Monthly Archives: November 2008

Back in October, Ms. S&C attended a seminar on Great Hotel Bar Cocktails, organized by The Museum of the American Cocktail.  The event was held at the Hotel Tabard Inn, a cozy little place in DC.  The seminar covered the history of some of the world’s great hotels, the origin of their cocktails, and we got to taste them all!  It was a great event.

———————————–

They’re hosting another seminar on Holiday Cocktails on December 9.  Drinks will be prepared by a few of DC’s best mixologists, who’ll serve up Tom and Jerry, Baltimore Egg Nog, and Hot Buttered Rum.  Let me know if you’re planning to attend.

———————————–

Back to the Great Hotel Bar Cocktails.  The Singapore Sling is from the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.  Modern versions of this cocktail are overdone and a thousand percent too sweet.  Do not, I repeat, do not order this drink if it contains pineapple juice.  The recipe below is awesome, and it was my favorite of the night.  It was also excellently paired with a pot sticker with cherry jam.

Singapore Sling

• 2 dashes Orange Bitters
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Juice of half a lemon
• ½ oz Benedictine
• ½ oz dry Cherry Brandy
• 2 oz Gin

Pour into a tumbler and fill with cold soda water.

The Side Car was my second favorite cocktail served.  It is from the Ritz Hotel in Paris, where the hotel still serves the world’s most expensive version at $515.  The ingredients of this cocktail make up the holy trinity of cocktail ingredients: spirit, sweet, sour.  It was served with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Side Car

• ½ oz Cognac
• 1 oz Cointreau
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice

Shake well with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass, with sugar crusted rim.

———————————–

Other cocktails included:

Vieux Carre, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans

• ¾ oz Rye Whiskey
• ¾ oz Sweet Vermouth
• ¾ oz Cognac
• 1/8 oz Benedictine
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Build drink in rocks glass with ice, garnish with lemon peel.

Bloody Mary, Saint Regis, New York

• 2 oz Vodka
• 4 oz Tomato Juice
• 2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 dashes Tabasco Sauce
• Pinch salt and pepper
• ¼ oz fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and mix.  Strain into glass with ice.  Garnish with wedge lemon and lime.

Rob Roy, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York

• 2 ½ oz Blended Scotch Whiskey (such as Chivas)
• ¾ oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1-2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters

Ice glass beforehand.  Add ice and stir until chilled.  Strain in martini glass.  Garnish with orange peel.

Tabard Cocktail, Hotel Tabard Inn, Washington, DC

• 1 ½ oz Milagro Reposado Tequila
• ½ oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
• ½ oz Drambuie
• 1 dash Orange Bitters

Stir, garnish with orange twist and sprig of fresh thyme.

Recipe Source: Chantal Tseng, mixologist, Hotel Tabard Inn in Washington, DC

posted by Ms. S&C