WWII Homefront

You’ve decided to invite your friends over for a 1940′s evening! And why not, you have the recipes, you have the clothes, and you have the friends, so it really is a natural progression. But what to serve for drinks?

First and foremost, if you are going to be entertaining, and there will be alcohol served, you need some bar basics in order to pull off your fabulous hostessing impression. You will need vodka, gin, bourbon, rum, triple sec and tequila. If you don’t drink any of them, and your friends don’t either, feel free to omit them. You will also need bitters, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, mixers like club soda, and cocktail fruit, such as olives and cherries. With these items in hand, you are well on your way to entertaining in style. You will want to consider bar tools like a boston shaker, (or a martini shaker) a long-handled stirring spoon, a muddler, and a strainer. Also consider getting appropriate stemware and highball glasses. Nothing says “i forgot” like a mixed drink in a dixie cup.

A very basic drink to start off your evening might be a martini. There are literally hundreds of recipes for martinis, but this is very basic, it is up to you to make it your own. For this you will need gin or vodka and dry vermouth. It is preferable to own a martini shaker for this, but if you like your martini’s stirred, you can omit. Lets assume you have one. Fill with ice, and pour a shot and a half of your primary liquor (gin or vodka) over the ice PER SERVING. If you are making a pitcher of martinis for self service, pour into the ice-filled pitcher until it is half-full. Then add a shot to a shot and a half of dry vermouth into the mix per serving. Again, if you are making a full pitcher, add dry vermouth until the pitcher is 3/4 full at least. Why so much dry vermouth, you ask? Because the original martini recipe was not straight gin or vodka, with vermouth waved over it, it was half and half. Dry vermouth is a wonderful thing, that even as a bartender I simply took for granted. It is a fortified white wine, and needs to be kept refrigerated after opening. So for the sake of this drink, trust me. So, ice, gin or vodka, and vermouth. SHAKE THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF IT. This is called ‘bruising’. Strain into chilled glasses, and garnish with green olives. NOT the ones with pimento, if you can help it. I usually pour some of the olive juice into the glass as well as adding up to FIVE olives. (this makes a martini ‘dirty’) For a good vodka, I recommend Grey Goose or Rain.

Next up, and ultra easy- gin and tonic. Sounds simple- but you need to get the right mix of gin to tonic, and you need lime! Some bartenders will add some Rose’s Lime Juice as well, but some people find that too sweet. So, always serve single shots in your drinks, unless you or your guests are more familiar with the alcohol. For a good gin, I recommend Bombay Sapphire. Pack the glass with ice, especially if it is a warm day. Pour the shot of gin over the ice, and add tonic to fill the glass. STIR, do not shake. You can also ROLL it, which means pouring it from one glass into another to mix the drink. Garnish with freshly cut lime wedges.

A Manhattan is not a drink to be taken lightly. For this you will want bourbon, sweet vermouth (or dry if they prefer) and cherries (if you are making it sweet) or a lemon twist. In your mixing glass, pour two shots of bourbon over ice, and shake it. In your martini glass you will be serving this in, pour a tablespoon or so of sweet vermouth into the glass and let it coat the inside, then shake out the excess. Strain the now-chilled bourbon into the glass, and garnish with cherries. If you serve it over ice instead (on the rocks) just pour the chilled mix into a highball glass and garnish. For a really good Manhattan, I recommend Makers Mark.

A Cosmopolitan is another martini, but this one is red in color, because it has cranberry juice. This would be a shot and a half of vodka, a half shot of triple sec, a splash of lime juice, and cranberry juice. The amount of juice you use is really a matter of taste, I like to use enough to make sure the glass is full to the top. You can ultimately pour all the ingredients into the stemware so you know you have the right amount, but after a while you will be more sure of your own pouring skills. Pour it all over ice into a shaker, and shake like crazy. Strain into chilled stemware, garnish with lime slices.

You want something that the ladies might enjoy, that isn’t going to put them to sleep? Try a Bellini instead. A Bellini is champagne with peach puree. I have successfully used peach nectar (available in the Mexican food section of the grocery store) to make these, and they are fabulous with brunch.

Here are other drinks you might like to try… just look them up!

Tom Collins
Gimlet
Whiskey sour
Gin rickey
Sidecar
Brandy Alexander
Brandy Stinger
Pink Lady
Rob Roy
Sloe gin fizz
Bloody Mary
Shirley Temple
Greyhound
Margarita
Tequila Sunrise
Champagne Cocktail
Bloody Mary
Daiquiri
Madras
Cape Cod

Have fun practicing!