 No chance in hell this cup is filled with milk. | The idea that women don’t enjoy hard liquor is a relatively new one. For decades, women have wrapped their lady hands around whiskey, vodka, gin and other booze – even if it isn’t pink and infused with artificial fruit flavors. (Go watch Mad Men.) To prove this point, I took a look at a slew of 100-year old cookbooks and found that women – even those of the Church-going variety – have loved whiskey enough to pass down through the generations some fairly yummy drink recipes. |
Mint Julep
Martha McCulloch Williams was a Southern Belle who says in her cookbook Dishes and Beverages of the Old South “…good whiskey is far and away better in anything than poor brandy.” Ten bucks says she had that needlepointed on a pillow somewhere in her massive white home. And speaking of white, Martha gives credit to her “Mammy” for teaching her housekeeping/bartending skills, which I guess is better than nothing...(??)
Here’s how honky Martha whipped up a mint julep back in 1913, in her own words:
This requires the best of everything if you would have it in perfection. Especially the mint and the whiskey. Choose tender, quick-grown mint, leafy, not long-stalked and coarse, wash it very clean, taking care not to bruise it in the least, and lay in a clean cloth upon ice. Chill the spirits likewise. Put the sugar and water in a clean fruit jar, and set on ice. Do this at least six hours before serving so the sugar shall be fully dissolved. Four lumps to the large goblet is about right—with half a gobletful of fresh cold water. At serving time, rub a zest of lemon around the rim of each goblet—the goblets must be well chilled—then half fill with the dissolved sugar, add a tablespoonful of cracked ice, and stand sprigs of mint thickly all around the rim. Set the goblets in the tray, then fill up with whiskey or brandy or both, mixed—the mixture is best with brands that blend smoothly. Drop in the middle a fresh ripe strawberry, or cherry, or slice of red peach, and serve at once. (Source)
Ginger Cordial
Looks like even the Church Ladies liked to imbibe every now and again. In My Pet Recipes, Tried and True the fabulous “Ladies and Friends” of St. Andrews Church in Quebec (eh!) offered up an entire section of their 1900 for-charity book to a bunch of mixed drinks. This recipe, provided by one certainly awesome Mrs. Erskine Scott, uses a gallon of whiskey, which if you think about it, sure is mighty cordial of her.
Martha McCulloch Williams was a Southern Belle who says in her cookbook Dishes and Beverages of the Old South “…good whiskey is far and away better in anything than poor brandy.” Ten bucks says she had that needlepointed on a pillow somewhere in her massive white home. And speaking of white, Martha gives credit to her “Mammy” for teaching her housekeeping/bartending skills, which I guess is better than nothing...(??)
Here’s how honky Martha whipped up a mint julep back in 1913, in her own words:
This requires the best of everything if you would have it in perfection. Especially the mint and the whiskey. Choose tender, quick-grown mint, leafy, not long-stalked and coarse, wash it very clean, taking care not to bruise it in the least, and lay in a clean cloth upon ice. Chill the spirits likewise. Put the sugar and water in a clean fruit jar, and set on ice. Do this at least six hours before serving so the sugar shall be fully dissolved. Four lumps to the large goblet is about right—with half a gobletful of fresh cold water. At serving time, rub a zest of lemon around the rim of each goblet—the goblets must be well chilled—then half fill with the dissolved sugar, add a tablespoonful of cracked ice, and stand sprigs of mint thickly all around the rim. Set the goblets in the tray, then fill up with whiskey or brandy or both, mixed—the mixture is best with brands that blend smoothly. Drop in the middle a fresh ripe strawberry, or cherry, or slice of red peach, and serve at once. (Source)
Ginger Cordial
Looks like even the Church Ladies liked to imbibe every now and again. In My Pet Recipes, Tried and True the fabulous “Ladies and Friends” of St. Andrews Church in Quebec (eh!) offered up an entire section of their 1900 for-charity book to a bunch of mixed drinks. This recipe, provided by one certainly awesome Mrs. Erskine Scott, uses a gallon of whiskey, which if you think about it, sure is mighty cordial of her.
| Here’s a Quebecois take on whiskey: Ten lemons, one gallon of whisky, six ounces of root ginger, (to be bruised) and put with the whiskey on the lemons, after cutting them up in slices, and left for three weeks. Then take five pounds of white sugar, and pour over it three pints of boiling water, and put on the fire until it is melted. When it is cold, pour over the lemons, having first strained them, bottle and cork tight. (Source) |  Actual image of Mrs. Erskine Scott |
Loyal Legion Punch
It wasn’t just the Canadian Christians who enjoyed whiskey; the good people of The Society for Christian Work of the First Unitarian Church in San Francisco offered our livers this fantastic punch all the way back in 1891. (‘MERICA!!) This recipe from their Cookery Blue Book claims it serves 100, but honestly this would probably be juuuuuuust right for any sized book group or bachelorette party.
Head over to Costco before making this one:
3 gallons whiskey, 1 pint Santa Croix rum, 1 pint cordial, 100 limes, 1 dozen oranges, sliced, 1 dozen lemons, sliced, 3 cans pineapples, 10 pounds sugar, 3 bottles champagne (added when served). The above is for 100 persons. Smaller quantities in same proportion. (Source)
Got a favorite way to booze? Share in the comments!
It wasn’t just the Canadian Christians who enjoyed whiskey; the good people of The Society for Christian Work of the First Unitarian Church in San Francisco offered our livers this fantastic punch all the way back in 1891. (‘MERICA!!) This recipe from their Cookery Blue Book claims it serves 100, but honestly this would probably be juuuuuuust right for any sized book group or bachelorette party.
Head over to Costco before making this one:
3 gallons whiskey, 1 pint Santa Croix rum, 1 pint cordial, 100 limes, 1 dozen oranges, sliced, 1 dozen lemons, sliced, 3 cans pineapples, 10 pounds sugar, 3 bottles champagne (added when served). The above is for 100 persons. Smaller quantities in same proportion. (Source)
Got a favorite way to booze? Share in the comments!
