The Good Life

1 3⁄4 oz Aquavit (North Shore)
1 oz Ginger liqueur, Domaine de Canton
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Demerara syrup (2:1)
10 dr Orange bitters, Regans' orange bitters
1 twst Orange peel (Garnish)
Instructions

Shake, strain, chilled coupe, garnish.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Benjamin Schiller, Boka, Chicago
Source reference

The American Cocktail, by the Editors of Imbibe Magazine

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(21 ratings)
From other users
  • Reduce sweetness
  • What a pleasant drink. I agree with others that the simple should be reduced.
  • A little too sweet. Next time will cut the simple syrup in half. — ★★★★
  • The ginger and aquavit are nice together. Used grapefruit twist by necessity and liked it. Friend called it "perfumey." — ★★★★
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Steve L commented on 12/06/2017:

I think this is an extraordinarily good cocktail.  Very well balanced, rich and complex.  The ginger and the hint of caraway from the Aquavit are a perfect fit.  I made mine with Aarbrog Taffel...so may have more (or less) caraway than the North Shore...??  Lovely drink in any case.

Boston Bog

1 1⁄2 oz Rum, Appleton Reserve
1⁄2 oz Apricot liqueur, Rothman & Winter
1⁄2 oz Ginger syrup
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
6 Cranberry
1 twst Orange peel (Garnish)
1⁄2 oz Cranberry juice (Optional)
Instructions

Muddle cranberries, add remaining ingredients with ice. Shake, double strain, chilled cocktail glass, garnish.

Notes

To make ginger syrup bring 1 cup water and 1 cup Demerara sugar to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stir till sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Place in blender with 1 cup diced ginger, purée. Fine strain and store for up to two weeks.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Misty Kalkofen, Drink, Boston
Source reference

The American Cocktail, by the Editors of Imbibe Magazine

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(4 ratings)
From other users
  • Subbed: 0.5oz of rye (Rittenhouse) for 0.5 of rum; New Deal Ginger liqueur for syrup; my own homemade ginger citrus cranberry sauce for muddled cranberries (~ 0.5oz). Delicious holiday-themed punch! Lengthen with Q Light Ginger Beer as desired. — ★★★★
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Cara A commented on 12/09/2022:

I muddled fresh ginger (instead of cranberries) and used cranberry syrup (instead of ginger syrup). Kept everything else the same. It was great!

The Hallelujah

1 oz Cognac (Babylonian Grape Brandy)
1 c Ice (Ice of the crest of Mount Sinai (crushed))
4 dr Lime juice (Lemon from the Desert of Sin)
1 1⁄2 oz Sweet vermouth (Gomorrah and Sodom Vermouth)
1⁄2 oz Añejo rum (Rum aged in Noah's Ark (rye can also be used))
1⁄2 oz Grenadine (Add Cain's Syrup from the Garden of Eden)
Instructions

You then give it a Hebrew shake and pop a cherry on top. Say Hallelujah after drinking.

History

Bilgay apparently sent out postcards listing the ingredients as shown above....many thousands went out, and a million dollar lawsuit was instituted.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Originated by Max Bilgray, of Colon, Pananma around 1929 and dedicated to Aimee Semple McPherson (a controversial evangelist of the era) as a result of an alleged visit to his Bilgray's Tropic Bar and Cabaret.
Source reference

The Gentleman's Companion, Charles H. Baker (1939)

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(4 ratings)
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drinkingandthinking commented on 1/23/2022:

It's okay but basically just tastes like the ingredients rather than a carefully balanced cocktail.

The Grande Bretagne no.2

1 1⁄2 oz Gin (dry)
1⁄2 oz Kirschwasser
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
1 t Egg white
1 ds Peach bitters
Instructions

Shake. Serve up.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Bartender in Athens, Greece around 1900
Source reference

The Gentleman's!Companion bt Charles H. Baker jr. 1939

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
2.5 stars
(2 ratings)
From other users
  • Pretty tart (consider a smidge of syrup). Be generous with the peach bitters, top with a drop or two of Peychaud's.
Similar cocktails
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laerm commented on 1/18/2015:

Pretty tart (consider a smidge of syrup). Be generous with the peach bitters. I felt it was missing something, and a drop or three of Peychaud's on top looked and smelled great.

