384. Zazarac Cocktail

My interpretation:
  2 oz McKenna 10 Year Bourbon
  1 dash St. George Absinthe Verte
  1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
  1 dash Angostura bitters
  1 tsp sugar

Take chilled glass from cooler, dip rim in sugar, carefully strain stirred ingredients into glass over large lump ice, serve. — This fairly well-known cousin of the Sazerac, what might be called a Fancy Bourbon Old-Fashioned, yet legitimate in its own right, is described by Jack Grohusko from 1908 onward in the above manner, only that the name is spelt Zazarack until 1933, when the k is dropped. Straub himself effects this change earlier, along with specifying these differences: 1 dash of anisette is added over and above 2 dashes of absinthe, orange bitters are substituted for Peychaud’s, an option of bourbon or rye is given, and a lemon peel is twisted over the glass, nor is a sugar rim called for. Grohusko continues his recipe in 1916 unaffected by Straub’s variant. The Savoy Cocktail Book resembles Straub somewhat, with rum, Canadian club, gum syrup, anisette, angostura, orange bitters, and absinthe; this drink is shaken and strained into a cocktail glass and finished by squeezing over it a lemon peel.
 

337. Star Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz Laird’s Applejack
  1 oz  Casa Mariol Vermut Negra
  3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Fill mixing-glass half-full of ice, stir, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This Applejack Manhattan with a NOLA twist is included in JM 1908. The same recipe occurs in Straub alongside a Star Old Fashioned calling for sugar and other fancy extras. McElhone is more fussy, building a stronger drink in equal parts gin and calvados tinged with a tsp of grapefruit and a dash each of dry and sweet vermouth. He describes it as a popular drink at the Plaza Hotel, NY. Grohusko’s simpler, sweeter recipe is more nearly echoed in the Old Waldorf Bar Days book, using orange bitters instead of Peychaud’s.
 

308. Ruby Cocktail

  

My interpretation:
  1.75 oz Plymouth Gin
  0.25 oz Peychaud’s Bitters

Fill shaker with broken ice, shake, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — In 1910, that name is spelt “Rubie.” (And Peychaud’s is spelt “Peychard’s”.) Dry gin is called for at first. Straub’s recipe by this name has grenadine, applejack, and dry gin. The Old Waldorf recipe is quite different, and more reminiscent of the Rose in French recipes: Dry vermouth, cherry brandy, acid phosphate, orange bitters, and maraschino. The present recipe is much drier but has similarly appropriate coloring.

 

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.

250. Ojen Cocktail (American Style)

My Interpretation:
  0.5 oz Hiram Walker Anisette
  0.5 oz Copper & Kings White Absinthe
  6 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  
Fill mixing-glass with cracked ice; stir with a dash (about 1/2 oz) of carbonated water, strain, serve. — This is the recipe found in the third Jack’s Manual (1912) and continues, after Straub’s Spanish recipe, with the epithet “American style.” The preparation is less finnicky than the Spanish, and the flavor of the absinthe is much improved by the addition of Peychaud’s.

236. Mill Lane Cocktail

My interpretation:
  2 oz Bacardí Ocho Años
  1 T lime juice
  1 tsp Jack Rudy Grenadine
  4 dashes (1 tsp) St. George Abinsthe Verte
  3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

Fill mixing-glass with cracked ice and ingredients including squeezed half lime; shake, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This cocktail, appearing only in JM1912(Third Edition) through 1933, and apparently an invention of Mr. Grohusko himself, is essentially a Rum Sour using grenadine for sweetener and augmented with anise qualities from Peychaud’s bitters and absinthe. More directly, it is a Bacardí Cocktail so augmented.

 

206. Lawrence Cocktail

My interpretation:
  2/3 oz Captive Spirits Big Gin
  1/3 oz Casa Mariol Vermut
  2/3 oz Noilly Prat Extra Dry
  1/3 oz Plymouth Sloe Gin
  3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Shake with broken ice, strain into cocktail glass, and serve. — This recipe first appears in JM 1910 (his 2nd Edition) and is evidently designed in complementary doses, so that the total ingredients may be measured in two ponies. In any event, the result is a sort of elegant, fruity perfect martini, subtracting some of the gin in favor of the sweetening Sloe Gin, and offsetting with the pungent Peychaud’s.
 

195. Jim Lee Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1 oz Captive Spirits Big Gin
  0.5 Dolin Dry
  0.5 Casa Mariol Vermut Negra
  2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  2 dashes Angostura bitters
  
Shake with ice, strain, serve in cocktail glass. — This Perfect Martini riff comes with an added dose of bitters, providing an augmented ruddy blush to the drink. It first appears in Straub 1913 and is picked up in JM 1916.
 

83. Christie Cocktail

My interpretation:
  1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire
  1.5 oz Noilly Prat Extra Dry
  2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

Fill mixing-glass with ice. Stir, strain into cocktail glass, serve. — This cocktail recipe, a “dry martini riff,” appears in JM 1908 and continues throughout, being picked up by Straub 1913/1914 with a couple changes, the name altered to “Cristie” (the spelling Christie is found in the index):

This recipe does not affect JM 1916, but there is another interesting development:

The Christie is displaced un-alphabetically to sit next to another Jack’s Manual standby, the Cris. The relationship is unclear, but both recipes, featured in every JM edition, are exactly the same except for the two dashes. Maybe Straub therefore decided to conflate them. (Note the New-Yorkish typo “Peychard’s.” Pronounce it like a New Yorker.) Both recipes find themselves in JM 1933 restored to their proper alphabetical place. More on the Cris in due time.