Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum to the Zombie

by Ted Haigh

In this expanded and updated edition of "Forgotten Cocktails and Vintage Spirits," historian, expert, and drink aficionado Dr. Cocktail adds another 20 fine recipes to his hand-picked collection of 80 rare-and-worth-rediscovered drink recipes, shares revelations about the latest cocktail trends, provides new resources for uncommon ingredients, and profiles of many of the cocktail world's movers and shakers. Historic facts, expanded anecdotes, and full-color vintage images from extremely uncommon sources round out this must-have volume. For anyone who enjoys an icy drink and an unforgettable tale.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cocktails, Nonfiction, Food, Food and Drink, Reference, Booze

352 pages, ebook

First published October 29, 2004

Reviews

[Helmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vodka cocktails will never teach you anything
Persönlich konnte ich früher mit Cocktails nichts anfangen. Orangensaft, Zitronensaft, Grapefruitsaft, Maracujasaft... und darunter versteckt zweitklassiger Alkohol, damit man ihn nicht schmecken muss. Und, als Single Malt-Trinker, konnte ich schon dem Gedanken nichts abgewinnen, der Spirituose der Wahl die Qual des Vermischens mit anderen Flüssigkeiten anzutun - insbesondere, wenn Gäste in meinen Talisker Cola schütten wollten.

Nun bin ich davon weit entfernt. Es gibt für mich nichts schöneres, als am Abend vor meiner Hausbar mit fast 40 Flaschen diverser Getränke zu stehen und mir zu überlegen, was ich mir heute zusammenmische. Einen besonderen Wert lege ich dabei auf klassische Cocktails, die ich in der Bar "Que tal" in Saarbrücken schätzen und lieben gelernt habe. Ich rede dabei von Cocktails wie dem Manhattan, Negroni, Whiskey Smash oder Royalist, die mich zum Cocktailfan bekehrt haben - und selbst kaum etwas mit den Saftorgien, bei denen man den Alkohol auch genausogut weglassen könnte, zu tun haben. Ich verstehe, was Haigh meint, wenn er schreibt:

We, as consumers, still have work to do. As a culture, we are quickly forgetting how to appreciate flavors other than the simple childlike ones. If something tastes bitter, pungent, aromatic, or sharp, it is bypassed for an easier-to-contemplate sweet and fruity taste sensation.

Crème d'Yvette, grüner Chartreuse, Amaro Cora, Gummisirup, Amer Picon, diverse Bitters... der Autor macht es uns bei dieser Neuentdeckung von Geschmäckern nicht leicht mit den Zutaten, die man gewiss nicht standardmäßig selbst in einer größeren Hausbar zur Verfügung hat. Wer also Cuba Libre für ein zu kompliziertes Getränk hält, hält besser Abstand von dieser Sammlung völlig zu Unrecht vergessener Mischgetränke. Für viele der Cocktails sind die heutzutage obskuren Zutaten auch der Grund, warum sie vergessen sind - man kriegt einfach keine Boker's Bitters mehr, und man kann sie heute höchstens annäherend nachbilden. Selbst von relativ neuen Rezepten, wie dem Cocktail Vesper, den James Bond in Casino Royale so ausführlich bestellt, wissen wir nicht mehr, wie er tatsächlich geschmeckt hat - weil es eine Hauptzutat nicht mehr gibt, nur einen Ersatz.

Für mich ist es eine Entdeckungsreise in die prä-Vodka-Vergangenheit, in der jede Zutat noch eine Aufgabe in einem Cocktail hatte, und jeder Cocktail einen angemessenen Rahmen, statt nur den Wirkungstrinkern zu helfen, unauffällig und mit wenigstens etwas Stil dicht zu werden.

Und ich werde ganz sicher mehrere davon nachmixen - inbesondere, seit ich amerikanischen Rye-Whiskey entdeckt habe: Wer noch nie einen Sazerac mit einem guten Rye getrunken hat, weiß nicht, worum es in der Welt eigentlich geht.

