Start spreadin’ the news. Here’s some drink recipes named after some of the boroughs of Newww Yooorrrrkkkk. Sorry. Sorry.
Three of the five boroughs had some pretty popular drinks back when American’s weren’t allowed to drink and did anyway, but only one of them is still consumed on the regular. These drinks are a part of an on-going series where we make drinks that were popular during Prohibition.
The Bronx
This was actually the most popular of the three during prohibition but it fell out of favor after other spirits were more readily available after the repeal of Prohibition. During Volstead, gin was the easiest thing to make and therefore get your hands on.
According to legend, the bartender who concocted this drink (Johnnie Solon) named it after The Bronx Zoo because customers of his would tell him of the strange animals they saw after a lot of mixed drinks.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Gin
- 1/4 oz dry vermouth
- 1/4 oz sweet vermouth
- 1 oz orange juice
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice cubes, shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange wheel.
It’s not bad, it’s not great either. After trying it I’m not surprised this fell out of fashion. There’s a reason people aren’t knocking these back at Gatsby themed parties, even if you’re from The Bronx. Also, I made mine with good gin. I can’t imagine how this would taste with bathtub swill. I think my wife said it best:
This one’s not even worth an Instagram.
Brooklyn
This was the least popular of the three, but it was apparently a favorite on the booze cruises leaving from the port of New York.
Ingredients
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 dashes Maraschino
- 2 oz whiskey (I used bourbon)
- 2 oz sweet vermouth (rosso vermouth)
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice cubes, shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.
This one I liked, it’s kind of like a cross between an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan. Which brings me to the last one on the list.
Manhattan
Still a fairly popular drink, this is actually the first drink I learned how to make. Well, the first drink that had more than two ingredients and required a shaker. My mom taught me and I would make them for my parents, aunts, uncles, and myself on Christmas.
Back in the days of Volstead people were mixing with inferior whiskey’s and therefore the Manhattan back then was made with sugar syrup to blunt the bad whiskeys taste. This recipe doesn’t call for that.
Ingredients
- 3/4 oz Italian (sweet) vermouth
- 1 1/2 oz rye or bourbon
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 Maraschino Cherry
Stir all of the ingredients (sans cherry) in a shaker filled with ice and strain into a cocktail glass, then add the cherry.
This recipe is different than the one I made my Aunt Ginny every Christmas. I never used bitters, but I like it with bitters it’s a nice touch.
Also, it’s a good thing they didn’t name drinks after all the boroughs because I knocked all these down back to back and it would have been a rough morning after drinking these and then some Staten Islands and Queens cocktails. Cheers!
