The Six Essential Cocktails
The Six Essential Cocktails of David Embury
I have a natural affinity for David Embury and his famous cocktail book. Embury was never a professional bartender and never worked in the spirits industry. He was a senior tax attorney in a Manhattan law firm and had a prominent and successful career. He also loved to make cocktails, and published, on the side, an encyclopedic volume of the twenty-first century cocktail which has become part of the classic cocktail canon. A signed first edition of his book can fetch well more than the cost of a new puzzle chest. He insisted that there were six essential cocktails, to be known and loved, if one were to be taken seriously as an aficionado: the Daiquiri, the Jack Rose, the Manhattan, the Martini, the Old Fashioned, and the Side Car. All other cocktails, in his estimation, are merely variations on the theme of these basics. Embury was also famous for placing all cocktails into two categories, either aromatic or sour, and for his formula of base spirit, “modifying agent”, and “special flavoring and coloring agent” in a strict 8:2:1 ratio. This ratio makes for very dry drinks with very prominent alcohol dominance, and has been adjusted accordingly over the years for modern palates and balance. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this exact proportion for these drinks now. But I present these essentials here in their classic form and ratio, in the true spirit of the game. Six keys for six keys, may they unlock all the wonders in the world. Cheers!
Hmmm, I could use some help here. Any takers?
Six Drinks from The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David Embury, 1948
N.B. All drinks to be shaken or stirred as noted with lots of ice to chill and strained into an appropriate glass.
The Daiquiri
8 parts white Cuban rum
2 parts lime juice
1 part simple syrup
Shaken, no garnish
The Jack Rose
8 parts Applejack
2 parts lemon
1 part grenadine
Shaken, twist of lemon
The Manhattan
5 parts American whiskey
1 part Italian sweet vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
Stirred, maraschino cherry
The Martini
7 parts English gin
1 part French dry vermouth
Stirred, lemon twist or olive
The Old Fashioned
12 parts American whiskey
1 part simple syrup
1-3 dashes Angostura bitters
Specifically: Stir syrup and bitters in the glass, add about 1 oz of the whiskey and stir again, add two cubes of cracked ice and top with the remaining whiskey. Lemon twist and maraschino cherry.
The Side Car
8 parts Cognac
2 parts lemon
1 part Cointreau
Shaken, lemon twist