[H James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like the handful of other significant cocktail books released between 1997 and 2007, Vintage Spirits is worthy of recognition for the change it wrought (this book had a fantastic positive influence on today's leading mixologists) but can no longer be recommended as a serious practical reference. With perhaps three or four exceptions, the recipes presented here have either been adopted into the canon and modernized in the past decade (in which case newer books should be consulted) or they contain orange juice, an ingredient that does not lend itself to standardization due to its inconsistent sweetness and tartness.

On a more minor but still troubling note, the unit conversions are mathematically inconsistent.

[Vick]

Had to read this for work, you bet I am absolutely counting it towards my goal

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my apartment and among my cocktail-aficionado friends, this book is simply known as 'the bible'. It's just that good, that authoritative, that sound a guide to the righteous spiritual path for all right-thinking persons.

I've got most of the several excellent books recently published in this New Golden Age of the Cocktail, but if I could only keep one, this would be it. Other books may have more recipes; this edition has 100, not counting the several authoritative recipes given for many well-known classic drinks (e.g., Martini, Rusty Nail, Manhattan, Sazerac, et al.). Other books may have more lore, or even more exotic rediscoveries, or more guidance on how to use a muddler or bar spoon. But this is, as far as I'm concerned, the only truly essential guide for the true cocktailian.

His clear, stirring denunciation of the abuse to which the venerable Old-Fashioned has been subjected over the past few decades ("As the years wore on, it morphed into a veritable fruit cocktail with oranges, orange juice, cherries, and sometimes even a piece of pineapple - oft times all mushed together, or shaken together with whiskey. Either way, this created an ugly slurry that has nothing to do with the original drink.") would by itself earn this book a place of honor upon the altar of cocktail alchemy.

Buy this book. You have no idea how much you've already been missing it.

[Sazerac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still working my way through this book, but it is already my favorite cocktail book EVER! One of the great things about this book is that it forces the drinks mixer to acknowledge the significance of ingredients. It really teaches you that ingredients are critically important and a recipe can be utterly useless without very specific ingredients. The lesson of ingredients is a difficult one to learn with this book because it sends you off on wild chases for obscure liquors and bitters. You will inevitably make substitutions until you finally locate said obscurity then make the drink according to recipe. Immediately, the significance of ingredient is revealed... rinse and repeat for 20-30% of the recipes in this book... perhaps more.

Despite this sometimes infuriating chase for ingredients, this book is more than a tease. It delivers a substantial number of cocktails that can be crafted with an average home bar. Many of these will be among the best drinks you've ever tasted and leave you wondering why you haven't been mixing drinks like this all along. The answer is proportions... maybe as important as ingredients. Once you realize that changing an ingredient requires adjusting proportion, you are on your way to crafting truly masterful cocktails. All this and more than a dash of history... how could you go wrong with this book?

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our modern professor, Ted Haigh, marries fabulous design (handy spiral-bound pages within a hard cover, busy yet elegant page layouts, fine color photographs) and extremely up-to-date content: I loved his historiography of contemporary cocktail culture, with biographies of the most influential cocktail websites and bartenders to emerge in the past 15 years.

A few weeks with this volume and you'll be tight with the cocktail authorities.


As for the recipes: if you work with the current contents of your liquor cabinet, you'll find well-researched standards here. If you're eager to shell out for crème de violette, Lillet or Amer Picon, Haigh has plenty of cocktails for you, as well as his favorite means of ordering them online, in case your local liquor store comes up short. He even shares tactics for online ordering of boozes that aren't sold in the U.S.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some good looking recipies but I really like the history and side comments and hints in this book.

[John Sgammato · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unexpected gift that opened up a world of cerebricidal adventures. The writing is fun and the research seems sound; the trick is in the lab exercises. I've made most of the cocktails in the book, if you don't count those that call for the mysterious Swedish Punsch. I've grown as a mixologist, both in skill and in confidence, thanks to this book. They're not all winners, but it's a valuable course of study!

