Cocktails of the Great War

[John_Hartley]

A post on another board (not military history) mentioned a "French 75" which, a quick Google shows, was invented in 1915, in New York, and so named because the kick was like getting shelled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_75_(cocktail)

Prompts me to ask if there are any other drinks with a war related name?

[AlanCurragh]

Molotov Cocktail?

I'll get my coat....

[charlesmessenger]

The Whizz Bang cocktail looks pretty friendly:

http://www.barnonedrinks.com/drinks/w/whizz-bang-5499.html

Charles M

[centurion]

Possibly the Aviation which first appeared in 1916 made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice. Also in 1916 there was the Chappelle (don't know if it was Neuve) with Italian Vermouth. London Dry Gin, Lime Juice and a 'muddled' slice of Pineapple (possibly a precursor to a visit to the Loos?)

[keithmroberts]

This topic could make for an interesting evening at the OC next year.

Keith

[CarylW]

The Sidecar. Origins disputed but a few online sites claim this cocktail originated during the Great War.

Scroll down for theories on page below

http://cocktails.abo...de_car_cktl.htm

Another page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidecar_(cocktail)

[centurion]

Side car originated during Prohibition (and in Paris, appears to have been favoured by the Hemmingway, Stein, Fitzgerald lot)

Don't known when these first appeared but if you are going to throw a great war cocktail party

Billy Bishop - gin, Cointreau , Canadian rye whiskey and orange juice.

Red Baron - gin orange Juice , grenadine, wedge of lime

American Flyer - light rum, lime juice, sugar syrup and champagne

Allies - dry vermouth, gin and Kummel .

Artillery - sweet vermouth, gin and bitters

Tanker - vodka and lager

of course after this you might go

AWOL - amaretto , Scotch , Curacao and lime juice.

[CarylW]

More Sidecar and World War 1 origin claims

http://books.google....ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA

Credits David A Embury in The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948) as a source

http://books.google....d=0CDIQ6AEwAjgK

[centurion]

More Sidecar and World War 1 origin claims

http://books.google....ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA

Credits David A Embury in The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948) as a source

http://books.google....d=0CDIQ6AEwAjgK

The problem is that for every claim that it was there are at least two that it wasn't!

[CarylW]

I wouldn't have a clue (Edit: further googling seems to show that although popular during the prohibition there are more claims for WW1 origin than prohibition origin but it appears that no-one really knows for sure) As I posted in post #6 'origins disputed' and I also used the word 'claims' more than once and 'theories' Claims not a statement of fact.

[Rob Chester]

You could always have a glass of:

The Gen. Joffre: 1/3 Bacardi, 1/3 Dubonnet, 1/3 Italian vermouth, orange peel

or

The Kitchener: 1/3 Bacardi, 1/3 Sherry, 1/3 French vermouth

(http://cocktail101.org/tag/first-world-war/)

[centurion]

You could always have a glass of:

The Gen. Joffre: 1/3 Bacardi, 1/3 Dubonnet, 1/3 Italian vermouth, orange peel

or

The Kitchener: 1/3 Bacardi, 1/3 Sherry, 1/3 French vermouth

(http://cocktail101.o...irst-world-war/)

And to represent an earlier era a Marshal MacDonald about equal portions of cognac and Glava (Jacques Etienne Joseph Macdonald Duc de Tarente 1765-1840 Napoleonic with a Scottish flavour)

[Neill Gilhooley]

I've not tried this (it's 9 am for heaven's sake)...

'We had our evening cocktail too, reserved for the end of particularly trying days, consisting of equal parts or rum, whisky and lime juice to which Worcester sauce was occasionally added for variety and the mixture sprinkled with pepper. It was a relic of the old war days, invented as far as I can remember at Trones Wood by the doctor of the 20^th Divisional Engineers with whom I used to serve.'

Ralph Bagnold, ‘Libyan Sands’, 1935

 

Begs the question - who was the doctor?

