| HOLIDAY TIPS |
The Traditional Tom & Jerry
For egg batter : 8 Jumbo eggs 1 ½ cups Powdered sugar ½ tsp . Cream of tartar Freshly grated nutmeg Hot water
Separate egg whites and yolks . In a large mixer , beat yolks until thick , transfer to another bowl . Clean mixer and add the egg whites and cream of tartar , beat until stiff . Add powdered sugar and fold in yolks . Mix until batter is light and fluffy .
For each drink : 1 ladle of batter 1 oz . Appleton Jamaican rum 1 oz . Cognac
In a pre-heated mug , add 1 heaping ladle of batter . Then add rum and Cognac . Top with hot water and dust with freshly grated nutmeg . Serve with a paddle or spoon .
My cousin Helen David opened the Brass Rail Bar in Port Huron , MI , in 1937 , and they ’ ve been making Tom & Jerrys with her recipe ever since ! Maroun Abou-Ghanem , Helen ’ s cousin and the bar ’ s current owner , told me that the key was to make a fresh egg batter to which rum , brandy and hot water are added , and the whole thing is topped with fresh grated nutmeg .
“ It ’ s a holiday specialty we start serving just prior to Thanksgiving and finish on New Year ’ s Day ; we sell thousands of them !” he said .
It turns out that the grandfather of American bartending , “ Professor ” Jerry Thomas , is credited with developing the Tom & Jerry . According to his 1862 publication , The Bar- Tender ’ s Guide or How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks , this seasonal drink was not to be offered until
PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM TURNER STUDIOS
after the first snowfall . As wonderful a story that is , it seems the drink was actually named for the characters in Pierce Egan ’ s 1821 book , Life in London , which chronicles the after-hours roving antics of “ Jerry Hawthorn , Esq ., and his elegant friend Corinthian Tom .” Their relentless pursuit of living the high life , frequently with the aid of an alcoholic beverage , gave birth to the slang , “ Tom and Jerrying .”
It is said that Egan took a recipe , considered a twist on the traditional eggnog , and named it the “ Tom and Jerry ” in order to publicize his book .
Tony Abou Ganim is the principal of Las Vegasbased consultancy The Modern Mixologist . This is from a story he wrote about the Brass Rail Bar , the proprietor — his cousin Helen David — and her Tom & Jerry recipe .
Red Ryder Daiquiri
1 ½ oz . Ron Zacapa 23 Solera rum ¼ oz . Zirbenz Stone Pine liqueur ¼ oz . St . Elizabeth allspice dram 1 oz . Cane sugar simple syrup ¾ oz . Lemon juice 1 oz . Lime juice
Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice . Shake until the mixture is cold and properly diluted . Double strain into coupe or cocktail glass .
This Red Ryder Daiquiri is a super refreshing cocktail that will hit you right over the head with holiday flavors . I enjoy classic Daiquiris to begin with , and this recipe combines the best part of Ron Zacapa rum with the holiday season . Zirbenz , a stone pine liqueur of the Alps , and St . Elizabeth allspice dram , a liqueur flavored with allspice berries , elevate classic winter baking spices , and I really like the structure that the lemon and lime juice provides the palate . Without a doubt , a favorite drink of mine to sip on while wrapping gifts or shooting my BB gun !
Andrew Bateman is director of beverage & innovation at the Orlando , FL-based beverage development consultancy Straight Up Solutions .
6 | WINTER 2020 • CHEERS @ HOME