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The Sidecar
Bar Hemingway at The Ritz Paris
Ritz Paris and it’s lavish Bar Hemingway are widely
regarded to be the origin of the Sidecar — a beautifully
potent cocktail traditionally crafted with cognac, orange
liqueur, and lemon juice. The first recipes for the Sidecar
appear in 1922, in Harry MacElhone’s
Harry’s ABC of
Mixing Cocktails
and Robert Vermeire’s
Cocktails and
How to Mix Them.
Cole Porter would spend up to nine
hours a day in Bar Hemingway. In fact he’s said to have
composed “Begin the Beguine” here. F. Scott Fitzgerald
also had his favorite seat here. Ernest Hemingway and
Gary Cooper made it the epicenter of their life in Paris
and would sit and talk for hours. Head Barman Colin
Peter Field’s incredible creations are a reference for
cocktail lovers all over the world.
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Mixology Report
MR
The Hanky Panky
The American Bar at The Savoy, London
The American Bar at The Savoy is the longest surviving
“American bars” opened throughout London in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries, serving mixed or
American-style cocktails. In 1903 the first truly famous
bartender arrived at The American Bar, a lady named
Ada “Coley” Coleman, whose signature cocktail was
the Hanky Panky, still a popular choice today. What’s
in a Hanky Panky? Equal parts gin and sweet
vermouth, a couple dashed of Fernet Branca, and an
orange twist. Ada’s successor was the inspirational
Harry Craddock, who not only created a number of
classic cocktails but who notoriously compiled the
legendary Savoy Cocktail book, still regarded today as
the bartender’s bible. Following The Savoy’s
restoration, the American Bar appointed its eleventh
head bartender, Erik Lorincz, a world-renowned
bartender who was awarded Best International
Bartender at Tales of The Cocktail festival in 2011.
The Rob Roy
Sir Harry’s at The Waldorf Astoria New York
As the legend goes, Sir Harry’s at The Waldorf Astoria
New York is where the Rob Roy — a tart drink made
with scotch and vermouth — was invented and perfected
by a bartender there in 1894. The drink was named in
honor of the premiere of
Rob Roy,
an operetta by
composer Reginald De Koven and lyricist Harry B.
Smith, loosely based upon Scottish folk hero Rob Roy
MacGregor. This brilliant cocktail is similar to a
Manhattan but is made exclusively with Scotch whisky,
while the Manhattan is traditionally made with rye or
bourbon. This small difference creates a very different
taste. Named after the explorer, Sir Harry’s is a clubby
and companionable Manhattan mainstay where friends
can unwind with premium libations.
Mixology Report
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summer / fall 2016
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