"It was a hard thing to own such a hated drink. So for many years Cecchini shirked his connection to it, developing the kind of cranky attitude toward"It was a hard thing to own such a hated drink. So for many years Cecchini shirked his connection to it, developing the kind of cranky attitude toward his early work that Orson Welles had for Citizen Kane late in his career. That changed, though, as bartenders' feelings toward the cocktail began to relax, and as the number of credit hogs rose."
- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink
The Cosmo is actually a decent drink, albeit nothing complex or particularly challenging. I typically defer to Dale DeGroff for this recipe, as it's less citrus-forward than Cecchini's (DeGroff calls for 1/4 oz of lime juice, while Cecchini's is a whopping ounce, which strikes me as too much, especially if you're using Absolut Citron). Cheryl Cook supposedly invented the drink in South Beach in the late 80's, but it was Cecchini's call to use Absolut Citron, which, to my mind, makes the drink. Nevertheless, the history around why this drink is so maligned, is interesting, and one that most bartenders know about. Vodka drinks pretty much had a creative monopoly on the 80's. Part of the reason drinks such as the Cosmo are so maligned is because easy vodka cocktails dominated the culture so much, while gin (a vastly more complex spirit) took a backseat. Still, when made well, I'll always defend the Cosmo as being a respectable cocktail despite its annoying popularity and simplicity.
Bartending histories/recipe books can be tedious reads at times. If you've read one history, say Straight Up by William Grimes, then you've more or less ascertained the gist of the evolution of cocktail culture in the states and in England. Simonson's A Proper Drink gets a little more into the nitty gritty of different movements and pioneers. Particularly engaging is Simonson's retelling of Petraske with Milk and Honey, Saunders' very well known Pegu Club, and the inescapable brilliance of Phil ward with Death and Co.
A Proper Drink also includes a number of good anecdotes and dispelled myths. In example, there are differing takes on Kazuo Uyeda's introduction to the American bartending world by the Slovakian Stanislav Vadrna. Fascinated by Uyeda's technique and the overall approach the Japanese took to making cocktails, Vadrna attempted to enlighten westerners by having Uyeda explain the importance of the hard shake at a time when this was known holy writ in the cocktail world. Uyeda's explanations were taken as the instructions of an arrogant nationalist. The reality was that Uyeda, in a thoroughgoing Japanese way, simply thought that this technique was what he used, and it yielded consistent results for him. He wasn't saying that any bartender who didn't utilize the drink was inferior in any way. Uyeda was not fluent in English, and it's likely that his earnest pedagogical intentions were lost in translation.
It seems no secret that most of these bartenders who made history were fascinating human beings with incredibly diverse backstories. What they all have in common is a tenacious commitment to this craft. Some were actors, some were in the tech industry, and others were simply interested in making a small fortune. All of them saw a way in which they could express themselves creatively through bartending, which afforded them the time and the money to pursue other ambitions. The knowledge of this reality is commonplace. Ask any caterer, server, or bartender what they'd rather be doing, and you'll have your answer. Simonson's ability to pace these backstories, while focusing on their relevance to cocktail culture and history, is impressive. The recipes are essential, tastefully punctuating the narrative, and some are relatively esoteric. The entire book is almost worth reading just to discover the recipe for the Ward's "Division Bell", an utterly busy, inimitable, and obscure cocktail, which is surprisingly unbelievable....more
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