Flip (cocktail)

Last updated
Flips
Cocktail
Brandy flip in stemmed cocktail glass.png.jpg
A flip made from brandy, an egg, and simple syrup is shown served in a stemmed cocktail glass and garnished with grated nutmeg.
Type Cocktail family
Common alcohol(s)
Commonly used ingredientsWhole, raw egg
NotesSee the article for specifics.

A flip is a class of mixed drinks. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term was first used in 1695 to describe a mixture of beer, rum, and sugar, heated with a red-hot iron ("Thus we live at sea; eat biscuit, and drink flip"). [1] The iron caused the drink to froth, and this frothing (or "flipping") engendered the name. Over time, eggs were added and the proportion of sugar increased, the beer was eliminated, and the drink ceased to be served hot. [ citation needed ]

Contents

The first bar guide to feature a flip was Jerry Thomas's 1862 How to Mix Drinks; or, The Bon-Vivant's Companion. In this work, Thomas declares that, "The essential in flips of all sorts is to produce the smoothness by repeated pouring back and forward between two vessels and beating up the eggs well in the first instance the sweetening and spices according to taste." [2]

With time, the distinction between egg nog (a spirit, egg, cream, sugar, and spice) and a flip (a spirit, egg, sugar, spice, but no cream) was gradually codified in U.S. bar guides. In recent decades, bar guides have begun to indicate the presence of cream in a flip as optional.

History

A loggerhead being heated. Once red-hot, it would be plunged into the drink. Loggerhead Tales of the Cocktail.jpg
A loggerhead being heated. Once red-hot, it would be plunged into the drink.

The hot beverage known as flip, from which the modern cocktail evolved, has been around since the late 1600s originating first from colonial America and defined as "a sort of Sailors Drink." [3] It was a very popular drink in both English and American taverns until the 19th century. [4] [5] There were many variations as each tavern would have its own recipe. It was principally a mulled ale, with the addition of rum or brandy, sugar, spices (almost always grated nutmeg), and fresh eggs. [5] [6] Some notable variations existed such as the Sailor's Flip which had no ale, or the Egg-Hot which had no spirits. [4]

The drink was warmed (and thus mulled) by first having its beer component placed in a vessel by a fire. Once near boiling, the hot ale was transferred to a jug and combined with the eggs and other ingredients. Another jug was used to pour the liquid back and forth (hence the name flip) until creamy smooth. [4] [6] Finally, the drink was served in a cup or tankard and finished using a dedicated iron fireplace poker called a flipdog, hottle, or toddy rod. The rod would be heated in or by the fire until red-hot and then plunged into the cup of flip. The hot iron further mulled and frothed the drink, imparting a slightly bitter, burned taste. [5]

A loggerhead was originally used as the hot-rod before the purpose-built flipdog or toddy rod evolved from it. It was a narrow piece of iron about three feet long with a slightly bulbous head about the size of a small onion, used for heating tar or pitch to make it pliable. [5]

Flip is mentioned in Charles Dickens's 1864 book Our Mutual Friend when describing the Six Jolly Fellowship Porters tavern. [4]

The drink is central to an annual winter woodchopping event in Harriet Beecher-Stowe's 1869 comedy Oldtown Folks , which seeks to illustrate New England culture (specifically Massachusetts) circa 1820. A minor lumberjack character, 'old Heber Atwood,' sips from a mug of flip, [7] and the Deacon sips from a tumbler. [8] The flip is served to all of the townspeople, alongside cake and cheese. [9]

A recipe of the old drink, as written in The Cook's Oracle (1822): [6]

To make a quart of Flip:— Put the Ale on the fire to warm, — and beat up three or four Eggs with four ounces of moist Sugar, a teaspoonful of grated Nutmeg or Ginger, and a quartern of good old Rum or Brandy.

When the Ale is near to boil, put it into one pitcher, and the Rum and Eggs, &c. into another;— turn it from one pitcher to another till it is as smooth as Cream.

The first account of a cold flip was in 1874 with E.A. Simmons's book The American Bar-Tender; or The Art and Mystery of Mixing Drinks followed thereafter by Jerry Thomas's guide in 1887. [10] [11]

Flip recipes from Jerry Thomas (1887)

The following flip recipes appear in Jerry Thomas 1887.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulled wine</span> Heated red wine with spices

Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is served at Christmas markets in Europe. There are non-alcoholic versions of it. Vodka-spiked mulled wine can be found in Polish Christmas markets, where mulled wine is commonly used as a mixer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punch (drink)</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eggnog</span> Sweetened dairy-based beverage

Eggnog, historically also known as a milk punch or an egg milk punch when alcoholic beverages are added, is a rich, chilled, sweetened, dairy-based beverage. It is traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and whipped egg whites. Distilled spirits such as brandy, rum, whisky or bourbon are often a key ingredient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rice pudding</span> Dish made from rice mixed with water or milk

Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla and raisins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot toddy</span> Hot alcoholic drink with whiskey

A hot toddy, also known as hot whiskey in Ireland, is typically a mixed drink made of liquor and water with honey, herbs and spices, and served hot. Hot toddy recipes vary and are traditionally drunk before retiring for the night, in wet or cold weather or to relieve the symptoms of the cold and flu. In How to Drink, Victoria Moore describes the drink as "the vitamin C for health, the honey to soothe, the alcohol to numb."

