Live from Calcutta! The Firpo's Balloon!

Browsing through Charles H. Baker, Jr.'s The Gentleman's Companion, Vol. II: Being an Exotic Drinking Book, or, Around the World with Jigger, Beaker, and Flask, I came across a recipe that I could actually try.

Baker claims to have first had this in Calcutta, at a dinner held at Firpo's, a popular nightspot for the Anglo community there. (He doesn't say when, but it is clear it was during the Hoover administration, so do the math.) It was called a "Balloon" because five of them was supposed to send one up bobbing on the ceiling.

Perhaps not pretty, but it does pack a whallop.

So, what's the recipe? Take one jigger each: good rye whiskey, absinthe, and Italian (sweet) vermouth. Pour in a shaker with two dashes of orange bitters and two teaspoons egg white. Shake vigorously over ice, then pour into a wide-mouthed champagne glass and serve. I've barely finished one and yes, it's potent. Five would have me on the floor, or on the ceiling.

A note about wide-mouthed champagne glasses: yes, they are hard to find these days. Everyone wants those silly flutes, which are supposed to hold the bubbles and keep the champagne from going flat. Here's a Dust & Corruption household hint: champagne flutes may look nice, but if you have a household where champagne sits around long enough at dessert to go flat, then you're better off not serving champagne at all and dispensing with the flutes. The tulip-shaped champagne glasses have a certain charm, but the wide-mouthed sort are delightfully multi-purpose, and can be used to serve mousse au chocolat or zabaglione at your parties. I found a set at an antique mall in Hagerstown, MD, some time ago and have thanked my lucky stars; look around and you might be able to find some as well. Old glasses like that are delightful at your table and bound to spark conversation.

Note the next morning: I had two Firpo's Balloons, and I woke with a ferocious hangover. Be warned.

Firpo's; I'm told it burned down in the 50s and was never rebuilt.

It's My Own Invention: Have a Gentleman Adventurer!

I received a good-sized bottle of brandy as a birthday present, and have experimented on and off with it. But then, one night I was doing a free-form cocktail, and I hit upon a happy combination.

Pour a finger or two of brandy into an old-fashioned glass (preferably a vintage cut-glass one). Add a splash or two of Gran Gala, a brandy-based orange liqueur. Pop in a couple of ice cubes, and sip contentedly by candlelight.

I asked my cocktail-nerd friend Sasha if he knew if that was an actual drink...while there is a drink called a "Lead Balloon" that's brandy and Grand Marnier, mine has Gran Gala and uses different (and more casual) proportions. So I took the liberty of claiming ownership and giving it a name: the "Gentleman Adventurer"! (And I am taking his advice and writing it up everywhere I can...or as he put it, "Blog that shit, yo.")

It makes for a good nightcap, or for relaxed sipping while watching a favorite movie, or as a congratulatory drink after you've solved the murder or prevented the fiendish villain from raising the dead and/or taking over the world. It's a very smooth, civilized drink, easy to mix on the fly. Mix it at home, explain it to your local bartender, spread the word! Have a Gentleman Adventurer!

Introducing the D&C official cocktail...

At Dust & Corruption Central, we've long enjoyed various libations, but a chance encounter with an intriguing drink recipe from the 20s has generated some excitement.

Therefore, we are pleased to announce the establishment of the Dust & Corruption official cocktail...

THE SATAN'S WHISKER!

2 jiggers each:
dry vermouth
sweet vermouth
gin
orange juice

1 jigger:
Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

A dash or two of orange bitters (but regular angostura will do in a pinch)

Shake over ice, and enjoy while reading a good book or watching an atmospheric b&w movie.

Of course, the familiar old martini or Manhattan is always welcome, but nothing with frilly paper umbrellas, please. Unless you're doing Tiki Night at your place...in which we at D&C expect to be invited.

(We may start an occasional series..."The Dust & Corruption Guide to Gracious Living." It's a thought...