This is the drink I was going to write about for the last round of Mixology Monday, which I unfortunately missed due to being on holiday in a tropical jungle in the Congo, or the technological equivalent (i.e. my in-laws’ place). It’s what happens when one is too lazy to prepare things in advance.

The Suffering Bastard is noteworthy for being a tropical drink that doesn’t use rum. Apart from the name, of course, which makes it instantly memorable. It was created around 1950 at the Shepheards Hotel in Cairo, Egypt, and the name supposedly comes from some British officers mishearing a passing comment about a “suffering bar steward”.

In his seminal Grog Log, Beachbum Berry remarks that the original was made with brandy and ginger beer instead of bourbon and ginger ale. I didn’t have any ginger beer around, since it’s difficult to find here, and just swapping brandy for the bourbon would make a Horse’s Neck with some gin and lime juice thrown in, so I only tried the newer version.

So what’s it like? Well, it’s ok. The bourbon overpowers the drink somewhat, and doesn’t leave much room for tasting everything else. Maybe with a robust gin and a delicate bourbon it might work better, but I don’t think I’ll be making another one in a hurry.

There was one good thing, though. I was toying with not including a photo because I couldn’t get any decent ones (I’ll have to work on that), but I couldn’t resist showing you a close-up of a successful lime twist after the Fog Cutter attempt.

Recipe:

1 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Gin
1 oz. Lime Juice
4 oz. Ginger Ale
1 dash Angostura Bitters (to taste, I like two or three dashes better)

Notes:

As I mentioned above, the Bourbon overpowered the rest of the drink. I used Jim Beam bourbon, since I didn’t want to try something more expensive on an unknown cocktail. Maybe something more delicate might work better, but I have my doubts, so I didn’t bother…

Rating:

- Cool name, pity about the drink.

Continuing the alcohol reviews after the other day’s rum reviews, this entry concerns Bourbon. Actually, American Whiskey would be more appropriate, since I’m not about to make separate categories for Canadian, rye, etc. But this definition works for now.

My experience with Bourbon is a distant second to my favourite, Rum, but I’ve tried most of the ones I’ve found. The selection available here in Spain is very limited and therefore so is the depth of my knowledge. Bourbon is also pretty expensive, and I’m less prone to experiment with it. Thankfully, a quick look at the scores makes it clear that the fes whiskeys that are available aren’t at all shabby.

Before I start, I’ll just refer you to the rating system explained. Remember that the score also takes price into account (which is why Jim Beam gets the same score as Woodford Reserve — the former costs about a third of what the latter goes for and is still pretty good.) Anyway, here go the reviews:

Woodford Reserve Without a doubt the best I’ve tasted.

Makers Mark The best you’re likely to find in a bar around here.

Jim Beam Black Truly impressive for the price, smooth and full-flavoured.

Jim Beam My standard bourbon, great value-for-money.

Wild Turkey Smooth and reasonably priced, but it’s getting impossible to find!

Jack Daniel’s Nice, distinctive flavour but a touch too expensive.

Four Roses Tastes kind of like perfume, too sweet.

If you read the About page on this blog, you’ll see that part of the original idea was to index and categorize a bunch of recipes for my own access. Last night I was entertaining and realized that the blog is sadly empty of the classics, so for at least a couple of weeks I’ll be putting up some classic cocktails. If you’re new to cocktails, these are drinks you have to try. If you’re a seasoned mixologist, how long has it been since you had one?

I’ll start with the Manhattan, my favourite drink. I can’t really point out why, but there isn’t any other drink which is quite the same. It’s all a matter of taste, I suppose.

As to the origins, nobody knows for sure who the inventor was. Although various similar recipes had been around for decades under the name Manhattan, the current incarnation became well known in the early 1870’s, when it was served at a banquet held at the Manhattan Club, in New York. This event marked the current recipe as the Manhattan cocktail.

Recipe:

2 oz. Rye Whiskey or Bourbon
1 oz. Italian Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Garnish with Maraschino Cherry

Stir the ingredients until ice-cold, and pour into a cocktail glass. Add the cherry and enjoy

Notes:

A drink that never lets me down and is a faithful standby when in doubt. Rye whiskey is difficult to come by here, so it’s usually a Bourbon drink for me. Also, the proportions are not set in stone, and people have different preferences. Personally, I like the vermouth to shine through, making the drink slightly sweeter.

Finally, some people add a little of the liquid in the cherry jar for sweetness. If I do it, it’s never more than a teaspoon.

Rating:

- Perfection in a glass.

Recipe:

8 oz. Passion Fruit juice
1 1/2 oz. Overproof Rum (Bacardi 151 is canonical)
1/2 oz. Orange Curaçao
1 oz. Jamaican Rum
1 oz. Bourbon
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Fill an enormous glass with crushed ice, pour in everything, and stir well. Garnish with pineapple, mint, a fun flower, and a wooden back-scratcher (hopefully the lack of a back-scratcher won’t affect the taste).

Via: Kaiser Penguin, originally from Jeff ‘beachbum’ Berry’s Intoxica

Notes:

I actually tried this cocktail last summer, after Kaiser Penguin’s first mention of it. The combination of the strong-tasting Jamaican rum and the bourbon is striking, and the combination of both with the passion fruit, a tropical staple, makes this a great drink to while away long summer afternoons in the sun.

Rating:

- Too summery and too many ingredients for the full four-star treatment, but a great drink nonetheless.

Recipe:

1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
1/2 tsp. sugar -or- 1 sugar cube
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Champagne

In a tall glass, place sugar and wet with Bourbon and bitters. Add several ice cubes and fill with Champagne. Garnish with lemon peel spiral.

(via: Dr Bamboo)

Notes

Looks like a simpler version of the Seelbach Cocktail.

Recipe:

1 oz. Bourbon
1/2 oz. Cointreau
7 dashes of Angostura Bitters
7 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
5 oz. chilled Champagne

Combine the Bourbon, Cointreau, and bitters in a shaker filled with ice. Stir briskly and pour into champagne flutes. Top with chilled Champagne. Enjoy!