January 2011 – Page 2 – Science Of Drink

This cocktail I found in Michael Jackson’s Pocked Bar Book (I have Russian edition of this book). The story and origin of the Louisiana Lullaby Cocktail are unknown. In my book are remark from author – “Louisiana Lullaby is an american cocktail for Francophils”. Not so informative…

Recipe of the Louisiana Lullaby Cocktail is so rare in a cocktail books. It is noticed in Complete Bartender Guide by Bob Sennett (1984) early.

First I try the Michael Jackson’s recipe:

Louisiana Lullaby

45 ml dark rum
10 ml Dubonnet Rouge
1 dash Grand Marnier
Stir well with a lot of ice. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with lemon sliver.

My first Louisiana Lullaby Cocktail I mix with Appleton Estate V/X Jamaican Rum. The Louisiana Lullaby are truly great cocktail. It has main taste or rum with rich and complex palate. The Louisiana Lullaby is gorgeous drink.

Second version of the Louisiana Lullaby I found in Salvatore Calabrese’s book Complete Home Bartender’s Guide.

Louisiana Lullaby #2

40 ml dark rum
10 ml Dubonnet Rouge
10 ml Grand Marnier or Mandarine Napoleon
Stir well with a lot of ice. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with lemon sliver or lemon twist.

It is another cocktail. Very good and interesting cocktail but different. This version of Louisiana Lullaby Cocktail has so sweet citrus taste with great palate of aged rum. Actually is admirable cocktail too.

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As you know the most of Russian and Ukrainian are orthodox christians. The Orthodox Christmas is celebrated January 7. Actually we don’t drink cocktail on the Christmas. On the over hand Americans has very interesting Christmas drink – Tom and Jerry. This drink is hot egg nog – the winter beverage with alcohol, eggs and milk or water.

The Tom and Jerry is very old drink. The recipe we may found in the first cocktail book – How to Mix Drinks, or Bon-Vivants Companion by Jerry “Professor” Thomas (1862). Some people say that Tom and Jerry was invented by Thomas. He specified in his book that this concoction has another name – Jerry Thomas. In one interview Thomas says that he named the drink in honor of two his mouses – Tom and, of course, Jerry. But we have and alternate story. It is currently reported that Tom and Jerry drink was invented by London sport writer Pierce Egan in the 1820s. The name is a reference to two character from his book Life in London – Jerry Hawthorn and Corinthian Tom.

The famous Harry Craddock wrote that “… The Tom and Jerry and the Blue Blazer … were the greatest cold weather beverages of that era”. And I completely agree with this opinion.

The recipes of Tom and Jerry drink is so simple. This hot egg nog contain brandy as main alcohol, rum, eggs and sugar. Optional ingredients are spice and milk. The authentic recipe from Jerry Thomases book is:

5 LBS. SUGAR.
12 EGGS.
1/2 SMALL GLASS OF JAMAICAN RUM.
1 1/2 TEASPOONFUL OF GROUND CINNAMON
1/2 DO. DO. CLOVES.
1/2 DO. DO. ALLSPICES.

Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and the yolks until they are as thin as water, them mix together and add the spice and rum, thicken with sugar until the mixture attains the consistence of a light batter.

Take a small bar glass, and to one table-spoonful of the above mixture, add one wine-glass of brandy, and fill the glass with boiling water, grate a little nutmeg on top.

The some points of this recipe is very interesting. First – the sugar. Five pounds of sugar or 190 grams per one eggs. It seems very, very, very sweet. Second point is spice. I hate ground spice, thus I try to use spiced rum instead.

My recipe of famous Tom and Jerry drink is (approx 5-6 drinks):

Tom and Jerry

the base (“batter”):
2 eggs
10 ml rich Jamaican rum (5 ml per one egg)
140 g sugar (70 g per one egg)
Separate the eggs. Mix yolks with rum and beat until it are thin as liquid. Beat the whites until stiff froth. Then mix all together and add sugar. Mix well.

drink (one servings):
20 ml brandy
40 ml spiced rum
2 tablesponsful “batter”
add boiling water or steamed milk
Stir well. Serve in the ceramic cup or London dock glass. Garnish by grating a little nutmeg on top.

I use kitchen handheld electric mixer for execution. I whip the white of the eggs in stiff froth and add beaten yolks with rum, then add sugar. I use mix of the refined sugar and demerara brown sugar.

Actually Tom and Jerry drink with water is no good as with milk. The Tom and Jerry drink is very delicious sweet holiday drink. Marry Christmas!

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