The Sifter

So, apparently cocktails are not the recent invention we'd been led to believe.

According to some undoubtedly reknowned Italian journal,

"The first cocktail ever was made in Mesopotamia 5,000 years ago, using wine, beer, apple juice and honey. "

They called it Grog. We'd probably call it an "Appletini" and charge like a wounded bull for it :-)

Speaking of which, I've just finished a book called Cosmopolitan by Toby Cecchini (Wellington Library has it), the bartender who "re-invented" the drink that we all now know (and some of us love) - The Cosmo.

If you can bear with his writing style - he tries too hard to impress - then it's a good read, especially if you've ever spent any time behind a bar. Or in front of it. Or falling off one... ;-)

I was expecting a quick rip-off of Kitchen Confidential, but Cecchini knows his stuff and has some great stories to tell.

I just wish I'd known about Passerby (his bar) when I was in NYC back in 2000. It wasn't too far from Battery Park City where I was staying.

He gives a couple of recipes of classic drinks at the end of the book, including (naturally) what he makes the Cosmopolitan with:

5 pts lemon vodka
5 pts triple sec or Cointreau
4 pts fresh lime juice
dash or 2 of cranberry juice

I've had fun telling various bartenders around town about the book, and reciting this recipe and getting them to make it. It's a stronger drink than we're used to here for our Cosmos.