Green Swizzle

Last updated
Green Swizzle
Cocktail
Type Mixed drink
Primary alcohol by volume
ServedBlended with ice (frozen style)
Standard drinkware collins glass
Commonly used ingredients falernum, carypton

A Green Swizzle is an alcohol-containing cocktail of the sour family. It was popular in Trinidad at the beginning of the 20th century but got lost during the course of the Second World War. Today's recipes usually constitute an often distinct divergence from the original.

Contents

History

The earliest written evidence for the existence of the Green Swizzle can be found in the Handbook of Trinidad Cookery written by E.M. Lickfold in 1907. That book lists a "Green Cocktail" consisting of falernum and wormwood bitters that were swizzled and completed with Angostura bitters. [1] In the same book rum, lime juice and sugar are named as ingredients for falernum. In 1912, travel writer (and later entrepreneur and politician) Lindon Bates described a completely different drink as a Green Swizzle, naming gin, lime juice and carbonated water as its ingredients. [2] The Green Swizzle gained popularity in the English-speaking world through the short story The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy by P. G. Wodehouse which was first published in 1924 and adopted numerous times in various anthologies. [3] The short story does not name any ingredients though.

A guidebook published by the Trinidad Information Bureau in 1924 equates the Green Swizzle with Carypton. [4] Carypton was a spirituous mixed drink produced by the Angostura company (then still named Dr. Siegert & Sons). [5] Carypton already contained several ingredients of the Green Swizzle: Rum, lime juice, sugar and unspecified regional herbs and spices. [6] In a publication from 1912 Angostura presented the Green Swizzle as Carypton on shaved ice with a few dashes of angostura bitters. [7] According to online cocktail database Mixology the production of Carypton was discontinued in 1920 already. After World War II Angostura resumed the Carypton production, but apart from a few mentions in travel reports the Green Swizzle got lost in time.

In 1933 travel writer Owen Rutter provided a detailed recipe he got to know while travelling the West Indies:

Fill the shaker half full of crushed ice and add 1 teaspoonful of falernum, half a wine-glass of carypton, 4 dashes of wormwood bitters. Shake well, strain, and serve with 4 dashes of Angostura bitters on top.

— Owen Rutter, If Crab No Walk: A Traveller in the West Indies [8]

As late as 1958 journalism professor and Chicago Times editor Lawrence Martin (who had travelled South America and the Caribbean three years before) defined the Green Swizzle as a cocktail based on Carypton. [9]

Later recipes often name crème de menthe as an ingredient, but without any connection to the original cocktail. [3] The reason for the addition of crème de menthe was the assumption that a drink named "Green Swizzle" would need to have a distinctive green colour. This fallacy was taken in by Victor Bergeron in his 1972 "Trader Vic's Bartenders Guide" [10] and even in 2007 by cocktail historian David Wondrich:

(...) crème de menthe, since in those balmy days (...) that was the only green stuff around

— David Wondrich, David Wondrich: Green Swizzle [11]

Cocktail encyclopedia Difford's Guide called versions with crème de menthe "modern interpretations". [12] Wondrich corrected his error in 2015 and presented a New York Herald recipe from 1908 that confirmed falernum and wormwood bitters as ingredients. [13]

In 2011 Canadian spirits blogger Darcy O'Neil reconstructed a Green Swizzle recipe by means of literature from 1890 to 1962 and available ingredients. The result essentially follows Rutter's description. [3] Accidentally O'Neil located the origin of the drink in Barbados, probably because in the early 20th century the Green Swizzle was available in hotel bars not only in Trinidad, but also in neighbouring Barbados and Grenada. O'Neil used almond extract instead of falernum and produced a deep green cocktail bitter from wormwood and white rum.

Preparation

As it's typical for a swizzle, the ingredients are combined in a high, narrow, cooled glass which is then filled up with crushed ice. A swizzle stick is inserted into the filled glass and then rotated with the palms while at the same time the stick is slowly moved upwards and downwards. Thereby ingredients and ice are mixed while at the same time the glass is cooled down so quickly that it forms hoarfrost on the outside. [14] The preparation method is the same for "forged" Green Swizzles with crème de menthe.

Related Research Articles

Manhattan (cocktail) Cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters

A Manhattan is a cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. While rye is the traditional whiskey of choice, other commonly used whiskies include Canadian whisky, bourbon, blended whiskey, and Tennessee whiskey. The cocktail is usually stirred then strained into a cocktail glass and garnished traditionally with a maraschino cherry. A Manhattan may also be served on the rocks in a lowball glass.

Old fashioned (cocktail) Simple alcoholic drink with bitters and sugar

The old fashioned is a cocktail made by muddling sugar with bitters and water, adding whiskey, and garnishing with orange slice or zest and a cocktail cherry. It is traditionally served in an old fashioned glass, which predated the cocktail.

Tom Collins Cocktail made from gin, lemon juice, sugar and carbonated water

The Tom Collins is a Collins cocktail made from gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. First memorialized in writing in 1876 by Jerry Thomas, "the father of American mixology", this "gin and sparkling lemonade" drink is typically served in a Collins glass over ice. A "Collins mix" can be bought premixed at stores and enjoyed alone or with gin.

Margarita Mexican cocktail of tequila and orange liqueur

A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice, blended with ice, or without ice. Although it has become acceptable to serve a margarita in a wide variety of glass types, ranging from cocktail and wine glasses to pint glasses and even large schooners, the drink is traditionally served in the eponymous margarita glass, a stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass or champagne coupe.

