Cocktail Classics: Old Mr. Boston

"Sirs: – May we now present to you Old Mr. Boston in permanent form. We know you are going to like him. He is a jolly fellow, one of those rare indviduals, everlastingly young, a distinct personality and famous throughout the land for his sterling qualities and genuine good fellowship. His friends number in the millions those who are great and those who are near great even as you and I. He is joyful and ever ready to accept the difficult role of "Life of the Party", a sympathetic friend who may be relied upon in any emergency ... Follow his advice and there will be many pleasant times in store for you. Gentlemen, Old Mr. Boston."

Genderisms aside, what a wonderful intro to a vintage bartender's essential.

Last year on the border of Michigan and Ohio, I found a 1953 edition of "Old Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide," the proclaimed bible of booze. The first official edition was published in 1935, two years after prohibition ended (the thirteen-year-long ban on all sale, importation and production of alcoholic beverages in the United States). It was compiled and edited by Leo Cotton for the Old Mr. Boston distillery on 1010 Massachusetts Ave. in Boston.

Old Mr. Boston (later just known as Boston) was renowned for its spirits, but even more so for the Bartender's Guide. With each of the earlier editions, new cocktails were included and old ones adjusted.

In the next couple weeks, I plan to sample a couple of the book's more obscure antique recipes, and report back here. But for now, I've selected a couple of the 1953 editions' more charmingly-titled cocktails and posted them below:

Merry Widow Fizz
Juice 1/2 Orange
Juice 1/2 Lemon
White of 1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 oz. (Old Mr. Boston) Slow Gin
Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 8 oz. Highball glass. Fill with Carbonated Water.

The Income Tax Cocktail
1/4 oz. French Vermouth
1/4 oz. Italian Vermouth
1 oz. (Old Mr. Boston) Dry Gin
1 Dash Bitters
Juice of 1/4 Orange
Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 3 oz. Cocktail glass.

Note: It seems no one is completely certain how this cocktail got its name. The general consensus though is that the drink's bitter taste reflects the bitter experience of tax season. That, or this strong drink will take the edge off when you start digging out those receipts.


So, what's your favorite classic cocktail?

Vintage Style: Inspiration and a 1950s Dress

 I feel like I've mentioned my grandmother in just about every post so far, but what can I say. My grandma's style (both retro and currently) is a huge inspiration for me! This dress is from 1952 and I've heard that it's the dress that my grandma was wearing when my grandpa fell in love with her!

Everything about this dress is my favorite part. The blues and greens are incredibly bright and eye catching; the pattern is flattering and carefully detailed; the slight rouching on the neckline is the perfect touch (and holds the dress up nicely); and the cut is similar to a fit and flare without a noticeable flare. One of the best parts of the dress is the quality. The pleating (although barely visible here) lets the dress out subtly and makes a huge difference while you're wearing it. There has been very close attention paid to the cut, stitching and thickness of the dress - clearly enough that it has survived in perfect quality for over sixty years! It's these kinds of touches that make vintage dresses the perfect staple in anyone's wardrobe.

I paired this dress with some other classic staples. My necklace is made of thick pearls and is one long (twenties style!) strand that I wrapped around my neck a few times. This matches my hidden pearl earrings and t-strap heels. The vintage inspired t-straps are my go to heel for any slightly formal or very formal occasion and add a vintage-y flair to anything they're paired with.

I can picture my grandmother (and ladies in dresses alike) attending parties and weddings in this dress and having a ball on the dance floor! This got me thinking about vintage formal attire, and I remembered a photo my mom recently found.

Here is a great photograph of my grandma and grandpa at a wedding just before they got married, so most likely around 1954 or 1955. As you can see, I got pretty lucky with my gene pool! My grandma is wearing a chunky pair of clip on earrings and a beautiful pillbox hat to go with her short sleeved jacket and ruffled dress top. And let's not forget about the fantastic diamond color block tie donned by my grandpa! 

These two set the bar pretty high and are the perfect pair for my vintage inspiration - who do you get your vintage inspiration from?

Ellen

Public Domain? Yes, Please!: Meet The Andrews Sisters

The Andrews Sisters are definitely more well-known than the Boswell Sisters that I posted about earlier this week, and they're a staple in any 40s and 50s music lover's collection. Even if you aren't familiar with them persay, most people have at least heard their music in movies or alongside Glenn Miller Orchestra in old recordings.

The Andrews Sisters were heavily influenced by the Boswell Sisters, and even emulated their style and sang their songs when they were first starting out. Their complicated harmonies and jazzy style, while borrowing from the slightly old group of sisters, became their own in a short time following their popularity during World War II and they often visited bases to sing for the troops (in several overseas countries, even!)

If you're completely enamored by the peppy, upbeat sound of the Andrews Sisters I strongly encourage you to NOT read up on their history. I can't help but feel a little sad when I hear them sing now that I now have read of the hardships and family tensions they went through. I guess life gets hard when you're in such close quarters with your siblings in fame.

Here is a youtube sampling of their amazing songs:

This first one is my absolute favorite song of theirs, and I am so pleased that I was able to find this footage from 1942 of them doing a performance (presumably in a movie)!



One of their biggest hits was "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" which is a seriously infectious swinging good time. This footage is from Abbott and Costello's "Buck Pirates". Check out those moves! You also catch a serious glimpse of LaVerne's knee toward the end there - Scandalous!

This final one is a much less known song, but has some great lyrics and a thick jazzy beats. I can't help but feel peppy when I listen to these songs.

I hope you enjoy the Andrews Sisters as much as I do! Please let me know if any of my YouTube links go stale. You can also visit Archive.org's site for them and stream and download additional public domain recordings of their music!