The Grand Bretagne no.1

1 1⁄2 oz Gin (dry)
1⁄2 oz Apricot liqueur (dry)
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
1 t Egg white
1 ds Orange bitters
Instructions

Shake, serve up in cocktail glass.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
A unkown bartender in Athens Greece around the turn of the twentieth century
Source reference

The Genteman's Companion by Charles H. baker jr. (1939)

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(2 ratings)
From other users
  • Baker says this is one of the half-dozen chief cocktails in the world, but it is almost unknown, and does not seem to be as great as he says in anyone else's experience. It is very good, but doesn't seem great.
Similar cocktails
Cocktailian commented on 1/07/2019:

SPEC#1: using nolet's silver, bitter truth apricot liqueur, lime, whites and regan's no.6... maybe ☆☆

Cocktailian commented on 1/07/2019:

SPEC#2: nolet's silver, edmond briotett creme de peche (instead of apricot), lemon (both lemon and lime are listed as options in the original recipe), whites and bitter truth peach bitters. A dry cocktail but definitely an improvement over the original (and more of a combo of no.1 & 2). ☆☆☆☆

Cafe de Paris

1 1⁄2 oz Gin (dry)
1⁄2 Egg white
1 t Anisette
1 t Cream
Instructions

Shake, serve up

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
unknown
Source reference

Monte Restaurant, mentioned in The Gentleman's Companion, Charles H. Baker, jr 1939

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
1 star
(1 rating)
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Bavarian Bridegroom's Cup

12 oz White wine (Rhine, Dry)
1 1⁄2 oz Kirschwasser
3 T Strawberry (sugared, crushed and chilled)
1 spg Mint
Instructions

In a large goblet fill 1/3 with ice. Pour in chilled wine, add kirsch and stir. Garnish with strawberries and mint.

Yields Drink
Year
1939
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Unknown
Source reference

The Gentleman's Companion, vol. II. Charles H. Baker 1939 p. 18

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Fear and Loathing in Princeton

2 oz Old Tom Gin, Hayman's
3⁄4 oz Campari
1⁄2 oz Averna
1⁄2 oz Agave syrup
1 bsp Mezcal, Del Maguey Vida
1 twst Orange peel (flamed, as garnish)
Instructions

Shake, double strain, cocktail, flame and garnish.

Yields Drink
Year
2011
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Mattias Hagglund
Source reference

Gaz Regan's Annual Manual for Bartenders 2011

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(18 ratings)
From other users
  • Skip the agave. Replace with mezcal
  • Halved the agave syrup after reading comments about over sweetness. Was perfect! — ★★★★★
  • Nice negroni-like cocktail but probably a bit too sweet. Skimp on the agave?
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lesliec commented on 10/01/2022:

If you can find it, use Gracias a Dios agave gin as the Old Tom (the mezcal then becomes superfluous).
I've made this with the full amount of syrup and I've been quite happy, but a bit less also works.

Craig E commented on 11/19/2022:

I sort of don’t understand shaking this, and I definitely don’t understand double straining it.

Broken English

2 oz Gin, Beefeater 24
1 oz Sweet vermouth
1⁄2 oz Strega
1⁄4 oz Fernet Branca
1 t Bénédictine
2 ds Orange bitters, Regans' orange bitters
2 ds Peychaud's Bitters
1 twst Grapefruit peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, cocktail, garnish.

Notes

Careful measurement of ingredients is essential for this one.

Yields Drink
Year
2011
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Colin Shearn
Source reference

Gaz Regan's Annual Manual for Bartenders 2011

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(32 ratings)
From other users
  • Lots of good stuff in there and it all works.
  • Made with Conniption Gin and Vya. This was amazingly well balanced for as many strong players as it has - gin/juniper was predominant, which wasn't my favorite, but that's personal pref.
  • Explosive when using barreled gin instead.
  • Boozy and aromatic — ★★★★
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lesliec commented on 2/21/2017:

I love it, Wifey hates it. Such is Fernet ...

Division Bell

1 oz Mezcal, Del Maguey San Luis del Rio
3⁄4 oz Aperol
1⁄2 oz Maraschino Liqueur, Luxardo
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1 twst Grapefruit peel
Instructions

Shake, strain, cocktail, express grapefruit peel and discard.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Phil Ward
Source reference

Gaz Regan's Annual Manual for Bartenders 2011

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4.5 stars
(52 ratings)
From other users
  • Kinda crazy. Very grapefruity, sweet, and smokey.
  • K’s like it, Smokey grapefruit. Accessible mezcal cocktail.
  • https://twitter.com/WillGordonAgain/status/847652315343462400
  • Smokey grapefruit flavor, sour, bitter and enjoyable.
  • Tangy, with an interesting sour/smoky/bitter finish that approaches umami flavors.
Similar cocktails
Jmmrad commented on 6/29/2022:

Sweet and smoky with pleasant citrus balance.

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