Still looking for that perfect gift? If your list includes an aspiring home bartender (or just someone who likes to entertain), then W.C. Whitfield’s Mixed Drinks and Cocktails might be exactly what you need. The book is a re-release of two previous cocktail recipe collections published just after the end of prohibition (in 1939 and 1941), but including many drinks from the 1890s through speakeasy times. These are old-school beverages from the golden age of bartending, folks.
The book contains more than 600 recipes as well as guides on measurements, equipment, and barware. Each section is introduced with a glimpse into the time period, and many recipes are illustrated with whimsical drawings from the original books. There are standards such as the Manhattan, the Mojito and the Dry Martini as well as some that might be a bit more difficult to get at your local bar, such as the Huckle-My-Butt (with two beaten eggs!) and the Trilby (with Calisaya and phosphate).
Many of the recipes are deserving of a comeback, including this recipe for the Commodore:
Commodore
from W.C. Whitfield’s Mixed Drinks and Cocktails (originating at the Waldorf Astoria)
1/3 bourbon
1/3 crème de cacao
1/3 lemon juice
1 dash of grenadine
serve in a champagne glass