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.

Liqueur coffee Coffee-based cocktail

A liqueur coffee is a caffeinated alcoholic drink that consists of a shot of liqueur, mixed with coffee. It is typically served in a liqueur glass, accompanied many times with cream and sugar. Coffee liqueur beverages are served in different fashions and can be found throughout many countries. One of the most popular liqueur coffee beverage is commonly known as Irish coffee. Liqueur coffee beverages are largely classified as cocktails as well as digestifs which are aimed at aiding the digestive process typically after a meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer cocktail</span> Cocktail made by mixing beer with a distilled beverage

A beer cocktail is a cocktail that is made by mixing beer with other ingredients, such as a distilled beverage or another style of beer. In this type of cocktail, the primary ingredient is beer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocktail garnish</span>

Cocktail garnishes are decorative ornaments that add character or style to a mixed drink, most notably to cocktails.

Milk punch Milk based brandy or bourbon beverage

Milk punch is a milk-based brandy or bourbon beverage. It consists of milk, the spirit, sugar, and vanilla extract. It is served cold and usually has nutmeg sprinkled on top. Milk punch may be clarified through the addition of ingredients which cause the milk to curdle, so that the solids contributing to the beverage's opacity may be strained out.

Hot buttered rum Mixed drink containing rum and butter

Hot buttered rum is a mixed drink containing rum, butter, hot water or cider, a sweetener, and various spices. It is especially popular in the fall and winter and is traditionally associated with the holiday season. In the United States, the drink has a lengthy history that dates back to colonial days. During that time many families had their own individual recipes, and early Americans believed rum to be nutritious and a strengthener of the body.

A sling is a drink that, in its classic form, is made with sugar, hot or cold water, nutmeg, and a spirit such as gin, whiskey, rum, or brandy. In its modern form, it is made with gin, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, and soda water. The word sling comes from the German schlingen, meaning "to swallow".

Cuisine of New Orleans Culinary traditions of New Orleans, Louisiana, US

The cuisine of New Orleans encompasses common dishes and foods in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is perhaps the most distinctively recognized regional cuisine in the United States. Some of the dishes originated in New Orleans, while others are common and popular in the city and surrounding areas, such as the Mississippi River Delta and southern Louisiana. The cuisine of New Orleans is heavily influenced by Creole cuisine, Cajun cuisine, and soul food. Seafood also plays a prominent part in the cuisine. Dishes invented in New Orleans include po' boy and muffuletta sandwiches, oysters Rockefeller and oysters Bienville, pompano en papillote, and bananas Foster, among others.

References

  1. ↑ "Love for Love by William Congreve: Scene XV". www.online-literature.com. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
  2. ↑ Jerry Thomas, How to Mix Drinks (New York: Dick and Fitzgerald, 1862), 60.
  3. ↑ Bailey, N. (Nathan) (1763). An universal etymological English dictionary. Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection. London : Printed for T. Osborne [and 27 others]. p. 348.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bickerdyke, John (1889). The Curiosities of Ale & Beer: An Entertaining History: Illustrated with over Fifty Quaint Cuts. London: SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & Co. pp. 388, 389.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Curtis, Wayne (2007). And a bottle of rum: A history of the new world in ten cocktails. Broadway Books. p. 74. ISBN   978-0307338624.
  6. 1 2 3 Kitchiner, William (1822). The Cook's Oracle; containing receipts for plain cookery on the most economical plan for private families; also the art of composing the most simple, and most highly finished broths, gravies, soups, sauces, store sauces, and flavouring essences: The Quality of each Article is accurately stated by weight and measure; The whole being the result of actual experiments instituted in the kitchen of a physician. London. pp. 384, 385.
  7. ↑ Stowe, Harriet Beecher (1869). Oldtown Folks. Boston: Fields, Osgood, & Co. Publishers. p. 481.
  8. ↑ Stowe, Harriet Beecher (1869). Oldtown Folks. Boston: Fields, Osgood, & Co. Publishers. p. 483.
  9. ↑ Stowe, Harriet Beecher (1869). Oldtown Folks. Boston: Fields, Osgood, & Co. Publishers. p. 484.
  10. ↑ Difford, Simon. "Flip cocktails". www.diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
  11. ↑ Simmons, E. A. (1874). The American Bar-Tender; or The Art and Mystery of Mixing Drinks, Together With Observations on The Qualities of Wines, Liquors, and Cigars, to Which is Appended Several Hundred Toasts, Patriotic, Firemen's, Political, Lovers', Sporting, Etc. New York: Manhattan Publishing Company. p. 8.
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.