To start the year off right I have a pre-prohibition
cocktail to add to your recreational rolodex.
The intriguing combination of champagne, bourbon and bitters brought me
to this drink, but the smart flavor is what will keep you coming back.
The legendary Seelbach Hotel of the same name, host to
presidents, gangsters, writers, and ne’er-do-wells, is the birthplace of this
fine pick-me-up. According to legend
the drink was accidently discovered in 1917 when a bartender topped a manhattan
from an overflowing champagne bottle.
The drink gained instant popularity but was lost during prohibition when
the hotel stopped serving booze.
Fortunatley for us, the recipe was rediscovered in1995 and put back into
circulation.
To make the Seelbach cocktail, start one ounce of bourbon in
a mixing glass. To hold to tradition
make sure it is a strong Kentucky bourbon, Woodford Reserve is a good
choice. Add one half ounce Cointreau,
seven dashes angostura bitters, and seven dashes peychaud bitters. Stir with ice until chilled and pour into a
chilled champagne flute, top with a dry champagne of your choice, and garnish
with an orange twist. Imagine yourself
sitting at the bar with F. Scott Fitzgerald, Woodrow Wilson, and Al Capone
sharing a cigar, a fine drink, and a healthy amount of bullshit.
Seelbach Cocktail
1 oz bourbon
½ oz cointreau
7 dashes angostura bitters
7 dashes peychaud’s bitters
champagne
Combine the bourbon, cointreau, and bitters in a mixing
glass, fill with ice and stir. Strain
into a chilled champagne flute, fill with champagne and garnish with an orange
twist.
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