-

PS I note talk of a Courcelette Cocktail here:

 

Edited 24 March , 2020 by Neill Gilhooley

[squirrel]

Neill Gilhooley "We had our evening cocktail too, reserved for the end of particularly trying days, consisting of equal parts or rum, whisky and lime juice to which Worcester sauce was occasionally added for variety and the mixture sprinkled with pepper. It was a relic of the old war days, invented as far as I can remember at Trones Wood by the doctor of the 20^th Divisional Engineers with whom I used to serve.'

Ralph Bagnold, ‘Libyan Sands’, 1935"

 

Presumably prescribed by the doctor as an emetic...

[healdav]

1 minute ago, squirrel said:

Neill Gilhooley "We had our evening cocktail too, reserved for the end of particularly trying days, consisting of equal parts or rum, whisky and lime juice to which Worcester sauce was occasionally added for variety and the mixture sprinkled with pepper. It was a relic of the old war days, invented as far as I can remember at Trones Wood by the doctor of the 20^th Divisional Engineers with whom I used to serve.'

Ralph Bagnold, ‘Libyan Sands’, 1935"

 

Presumably prescribed by the doctor as an emetic...

I have a bottle of rum, that is so strong, it would curdle whisky.

[mancpal]

Admittedly off topic but only just, what about stout and bitter, the Black and Tan.

Also, did the aforementioned Dr. take his entire cocktail cabinet across the Western Front or was it just Trones Wood that took his fancy?

 

simon

[Neill Gilhooley]

I suspect the rum and lime juice were the regulation issue, and the whisky a common officers purchase. The Worcester sauce though - that must have been especially imported! The word curdle came to my mind too.

[Steven Broomfield]

3 hours ago, Neill Gilhooley said:

I suspect the rum and lime juice were the regulation issue, and the whisky a common officers purchase. The Worcester sauce though - that must have been especially imported! The word curdle came to my mind too.

 

After drinking that lot, I suspect you'd see at least two of every Hun you came across.

[Neill Gilhooley]

On 05/05/2013 at 11:59, keithmroberts said:

This topic could make for an interesting evening at the OC next year.

Keith

After 7 years, perhaps we'll hear what happened?

[clive_hughes]

In the SOLDIER magazine in the early 1970s I remember reading a short note by a surviving WW1 veteran who extolled the virtues of "Bonny Dutch", aka "The Machine-Gun Corps Special".  He claimed to have drunk this during the conflict, though I don't know if the middle ingredient was easily available back then.

 

It consisted of equal parts of gin, Dubonnet, and soda.  I did try it a couple of times, but didn't really take to it.  Curious what one remembers!

 

Clive

Edited 24 March , 2020 by clive_hughes

[Chasemuseum]

On 05/05/2013 at 23:02, centurion said:

The problem is that for every claim that it was there are at least two that it wasn't!

Simple solution - drink three and you have the problem covered.

[Marilyne]

On ‎24‎/‎03‎/‎2020 at 10:09, Neill Gilhooley said:

I've not tried this (it's 9 am for heaven's sake)...

 

It's always 11 O'clock somewhere… in the Empire…

as it is, in half an hour in these lands…

 

this being said, the link to the recipe of the French '75 cocktail does not seem to have dissappeared from wikipedia… anyone an idea what it was??? For the sake of scientific exploration, I might use my confinement time for a good cause… good thing the shops are still open!!

 

M.

 

[Neill Gilhooley]

17 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said:

After drinking that lot, I suspect you'd see at least two of every Hun you came across.

Might explain the exaggerated numbers of the enemy... fousands of 'em.

38 minutes ago, Marilyne said:

It's always 11 O'clock somewhere… in the Empire…

Two evenings have passed and I have still not tried it, but then I've never had a 'trying day' of Great War proportions and never want one.

[Steven Broomfield]

2 hours ago, Neill Gilhooley said:

Might explain the exaggerated numbers of the enemy... fousands of 'em.

 

 

Might be an explanation for the USAAF claiming to have shot down more fighters than the Luftwaffe possessed 

[BullerTurner]

On 24/03/2020 at 16:35, Steven Broomfield said:

 

After drinking that lot, I suspect you'd see at least two of every Hun you came across.

Or perhaps be able to forget half of them? 😉