Death in the Afternoon

The Dry Martini is, along with the Manhattan, probably the epitome of late 1800s classic cocktail-making. Wild myths of origins, simple preparation that highlights the bartender's craft, wonderful flavor and a healthy kick. Maybe it has its origin in a Martinez, maybe it has roots in a marketing campaign by vermouth company Martini. But it is certain it starts out being made with Italian (sweet) vermouth, and gin. In the early 1900s, it changes to French (dry) vermouth, which gets known as a dry martini. Then comes Churchill, Bond, and suddenly the 80's. The recipe stands for itself, but let us stress here that Espresso Martinis, Pornstar Martinis, and Breakfast Martinis are not martinis at all.

Saround 1800 a cocktail is spirits with sugar and a dash of bitters. One of the earliest variations, mentioned already in 1855, is the champagne cocktail, which, for almost a century, appears to be made by adding sugar and bitters to champagne. For the first many years, until the 1880'ies at least, the drink is served on crushed ice, but in the 1887 version the Bon Vivant's Companion it has been moved into a goblet and is served with a lup of ice. But it isn't until The Café Royale cocktail Book from 1937 that brandy makes its way into a recipe. what was done in theatre back rooms and alleyways isn't written down, but somehow the pet nae choir girl's milk stuck to it. Use chilled ingredients, use lump sugar, never syrup, and have a few, the champagne is open anyway now.

Flyversjussen is one of the classic Danish cocktails, which can be dated to 1930s, and probably even earlier. The simple mixture of aquavit and lemon water is light and mouth-watering!