So I’ve set myself this . . . well, I hesitate to say “goal,” because then it sounds as if I’ve got nothing better to do with my time than sit around thinking about booze. But since I do a Friday cocktail virtually every week except when I’m traveling, then I thought I’d follow in the footsteps of another blogger I stumbled across awhile back. And, no, don’t ask me for a link this second because I can’t find it. I’ll have to search through my Facebook posts.
ENNYWAY, this guy made it his business to make every cocktail in Ted High’s very excellent VINTAGE COCKTAILS AND FORGOTTEN SPIRITS . I figured, okay, that’s a laudable goal. I’ve already made a goodly number, so why not start at the beginning and plow on through?
Here’s the thing: you can only go in alphabetical order if you’ve got all the ingredients. This meant that I had to bypass the As (although I’ve already made the Algonquin) and start with a B. Which I did.
So here’s what I think about the Barbara West (Hendrick’s gin, sherry, lemon juice, angostura bitters): this would’ve been much better with a more assertive sherry. Don’t get me wrong; this wasn’t a bad cocktail. But I think that Haigh is correct when he suggests an amontillado. You need something a little sweeter and more complex to cut through the lemon juice. This was pleasant…but I wasn’t wowed. OTOH, I think the lack of wow factor is due to the ingredients.
Better luck next time.
