by Crockett attributes the Martini-style drink to the commemoration of a visit by Prince Henry (Heinrich) of Prussia in 1902.
 

285. Prince Cocktail

My interpretation:
  0.75 Aria Dry Gin
  0.75 Hiram Walker Crème de Menthe
  0.5 Vermut Lustau

Fill mixing-glass with ice, shake, strain into cocktail glass. — Like most of the “P” cocktails, this one, a minty traditional Martini in approximate thirds, appears first in Straub before JM 1916, as usual in perfect thirds (before Grohusko’s adjustment). The Old Waldorf Bar recipe, which doesn't quite compute mathematically, has a whisky base (1/3) with addition of crème de menthe and orange bitters—A Martini-riff with mint (see the next recipe, No. 286); this drink ups the mint, drops the bitters, and lowers the vermouth. Thus Straub’s and Grohusko’s Prince Cocktail is a variant of the Prince Henry rather than a distinct drink. This also represents a sort of reversal of the Old Waldorf Bar Book recipes.

283. Porter Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
  0.75 oz Aria American Dry Gin
  0.25 oz Noilly Prat Rouge
  1 sprig fresh mint

Muddle mint in mixing-glass, add ice, stir, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with fresh mint, serve. — This lighter, minty vermouth-forward cocktail, originates with JM 1908 and continues unchanged until the last edition. Curiously, Straub includes his own Porter cocktail, which he equates with Pat’s, and the recipe resembles that of Pat’s Cocktail found in Jack’s Manual, only with addition of a mint sprig.

 
   

280. Poet's Dream Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1.33 oz Aria American Dry Gin
  0.66 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
  2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
  2 dashes DOM Benedictine

Fill mixing-glass with ice, stir, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This dry martini riff is first found in Straub 1913 in the ratio 2:1, 2 ds each of orange bitters and Benedictine. It is reprodcued in JM1916. The 1931 the Old Waldorf Bar Book gives an equal-thirds recipe of dry gin, dry vermouth, and Benedictine, with a lemon twist.
 

279. Plaza Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1.5 oz Aria American Dry Gin
  0.5 oz Lustau Vermut
 1 slice pineapple

Fill mixing-glass with broken ice, shake (including piece of pineapple), strain, rinsing strainer of pineapple pulp if necessary, serve in cocktail glass with pineapple garnish. — This ananas-tinged Martini-riff, named for the Plaza Hotel of New York fame (thus often found as “Hotel Plaza Cocktail”) is first found in Straub 1913 with typically terse directions, reproduced in JM1916 with the ratio 13:7 or roughly 2:1 gin to vermouth. This is rounded up to 3:1 in 1933. What to do with the pineapple is the primary question, at which most recipes guess. Barflies & Cocktails (1927) gives the recipe in equal thirds: gin, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, along with a “chunk of pineapple” ambiguously mentioned twice, both in the ingredients and in the service. The popular Savoy (1930) version copies a feebler equal-thirds version. By 1932, this cocktail is found, e.g., in the Stafford Bros.’ book, in equal fourths with pineapple juice taking the last slot in place of the pineapple piece (to strain which might slow the bar service considerably); this last recipe, though perhaps degenerate in its call for juice, is nevertheless evidence that the the pineapple is no mere garnish, but an ingredient integral to the drink’s identity.

278. Pink Lady Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz Aria American Dry Gin
  1 oz Laird’s Blended Applejack
  2 tsp Jack Rudy Grenadine / 1 tsp Rose’s Grenadine
  1 T fresh lime juice

Fill mixing-glass with ice, shake 30 seconds, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This beguiling ride with a pretty paint job, Liquor in the front seat, and a Sour in the back, is first found in Straub 1913 and borrowed for JM1916. Barflies & Cocktails (1927) gives the recipe as brandy, gin, grenadine, and egg white (no lime juice). The Savoy (1930) version consists simply of gin, grenadine, and egg white without lime, applejack, or brandy. In all cases, as usual, the choice of grenadine, and its quantity, will require adjustment in order to obtain the proper color. In any event, you will want a color somewhere between the two examples below, with a flavor more approximating the first:

273. Philadelphia Cocktail

My interpretation

  1 oz Aria American Dry Gin

  1 oz Lustau Vermut

  1 dash Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Stir with ice, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This recipe first appears in Straub 1913, by the same description (Martini with a dash of curaçao) and from Straub is borrowed into JM 1916. In Straub, however, a dash of Orange Bitters is included in the recipe. I have interpreted the curaçao as a substitute for the bitters, but it would be perhaps more justifiable to see both involved here. Note also that in earlier editions of Jack’s Manual, there is a drink called Philadelphia Bronx, which is essentially a sort of Perfect served in an Old-Fashioned glass and topped off with ginger ale.

264. Paradise Cocktail

My interpretation:

  1.25 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur

  0.75 oz Aria American Dry Gin

Shake with broken ice 20 seconds, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This simple dessert Duo, emphasizing the fruit brandy, appears in Straub 1913 before showing up in JM 1916. The Barflies & Cocktails (1927) has the recipe with the addition of orange juice in three equal parts (pushing it toward a brunch or lunch tipple). The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) doubles the gin over the apricot and OJ and adds a dash of lemon juice. The addition of citrus in other books reimagines the Paradise as a sort of blossom or punch.

259. Oyster Bay Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz Aria American Dry Gin
  1 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Fill mixing-glass half full of cracked ice, shake 10 seconds, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This gin and liqueur Duo, named for the locality near New York, appears with the first JM in 1908. Straub 1913 includes it, specifying white curaçao (for this effect, Cointreau might be substituted). Another drink by this name bears little resemblance.

257. Orange Blossom Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz fresh orange juice
  1 oz Aria American Dry Gin

Fill mixing-glass half-full of cracked ice, shake well (20 seconds), strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This citrusy brunchtime libation does not enter the JM repertoire until 1933, and not with Straub’s (1913/1914) ratio of 1 jigger of each, which I have used here, but with that found in the 1927 Barflies & Cocktails, viz., the juice of one orange (= about 2 oz or 4 T) and 1 glass (= 2 oz) of Gordon (dry) gin. The proportions are thus equal, but a larger drink is produced. This makes it the same as the Harvester. JM 1933 does not clarify what do with the larger drink, but B&C 1927 specifies the use of a small wineglass, which I take to mean what JM would call a claret glass, holding about 6 oz at the rim. The drink thus produced, being about 5 oz, fits comfortably. The Savoy Cocktail Book allows for either presentation, simply stating 1/2 and 1/2, but by specifying a cocktail glass, suggests the smaller drink of Straub. In the Old Waldorf Bar Book (1931), with instruction to frappé, it is called the Orange Blossom No. 2, the No. 1 having Tom Gin and sweet vermouth. Replacing half the orange juice with raspberry syrup produces the Leonora (Blossom). Other similar drinks include the Hawaiian (reducing OJ and adding curaçao), the Bronx (adding sweet and dry vermouths), and the Bronx Dry (adding dry vermouth).