There's a change in the weather, and nostalgia in the air -- for a fifties'-style hot drink (or two). By Nancy Ross Ryan
Photo by Laurie Proffitt
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Some Like It Hot!
There's a change in the weather, and nostalgia in the air -- for a fifties'-style hot drink (or two). By Nancy Ross Ryan |
Photo by Laurie Proffitt |
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One of the more agreeable signs of civilization is polite ceremony, the thousands of little ways that we invoked to mark life's pleasant passages. Mind you, a polite ceremony is not a ritual (like a coronation, an inauguration, a confirmation); a polite ceremony is a grace note to make transitions -- such as the changing of the seasons -- lively and memorable. For example, making tea by dunking a tea bag up and down in hot water is not a polite ceremony. But steeping darjeeling tea leaves in freshly boiled water in a silver teapot, waiting while they unfurl and release their fragrance, then pouring the tea through a silver strainer into a China cup and saucer -- that's polite ceremony. (Not to mention the hot scones, fruit preserves and clotted cream, watercress sandwiches and petit fours.) The mixing and serving of hot drinks -- a regrettably neglected art -- is one of winter's most captivating polite ceremonies. It reached new heights in the fifties, when all the traditional hot drinks were joined by a newcomer: Irish coffee. In 1953 Irish coffee was introduced at San Francisco's Buena Vista Café, by Stanton Delaplane, a 45-year-old San Francisco Chronicle reporter who had discovered the drink in Ireland. He gave the recipe -- a mixture of hot coffee, cream, sugar and Irish whiskey -- to Buena Vista's owners. The drink became so popular that it accounted for 40% of the cafe's business. And it is still popular today. A hot drink -- be it a hot toddy, a glass of mulled wine, a mug of hot buttered rum, or a demitasse of cafe brûlot -- does indeed "warm the cockles of your heart." And, except for the more elaborate flaming concoctions such as a blue blazer, can be served chez vous as well as being ordered at your favorite bar. The blue blazer, a.k.a. Don't Try This At Home, consists of pouring flaming Scotch back and forth between two mugs so it resembles a stream of fire. In addition to the blue blazer, another famous drink you won't want to revive this season is the Tom and Jerry. (Bet you have seen those Tom and Jerry bowl and cups sets in antique stores and wondered what the...?) The drink was created in 1852 by Jerry Thomas, an American bartender who was considered to be the best bartender of his day. An egg white and yolk is beaten separately until the white is stiff and the yolk is creamy. Then the white is folded into the yolk. Then you add rum, about 2 ounces, brandy, about 1 ounce, 4 ounces of hot milk, a teaspoon of sugar, pour into a warmed mug and sprinkle with nutmeg. Sounds delicious? Sounds risky: The uncooked egg could harbor salmonella. But there are dozens of food-safe, congenial hot drinks that are yours for the sipping. So now that there's a change in the weather, make a change in the scene with some of the nifty '50s-style hot drink recipes below. |
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6 oz. strong, freshly brewed hot coffee Brown sugar, to taste, if desired. Freshly whipped cream, as needed Put whiskey in a preheated Irish coffee mug. (To preheat, fill mug with boiling water, and discard just before mixing drink.) Add coffee. (Add sugar if desired.) Top with whipped cream. To float the cream, slide it over the back of a spoon onto the surface of the coffee.
Add 1-1/2 oz. Irish whiskey and 2 tsp. creme de menthe. Add 1-1/2 oz. Irish whiskey and 1/2 oz. Kaluha.
1/2 oz. crème de cacao 1 teaspoon sugar 6 oz. strong, freshly brewed hot coffee Add rum, crème de cacao and sugar to preheated glass mug. Add hot coffee and stir well. 1/2 oz. crème de banana 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar 6 oz. strong, freshly brewed hot coffee Whipped cream Add rum, crème de banana and sugar to taste in preheated glass mug. Add hot coffee. Stir to mix. Float cream on top. Dust cream lightly with cinnamon. Powdered sugar 1-1/2 oz. orange liqueur 6 oz. strong, freshly brewed hot coffee Whipped cream Rub rim of glass coffee mug briskly with orange peel until orange oil is released. Dip cup rim in dish of powdered sugar. Carefully add orange liqueur and coffee. Stir. Float with whipped cream.
Serves 8 1 cup Cognac or brandy 1 lemon twist 1 orange twist 8 whole cloves 4 cups strong, freshly brewed hot coffee In chafing dish heat sugar, Cognac, cinnamon, lemon and orange twists and cloves, until sugar is dissolved and Cognac is warmed, stirring with a long-handled metal spoon. Ignite Cognac using a long match. Allow to blaze for about a minute, then slowly add hot coffee. Stir. Quickly lift out seasonings with a slotted spoon and discard. Then ladle coffee into 8 preheated demitasse cups. 1 orange zest 4 oz. strong, freshly brewed hot coffee 1 sugar lump Pour coffee into preheated demitasse cup. Add orange zest and 1 teaspoon Cognac. Place sugar cube on teaspoon, soak with remaining Cognac, and ignite with long match. When well flamed, plunge sugar cube into coffee. Stir briefly. 1-1/2 ounces rum, Scotch, bourbon, or whiskey 1 small lemon slice or quarter orange slice stuck with 3 cloves 1 cinnamon stick Boiling hot water In heavy preheated mug put sugar or honey, rum or whiskey, lemon slice and cinnamon stick. Fill with boiling water. Stir with cinnamon stick to dissolve sugar or honey. 1-1/2 ounces light or dark rum Cinnamon stick Boiling hot water About 1 Tablespoon of butter In preheated heavy mug place sugar, rum and cinnamon stick. Add boiling water. Stir with cinnamon stick to dissolve sugar. Add butter; stir briefly to melt. 1 ounce rum 1 teaspoon sugar or honey Hot milk Nutmeg In preheated heavy mug place brandy, rum and sugar or honey. Add hot milk. Stir to dissolve sugar. Dust lightly with nutmeg. 2 quarts apple cider 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 or 3 cinnamon sticks 1 or two orange slices stuck with 8 (total) cloves 1 bottle (750 ml.) rum or apple brandy In large non-reactive saucepan, heat cider, sugar, cinnamon and orange slices, bringing to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, refrigerate and let steep for 8 hours or overnight. To serve: strain, discarding seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and add rum or apple brandy, stirring until hot but not boiling. Serve in preheated mugs. 1/4 cup sugar 2 cinnamon sticks 2 cups water 2 dashes Angostura bitters 1 large lemon twist 6 oz. rum or brandy In non-reactive saucepan, bring all ingredients except rum or brandy to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in rum or brandy. Serve in old-fashioned glasses filled 3/4 full. |
LIQUID ASSETS - December 1999
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