Jazz Age cocktails revitalized thanks to the new film version of The Great Gatsby
By Francine Cohen
While Hemingway’s prowess with the pen and his penchant for drink are widely acknowledged and celebrated by fisherman and imbibers alike (for goodness sake, the man has a cocktail named after him- the Papa Doble aka a Hemingway Daiquiri) this prolific author isn’t the only notable one with something to say about living a spirited life.
As attention turns to today’s opening of the Baz Luhrmann screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby it certainly seems evident that if anyone should get credit for popularizing drinking culture it seems most fitting that the honor goes to F. Scott Fitzgerald; the Jazz Age writer who conjured up an aspirational way of life that quietly masked a sense of despondency and unspoken truths behind the glittering allure of vicarious adventures.
Fitzgerald’s Gatsby lived a life that seemed carefree; the ideal escape from the everyday- much the same as release from cube city and a night out with friends represents today.
Always something to look forward to as a reward for hard work, cocktails, and the culture Fitzgerald created around them, have as much relevance today in this improving economy as they did when the Princeton graduate wrote about them decades ago. Stores like Tiffany are celebrating the era with jewelry collections m.tiffany.com/Shopping/Category.aspx?cid=2605758&mcat=148206″ target=”_blank”> and even the venerable clothier Brooks Brothers is involved in this revival. The store’s archives were mined for period appropriate pieces on which the men’s costumes in this new movie were based. www.brooksbrothers.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-brooksbrothers-Site/default/GGSearch-Show?cgid=gatsby&cid=collaboration” target=”_blank”>
It’s likely you’ll find some dapper Brooks Brothers-inspired bartenders and spirits industry leaders flowing through the streets of New Orleans this summer if you head down for Tales of the Cocktail July 17-21st (www.talesofthecocktail.com) as this year’s Spirited Awards are Gatsby themed. Tales founder, Ann Tuennerman, explains, “The Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards production team [Claire Bertin-Lang, Michelle Dunnick, Simon Ford-who is also our host, and I] wanted a fun and relevant theme to add to the excitement of crowning the best of the best in our industry. While some consider Prohibition a dark period in our nation’s history, The Great Gatsby evokes an aura of nostalgia for the time, full of the glamour, music, parties and – of course – drinks. We thought this theme would offer guests an opportunity to return to one of America’s Golden Ages, get jazzed up, enjoy Prohibition Era cocktails from our amazing sponsors and toast the winners of the 2013 Spirited Awards. The book’s author F. Scott Fitzgerald was a notorious imbiber, making the theme doubly appropriate.”
If after seeing this film you are looking for a theme to intrigue your guests next time you host a party or need to draw a crowd on an otherwise quiet night at your bar or restaurant here are some Gatsby(movies.nytimes.com/2013/05/10/movies/the-great-gatsby-interpreted-by-baz-luhrmann.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) inspired cocktails.
It’s unlikely that Leonardo DiCaprio (or even Robert Redford, the 1974 film’s Jay Gatsby) will show up to help you shake a few, but one can always hope. Just make sure to keep that green light on at the end of the pier to guide him in.
TUXEDO REDUX
By James Menite
1 1/2oz. Bootlegger 21 Vodka
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1/3 Maraschino Liqueur
Dash of Absinthe
Dash of Regan’s Orange Bitters
Lemon twist for garnish
Method: Shake all ingredients over ice, strain into rocks glass. Add
bitters and lemon twist.
Menite created this drink using Prohibition Distillery’s Bootlegger 21 Vodka for fundraiser Taste of the Nation which works to end childhood hunger via its NoKidHungry campaign (www.nokidhungry.org). The distillery, which is open to the public for tours and liquor purchase, is located in the town of Roscoe, NY (population- approx. 608), well known as the country’s favorite fly-fishing destination. Visit the intersection of Fitzgerald and Hemingway. www.roscoeny.com and www.prohibitiondistillery.com.
THE FAIRBANKS
By Ryan Kahl
1 ¾ oz Bootlegger 21 NY Vodka
½ oz Dry Vermouth
2 dashes Orange Bitters
1 dash Crème de Menthe
Sparkling White wine
Cherry for garnish
Method: Shake all ingredients (but wine) with ice and serve in coupe. Top with Sparkling white. Garnish with Cherry.
THE ROARING TWENTIES
Courtesy of Purity Vodka
2 oz Purity Vodka
0.5 oz Pomegranate liqueur
Spoon of fresh pomegranate
Champagne
Build into an ice-cold champagne glass.
JUICE BOX
Courtesy of Whiskey Park
1 ½ ounces Voli Orange Vanilla
2 ounces Lemonade
½ ounce Agave Nectar
½ ounce Pineapple Juice
Instructions:
In a mixing glass, add all ingredients & shake over ice. Strain into rocks glass over ice. Garnish w/ orange wheel.
While Gatsby doesn’t drink, some speculate that he’s a bootlegger. Keep your consumption under wraps with this unassuming speakeasy cocktail served at Whiskey Park – (www.gerberbars.com)
MICHELADA
Courtesy of Pig and Khao
16 ounce pint glass
Ingredients:
1 oz. P & K Sangrita
½ oz. lime juice
1 Singha Lager
1 lime wedge
Adobo rim
Kalamansi
Thai chili salt
Method: Using lime juice, rim the pint glass with adobo. Fill glass ¾ of the way with ice. Add sangrita and lime juice. Add beer until ¾ up the glass. Stir briefly to incorporate all ingredients. Add more ice and more beer making sure not to disturb the adobo. Garnish with a lime wedge and straw for drinking/stirring.
Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s reluctant, arrogant East Egg husband, drinks ale; making him diametrically opposed to his West Egg neighbor from across the bay. (www.PigandKhao.com)
SILVER PEPPERED STARS
By Charlotte Voisey of William Grant & Sons
1 ¼ oz Hendrick’s Gin
¼ oz Luxardo Maraschino
¾ oz French Vermouth
2 dashes House-Made Orange Bitters
Lemon Peel
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and gently stir. Strain into a coupe and garnish with a squeezed lemon peel.
$16 at the Todd English Food Hall “Prohibited” Cocktail Menu The Plaza’s history is intrinsically tied to this timeless American novel and its author F. Scott Fitzgerald, who, with his wife Zelda, was a devoted Plaza patron. Epitomizing the Lost Generation, Fitzgerald’s exploits were notorious and he regularly drew inspiration from everyday life for his novels. The hotel’s enduring presence on the New York social scene made it a natural setting for the most climactic scene in the novel and the upcoming film. This spring, guests and visitors can toast the Jazz Age with a collection of 1920s style cocktails at The Plaza’s various restaurants and lounges. www.fairmont.com/the-plaza-new-york/
GREEN DREAM
Ingredients:
2 oz Organic Avenue apple juice
1 oz. Organic Avenue Giving Green juice
½ oz. Organic Avenue lemon juice
1 ½ oz. Crop Harvest Organic Cucumber vodka
Method: Combine ingredients, shake, strain over ice and garnish with cucumber fans
The color of the light at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s waterside dock, this green concoction invigorates Jay Gatsby’s lovesick yearning and leaves you in anticipation for more. www.TheLCLnyc.com