[OjoAusana · Rating 4 out of 5]

*received from netgalley for free for honest review* This was a really interesting book ive read things on prohibition before but this had so much fun facts in it? never knew what I was missing out on! like spigot bigot is literally the best phrase ive ever heard lmao not too sure id care to drink anything in this book bc I don't care for cocktails but wanted to read the book for the history and it was worth it! very good..

[Alex Orr · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a tough one to review. When it originally came out, it was probably quite original and somewhat revolutionary. However, nearly a decade into the "cocktail revolution" most of these drinks are no longer forgotten, and at least among the cocktail geek crowd, many are almost basic, commonplace drinks. Furthermore, while many of the spirits he talks about were no doubt exotic and often forgotten or hard to find at the time of publication, most are quite well known today and many have been brought back from the grave by various micro-distillers and specialty spirit merchandisers. The book is pretty to read, with some interesting historical notes to the drinks, and Haigh's photos of old bottles and mixing equipment are wonderful. That said, the pictured drink rarely resembles the recipe it is listed next to, which seems like a ridiculous error. The biggest issue however are the drinks themselves - most just aren't very good. Haigh never really says outright whether he is trying to do a book capturing the historically "correct" recipes for these drinks the way that David Wondrich does in his excellent book, Imbibe!, or whether he is printing his own version based on classic recipes, though there seem to be several instances where he appears to go both ways. In any case the drinks are almost always poorly balanced, either FAR too sour or overly sweet. As a result, it's unclear how "correct" it is as a historic catalogue of drinks and as far as a simple recipe book, it produces generally poor results.

[JOEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" aims to fill the gaps left by standard cocktail guides like Mr. Boston. Ted Haigh's cocktail lore, photos, and technique are for the at least intermediate drink maker. It's unfair to dislike this book on the grounds that it is too advanced, or heavy in things other than recipes. Opening the book to any page will give you a sense of its purpose.

I find Haigh's writing to be entertaining and sharp. I used to tend bar, and this book is a great guide for budding bartenders who want to sharpen their technique and knowledge of cocktail esoterica. The book itself is very current in that it takes vintage cocktails in the context of today's bar scene. The book goes in depth in mentioning things such as where to buy overlooked liquors, which bitters to use, and a who's-who in the world of mixology.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleverly written and filled with fascinating information and amazing vintage photos. But more importantly, the cocktail recipes are divine. If you enjoy the art of a well made drink, and you want to surprise and delight guests, get this book. It's a fun read, and an absolute treasure trove of cocktail knowledge.

This is not a basic or starter bartending guide. There's a final chapter with a fine collection of basic recipes, so the book doesn't leave you high and dry, but I'd still consider it an additional guide after owning a basic bartending book. That being said, I would make this and "Beach Bum Berry Remixed" the second and third additions to your library.

I was given this book as a gift a few years ago, and I now give it as a gift whenever I can. In my circle of friends, it's known as "The Good Book", for good reason.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant and beautiful book. Many cocktail books try to live at the intersection of recipe/reference, attractive to look at, and readable all the way through - Haigh's is one of the very few to succeed. Filled with recipes for cocktails nearly no bartender is going to know (researched, reported on, and tweaked for the 21st century palate), wonderful photos of cocktail memorabilia (fascinating to see the labels of old bottles of bitters), and a charmingly gruff and opinionated take on how to mix a drink, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails is easily among the very best cocktail books of modern times.

The physical edition is spiral-bound to help while working from the recipes - and includes so many spectacular photos that you should absolutely get it in analog.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a complete cocktail noob, I found this book to be tedious to read and attempt to comprehend. A casual drinker looking for some real cheer in the art of vintage beverages, this book was not for me. The author is clearly knowledgeable about the drinks he discusses, however, in instances where particular ingredients are scarce, he does little to assist readers in finding alternatives that might do the drink justice. He also gives no briefing into describing non-typical ingredients that someone of my drink knowledge might get. This book just was not for me.

[Rooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, informative, easy to use and lovely to look at - this is basically everything I like in a recipe book. Having now made more than five cocktails from it, I can say that while I don't love every recipe, there's plenty to explore for every palate. Also, having recently acquired the PDT book, the liquor shopping list for VS&FC doesn't look half so imposing as it once may have, which is good. Seriously though, this is definitely one of my most recommended mixology books, and if you're into that sort of thing, you should probably just get this business.

[Evan Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think it's a stretch to say that it's impossible NOT to learn something new about cocktails from this book for all but the absolute most seasoned of enthusiasts. Well researched, clearly written, and packed with recipes.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decided my cookbook collection needed some solid cocktail books, so this is the first to get called in. In a quick glance it looks great, spiral bound for easy use, history of drinks and ingredients and the first recipe calls for both genever and egg white. I'm in love.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with many drink recipes if you like liquor. Many sweet drinks, some I would leave out the simple syrup if I were making them. Lots of added juices, bitters, and curacao to sweeten the deal.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Cocktail book. Its full of interesting information with a great resource guide and bibliography. All of the drinks I've made so far have been spot on. Can't recommend enough (and thanks to my friend Rooks for telling me about it)

[Clair Bair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Ted's relaxed style of writing and the history behind cocktail drinking - only downer is that is very US based for me. But still great and did you know that cocktails were originally and strictly a morning drink..

[Raunaq Sahu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The histories behind some of these cocktails were hugely enjoyable. Nice to have these little back-stories tucked away in your brain - I can irritate people with random facts about their favourite cocktails now!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, colorful, and totally fun. I want to try a great deal of these cocktails.

[Adam Bricker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title pretty much sums up the general idea, but there's a lot more. Part recipe book, part history book and part wistful booze filled memories.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought a Kindle version of this cheaper, older edition of this book the other day. Really good idea (fully realized in the following expanded edition), surveying classic cocktail history, with numerous vintage recipes, most of which only sort of resemble their modern counterparts. Most of the recipes have their own one page histories.

[Kyle van Oosterum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent compendium of cocktail recipes along with a compelling history of the modern cocktail renaissance. Fantastic resource for the modern cocktailer.

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, really makes you feel in touch with the cocktail renaissance! The history and ingredient information is very good. Unfortunately, the drink recipes themselves are not very tasty. I've mixed all the cocktails from the book that don't require some obscure, expensive liqueur. Most a few are downright undrinkable, most are mediocre. There's only one, The Derby Cocktail, that I'd mix again with enthusiasm.

[Mary Brodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite entertaining, not to mention somewhat inspiring (I now own a bottle of Angostura bitters!). The author does point out that there are only so many ways to combine a small number of ingredients, but the commentary for each drink is amusing and the illustrations are wonderful - mostly Art-Deco-era advertising. I've bookmarked quite a few drinks on cocktaildb.com that I'd like to try after reading this book.

[Benjamin Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won't be making many of the cocktails in this book because many of the ingredients are just not easy to come by where I live. Even mail order is often unreliable.

However, there are a multitude of cocktails in this volume that I have and will continue to make.

"But if you won't make more than half of the drinks, why the 4 stars?"

Simply out, Haigh's writing is witty and informative. It's just as much to read his histories and recipes as I imagine it would be to imbibe them.

[Martin Doudoroff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid update to a unique collection of recipes and commentary. [2017 update:] It’s difficult to overstate the importance of this book—particularly the earlier edition—in the nascent years of the cocktail renaissance. However, so much has changed since then, and this book is simply no longer current.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

valuable for its stories and history as well as its recipes. The format is particularly nice, with a little information with each recipe, rather than a huge history section followed by recipes. A useful guide in the back on finding unusual ingredients. This has sat on my bar and is referenced nearly every party I throw.