Thursday 9 June 2016

'Ol Blue Eyes - a new cocktail recipe !


PREVIEW of the Sinatra cocktail conceived for next week - Waterstones, Piccadilly

‘Ol Blue Eyes

3          measures of Stolichnaya Vodka
1          measure of Blue Curacao

3          large ice cubes
1          orange wheel
 
Place three good sized ice cubes in an Old Fashioned (Lowball) glass and gently pour over the Blue Curacao. Pause, then slowly add three measures of chilled vodka. Garnish with an orange wheel or wedge before presenting.
Of course Bourbon was his first and most enduring love, but Sinatra was more than fond of vodka, good vodka, especially the smooth, triple-distilled Stolichnaya Premium Vodka. Not only was it a pleasant alternative to the usual Jack Daniel’s – it also had similar healing properties. When a guest at a poolside party stumbled and cracked his head it was Sinatra who came to the rescue, immediately sprinting to the bar and returning with a bottle of vodka which he then poured over the cut to staunch the bleeding.

The Empire State Building was bathed in blue light the night after Sinatra passed, a tribute to one of his most famous aliases – ‘Ol Blue Eyes. Sinatra’s intimates talked about The blue-eyed ray – an intense beam he would unleash in moments of passion and anger; it could indicate romance or an imminent fury. The ‘blue’ in blue curacao however is usually Brilliant Blue E133, since the liqueur itself is naturally colourless and has a taste of bitter and sweet oranges.
Which is complemented by the orange wedge. Orange, the colour not the fruit, was not a colour most people would associate with Sinatra. He looked to dress mainly in white shirts and dark suits. Blacks and midnight blues were what he wore at night; but he loved touches of orange (on a tie, a sweater, a sports shirt). “Orange is the happiest colour” he once said, which is why he nominated it his favourite.

The glass is his usual choice and the number of ice cubes was the precise number Sinatra judged to chill but not dilute the drink.
DRINK UP AND BE SOMEBODY    

Monday 6 June 2016

June 16th - Waterstones, Piccadilly - All Aboard ?


Sadly, Peter Owen passed away last week

but they are going to go ahead with the event below to celebrate his extraordinary achievements.

It would be swelegant to see any of you there!


you can read more about Peter Owen here

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Bartender Please !

Joe Gilmore
(1922-2015)
 
 Joe Gilmore at the Savoy in 1970, where he created the Moonwalk cocktail Alamy.

The American Bar at the Savoy was the home of the cocktail in England for decades, and has boasted a succession of legendary Head Barmen. The third (there have been only 10) was Harry  Craddock. Born in England in 1875, as a young man he left for America and worked at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York. At the beginning of Prohibition in 1920, he returned to England and helped make the Savoy the centre of London’s social scene. He drew large, appreciative crowds and became so famous himself that a figure of him was modelled for Madame Tussaud’s. In 1930 he published the first edition of his masterwork The Savoy Cocktail Book.

 
Last year saw the death of one of Craddock’s successors – Joe Gilmore. Widely loved and much admired as a skilled mixologist and good listener (a pre-requisite for a good barman); Gilmore created cocktails for the great and the good; from film stars to American presidents. Whenever Sinatra visited London he would always make time to visit the Savoy and greet Gilmore with the shout “set ‘em Joe”. On receipt of a perfectly mixed Dry Martini he would then settle himself near the piano for a rendition of One For My Baby.


The American bar at the Savoy today.

Thursday 31 March 2016

Song lyrics to use in conversation today

Taken from:

One More for the Road

Frank Sinatra
We’ve all used this one. It comes from a song called Home James and Don’t Spare the Horses, sung originally in 1934 by Elsie Carlisle and the Mayfair Hotel Orchestra. No lyricist is credited, but some say it was something Queen Victoria said!

Wednesday 23 March 2016

Book signing event Waterstone's Piccadilly, London

All welcome to the exciting book signing event with Peter Owen authors.

16th June 2016, time tbc
Waterstone's, Piccadilly, London

Where Tom Smith will be mixing up some favourite Frank Sinatra cocktails from his book One For My Baby.

Friday 4 March 2016

Well, it might as well be Spring..

 
Dry Martini by Tom Smith

Feeling restless as a willow in a windstorm? Helpless as a baby on a swing?
Maybe it's the season..

It Might As Well Be Swing was the punning title of a 1964 Sinatra album which included the song that included the lines that may have inspired this blog, to whit:"you have the cool, clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth. And then the wham, bam tang reminiscent of gin and vermouth."
Gin and vermouth usually spells Martini, but could also refer to this forgotten classic:

DELMONICO
 3/4 measure gin (red)
1/2 measure of sweet vermouth
1/2 measure of dry (white) vermouth
1/2 measure cognac
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Twist of orange peel

You could, if you so choose, strain this into a Martini glass after stirring the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker, adding the twist as a garnish. Nice.

With Easter on the horizon why not try the:

BUNNY HUG
1/3 measure gin
1/3 measure scotch whisky
1/3 measure absinthe

A heady brew inspired not by Easter bunnies but by a post World War 1 dance craze.

Another legendary Frank..

Frank Auerbach by Tom Smith.

Legendary painter Frank Auerbach (catch him if you can at Tate Britain).