In memory of a Naval Academy graduate who learned to love coffee while on the midwatch.

On St. Paddy's Day 2022, a guest at Drink requested a creamy and minty cocktail. Instead of reaching for the Bailey's, I opted for the heavy cream in the direction of an Alexander. Veering from an Irish Whiskey Alexander, I split the crème de cacao with crème de menthe, and dubbed this one the Irish Grasshopper. With my bottle of Glendalough 7 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, this creation was a hit that I made a few times that night and once by request later that week.

I had a couple at work who only wanted floral drinks. For their second round, one of them wanted a flowery version of a De La Louisiane. I originally doubled up the rye whiskey (at work we use equal parts with the sweet vermouth and Benedictine but with a 110° rye) and swapped out the sweet vermouth for St. Germain. That swap and adjustment was not only a bit sweet, but a bit too bright. I added in some of the vermouth in the form of Punt e Mes especially given how well it works with elderflower in the Maximilian Affair, and that solidified the combination. For a name, I later dubbed this one the Fleur Carré when I made it at home.

A guest at Drink wanted a gin cocktail but described a Penicillin. Therefore, I made it as such with a London Dry in the mix and a Genever as the float (albeit more hefty than the smoky Scotch amount in the original). They enjoyed it so much that I made one that night when I got home. For a name, I searched around for a Dutch-themed antibiotic with little to show for my efforts, so I dubbed this one the Erasmus after a famous Dutch philosopher.

Winter 2022 menu

Winter 2022 menu

The “Studebaker” was published in 1940 by Spanish bartender Pedro Talavera in his drinks manual “Los Secretos del Cocktail” (The Secrets of the Cocktail). It appeared in a section toward the end of the book called “Sportsmen’s,” which consisted of a number of cocktails named after various auto manufacturers and a few ocean liners of the time. There appear to be no thematic links between the ingredients and the Studebaker company or its cars, though Studebakers were sold in Spain and there is even a large Studebaker mural advertisement dating to the 1920s still extant in Seville. It does not appear that the “Studebaker” cocktail was ever popular in Spain or elsewhere, and its only known mention is in Talavera’s book.

In memory of a Naval Academy graduate whose life was sometimes thorny.