Gin Fizz

By now I think everyone needs a good drink. Gin Fizzes are one of my favorites because they are so easy and delicious! But I have always wanted to try the variations. Being stuck inside with a crazy boyfriend makes for a perfect time to try some drinks! I pulled out both the 1935 The Savoy Cocktail Book and the 1950 Here's How! by Stouffer's to get a nice variety of recipes.

I used the recipes from Stouffer's as a base since it was a lot more specific.

I am still trying to figure out what exactly a 'glass' is. Thanks Savoy.

I typically like to use lime juice in my basic gin fizz but I decided to stick with the lemon juice. Kept the generic club soda but went a little fancy with Hendrick's gin. The boyfriend loves Hendrick's.

When you ask for help be prepared for a little bit of craziness!

From left to right: regular Gin Fizz, Silver Fizz, and Golden Fizz. All in whatever glasses I could find.

A variation of the Ruby Fizz. We had an interesting debate on what exactly a 'splash' was. I don't know why. I don't write the cocktail books!

I didn't have rum but decided to have a try with gin instead.

I had a little bit of Mango Mango preserves left and thought it might be tasty in a drink.

It was quite a mixture of good and bland. The silver and golden fizz were creamier tasting but I didn't think they added anything to it. Ruby fizz was my favorite but needed a little bit more Chambord. The Pineapple Fizz was also nice but, again, I thought it needed more pineapple. The flavor was very light. The mango was a bust. Not bad tasting but very, very little flavor. I was expecting something a little more tropical. All in all a nice experimental evening. I have had other cocktails that included raw egg so that was nothing too out there for me although it was something new for my sweetie. 

My Rating: I'm going to stick with the basics, regular old gin fizz...with lime.

Boyfriend Rating: None of them were bad but the pineapple was my favorite.

Bee Bite Cocktail

These crazy weather days have me wishing for spring and warm weather. Okay, all cold days have me wishing for warmer weather. I am not a cold weather person. At all. Time to warm up with a cocktail!

 Bee Bite Cocktail is from Stouffer's 1950's Here's How! and guarantees a bite I will like. Sounds interesting.

 I love the simplicity of older cocktail recipes.

 I love when I have all the ingredients at hand. Some many modern cocktails require way too much.

 The only thing I can see in this picture is the wallpaper...

 Ta da! Just like the picture!

It definitely had a little bite to it. Not too bad but not my favorite cocktail. There was simply nothing exciting or different about this drink to make it stand out. If I have all the ingredients I might make it again but I will not go out of my way.

My Rating: Make if for a friend while you're drinking a Tom Collins.

Gandy Cocktail

I filled my house with wine and cider in preparation for Hurricane Florence and then it decided to not travel all the way up to Virginia. Not that I'm complaining! But I was so ready for a storm or, at least, heavy rain. Instead we got extreme humidity and a breeze. Okay. It gave me time to wander through recipes. This interesting cocktail from Here's How! by Stouffer's seems to have a little bit of lots of things. I prefer simple cocktails but somehow had all the ingredients for this.

 This is very different from the Gandy Dancer Cocktail!

Lots of a little bit...

 Why does everything I make come out green or bright pink?!

It was a bright, interesting drink. It doesn't make a lot so I would probably either double the recipe or serve it in a smaller glass. All in all a nice light citrusy drink.

My Rating: Not bad. I would make again if I had everything on hand.

Brandy Gump Cocktail

This evening I was feeling lazy and looking for an easy cocktail recipe. I came across this one in the Savoy Cocktail book. I have to admit the only thing that drew me to it was the fact that I had all the ingredients.

It used the end of my brandy. I had never heard of a 'hooker' as a measurement so I looked it up online. Helpful hint: Look up 'cocktail measurements.' Do not look up 'how much is a hooker.'

Yep. I love my radio.

It's kind of a drab peachy color. I'm not overly impressed with the taste. It's a little too strong for my taste as I am not a big fan of brandy. A brief search online reveals that most modern interpretations of the drink include more grenadine and less brandy. That definitely sounds more appealing. I may try that another day once I restock my brandy.


My Rating: Just okay