Zombie (cocktail) Cocktail made of fruit juices and rum

The Zombie is a Tiki cocktail made of fruit juices, liqueurs, and various rums. It first appeared in late 1934, invented by Donn Beach at his Hollywood Don the Beachcomber restaurant. It was popularized on the East coast soon afterwards at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Martini (cocktail) Cocktail made with gin and vermouth

The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages.

Punch (drink) Drink usually containing fruit or fruit juice

The term punch refers to a wide assortment of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, generally containing fruits or fruit juice. The drink was introduced from the Indian subcontinent to England by employees of the East India Company in the late 17th century. Punch is usually served at parties in large, wide bowls, known as punch bowls.

Stinger (cocktail) Cocktail made from crème de menthe and brandy

A Stinger is a duo cocktail made by adding crème de menthe to brandy. The cocktail's origins can be traced to the United States in the 1890s, and the beverage remained widely popular in America until the 1970s. It was seen as a drink of the upper class, and has had a somewhat wide cultural impact.

Falernum

Falernum is either an 11% ABV syrup liqueur or a nonalcoholic syrup from the Caribbean. It is best known for its use in tropical drinks. It contains flavors of ginger, lime, and almond, and frequently cloves or allspice. It may be thought of as a spicier version of orgeat syrup.

Sour (cocktail) Family of classic mixed drinks

A sour is a traditional family of mixed drinks. Sours belong to one of the old families of original cocktails and are described by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book How to Mix Drinks.

White Lady (cocktail) Alcoholic beverage

White Lady is a classic cocktail that is made with gin, cointreau or Triple Sec, fresh lemon juice and an optional egg white. It belongs to the sidecar family, made with gin in place of brandy. The cocktail sometimes also includes additional ingredients, for example egg white, sugar, cream, or creme de menthe.

<i>The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks</i> 1948 book about cocktails

The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks is a book about cocktails by David A. Embury, first published in 1948. The book is noteworthy for its witty, highly opinionated and conversational tone, as well as its categorization of cocktails into two main types: aromatic and sour; its categorization of ingredients into three categories: the base, modifying agents, and special flavorings and coloring agents; and its 1:2:8 ratio for sour type cocktails.

A Rum Swizzle is a rum-based cocktail often called "Bermuda's national drink". The Royal Gazette has referred to it as "the legendary Sam swizzle...perfect for sharing and irresistible to locals and tourists alike". In addition to providing the "swizzle" portion of the 1933 swizzle stick product name, it has been said that this potent cocktail is "as much a part of Bermuda Island culture and cuisine as is the Bermuda onion, the vibrant hibiscus, or the graceful Bermuda Longtail."

Polar Bear (cocktail) Mint chocolate cocktail

A Polar Bear, After Eight or Peppermint Paddy is a mint chocolate cocktail that tastes like a York Peppermint Pattie or an After Eight wafer. It is usually made from crème de cacao and peppermint schnapps, although crème de menthe is a popular substitute.

The fallen angel is a gin cocktail.

The Test Pilot cocktail is a vintage tiki drink invented by Donn Beach. Beach was known for changing his recipes over time, and multiple versions of the Test Pilot attributed to both him and others make the cocktail one of his more frequently imitated and varied tiki drinks. Test Pilot recipes call for multiple rums and typically include the use of falernum syrup and lime juice. The more popular also include Pernod (pastis/absinthe) and bitters.

Martinez (cocktail)

The Martinez is a classic cocktail that is widely regarded as the direct precursor to the Martini. It serves as the basis for many modern cocktails, and several different versions of the original exist. These are generally distinguished by the accompaniment of either Maraschino or Curacao, as well as differences in gin or bitters.

Airmail (cocktail)

The Airmail or Air Mail is a classic cocktail based on rum, lime or lemon juice, honey, and sparkling wine. It was probably created during or shortly after the period of prohibition in the United States of America or on Cuba, i.e. in the 1920s or 1930s.

References

  1. ↑ Delon, Danielle (2016). A Handbook of Trinidad Cookery 1907. Port of Spain: Cassique Publications. p. 154. ISBN   978-976-95415-5-9.
  2. ↑ Bates, Lindon (1912). Path of the Conquistadores. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 72.
  3. 1 2 3 "Green Swizzle". ArtOfDrink.com. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  4. ↑ Trinidad Information Bureau: Trinidad: The Riviera of the Caribbean. Trinidad Publishing Company, Port of Spain 1924, p. 44.
  5. ↑ "History of Angostura Bitters". AngosturaBitters.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  6. ↑ "Carypton". Mixology.recipes. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  7. ↑ Angostura Bitters: Complete Mixing Guide. New York: J.W. Wuppermann. 1912. p. 27.
  8. ↑ Owen Rutter (1933). If Crab No Walk: A Traveller in the West Indies. London: Hutchinson & Co. p. 48.
  9. ↑ Lawrence Martin (1958). The Standard Guide to Mexico and the Caribbean. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 650.
  10. ↑ Sean Muldoon, Jack McGarry, Ben Schaffer (2015). The Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual: Secret Recipes and Barroom Tales from Two Belfast Boys Who Conquered the Cocktail World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 91. ISBN   978-0-544-37339-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Green Swizzle". Esquire.com. 6 November 2007. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  12. ↑ "Green Swizzle". DiffordsGuide.com. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  13. ↑ David Wondrich (2015). Imbibe! From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar. London: Penguin. p. 157. ISBN   978-0-698-18185-4.
  14. ↑ Jeffrey Morgenthaler (2014). The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 226. ISBN   978-1-4521-1384-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.