Presto Cocktail

A wonderful new addition to our repetoir, courtesy of The Savoy Cocktail Book, which Brooke procured for me on her recent trip to LA.  The Presto Cocktail is a fruitier cousin to the Manhattan:

The Presto Cocktail
1 Dash Absinthe
1/6 Orange Juice
1/6 Italian Vermouth
2/3 Brandy
Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.
(Savoy 128)

Caution on the Absinthe.  1 Dash means 1 dash, too much and it gets a bit overpowering.

TSCB is a collection of recipes from The American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London.  The recipes range from Old School to Ancient School, including ingredients like Chartreuse verte, Maraschino, Hercules, and Swedish Punch - a lot of Vermouth.  We're starting our way through a few of the drinks (today we made a bastardized version of The Royal Tribute, invented 1 year ago today in honor of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding and a Champagne Cocktail).

The Royal Tribute called for "double straining", which I was surprised to find was actually a thing.



"Above all, the cocktail is the essence of celebration, the affirmation of liveliness and life itself" (iii).