The 20th Century

The 20th Century is an unusual cocktail. It was named for the 20th Century Limited passenger train, that ran from New York to Chicago, and in 1937 introduced a new ultra-modern streamlined design for trains that started operating in 1938. The train was considered the epitome of modern luxury and sophistication. Ted Haigh in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails says the 20th Century cocktail is "exactly what Art Deco tastes like."

The first time I saw the recipe for this cocktail, I couldn't wait to try it, just because it seemed so odd.

1.5 oz gin
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz white creme de cacao
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The recipe is very similar to the Corpse Reviver #2, with the lemon and Lillet, but replaces the Cointreau with creme de cacao. First, I will say that it does not really taste particularly chocolatey. The creme de cacao just gives the drink a delicious "what is that" quality. Ted Haigh also says that cocktail legend Gary Regan calls this his favorite "lost" cocktail. I think it's one that definitely deserves more attention.

The Corpse Reviver #2

In honor of the spookiest of nights, tonight our cocktail is the Corpse Reviver #2. I'm pulling this recipe from the book I used for the Boulevardier, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. The Corpse Reviver is more of a class of drinks than just one drink--as the name implies, these are drinks intended to cure hangovers. After drinking one of these, I'm not sure how much curing it does, other than the fact that it extends how long you are drunk (thus, no hangover, at least for the time-being). The famous (infamous?) cocktail book, The Savoy Cocktail Book, originally published in 1930 by Harry Craddock, warned of this drink, "Four taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again." Yeah. I'm pretty sure he was right about that.

The ingredients:

• 1 oz gin (I used Plymouth)
• 1 oz Cointreau (we are out of Cointreau so I used Grand Marnier)
• 1 oz Lillet Blanc
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 to 3 drops of absinthe or pastis (I used Absente)
• Garnish with one unstemmed cherry dropped in the bottom of the glass

Combine all ingredients (except the cherry) in an ice-filled shaker, shake until chilled, and serve. I actually used a shaker for this one, so go me. I've found that the absinthe can sometimes be really overpowering, but the lemon knocks the oomph out of it in this drink. It's quite tart and that masks the flavor of the booze, which can be dangerous (hence, the four in a row unreviving the dead). This is a tasty cocktail, and I'll be adding it into my normal rotation more often.

The Cheeky Negroni

I've been a fan of Campari for awhile now and I wanted to try its cousin, Aperol. I picked up a bottle yesterday and set to finding a recipe for a drink to test it out. I came across the Cheeky Negroni on Serious Eats and I had all the ingredients (well, except for the garnish), so I mixed it up. 

The ingredients are pretty simple:

• Ice
• 1 oz Hendricks Gin
• 1 oz Lillet Blanc
• 1 oz Aperol
• Grapefruit peel for garnish

Fill up a shaker with ice; add the gin, the Lillet Blanc, and the Aperol. Give it a hearty shake and strain into an ice-filled old fashioned glass. Twist the grapefruit peel over the drink to release the oils, plop the peel into the drink, and bottoms up.

I could definitely taste the relationship to a Negroni, but this wasn't quite as bitter. The Hendricks was a nice addition, but I might try a regular London Dry next time (this house enjoys Plymouth), but I'm happy with the way this came out.