Win this Book!

Yes, that is a first edition Savoy Cocktail Book. If you could find one for sale you’d be looking at spending about three hundred and fifty of Her Majesty’s quid to secure it. This one is a bit more special than that, signed by the master of the Savoy himself, Mr. Harry Craddock. After retiring from a life behind the bar at the age 0f 74 in 1947, with more than 250 original recipes under his belt , Harry, quite unfortunately, did not go on to live to the ripe old age of 137 and as such, it is quite literally impossible to get any more signed copies of his book, despite what Tony Robbins might say.

To go in for a chance to win this fabulous piece of Cocktail history you need to visit the Bacardi sponsored True Originals facebook page and post a twist on the classic Mojito. If you need further inspiration watch the Apothecary making his here.

The prize booty also includes a Yarai seamless Japanese mixing glass and a spoon to twirl within it.

This new campaign to hero the classics and the bartenders who are inspired by them seems to very much on the money, if the prize is anything to go by. Only 115 people “like” the page so far, so your chances of winning are pretty good at the moment.

Oh, you’ve only got ten days to enter, the contest closes on the 28th of May.

MixMarch #6: The Jabberwocky Cocktail

My sneaky little taste of the Hendricks cordial got my mind whirring. Here is an infusion of the notoriously hard to find cinchona bark, with the addition of bitter orange and floral notes. Could this not, indeed, be used as and addition to Lillet Blanc to approximate the long extinct Kina Lillet? I will have to try this out next time i’m with Marty and his wondrous bottle in Melbourne.

Given the source of said bottle being the twisted mindspace of Lewis Carrol I thought it only proper to bring to light an inspired drink from the Savoy Cocktail Book, the Jabberwocky.

The Jabberwocky

30mls Dry Gin, 30mls Dry Sherry, 25mls Lillet Blanc, 5mls Hendricks Tonic Cordial. Stir over ice with a runcible spoon and serve up. Garnished with lemon peel, preferably cut with a Vorplal Sword.

Just in case that all seems a little obtuse, i suggest reading this:

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

by Lewis Carroll