Lady Mendl's Invention

I was flipping through my copy of The Twenties in Vogue the other day, and I was reminded of how much I enjoy the book. (The Thirties in Vogue is also quite good.) It's fun to pore over the old photos of socialites wearing chic fashion as well as to read about the hijinks, the frivolity, and the trends of the day.

One of my favorite sections of the book is that which covers the food and cocktail crazes of the era. Back in the 1920s, of course, most people were cocktail mad, drinking such libations as the Corpse Reviver, the Between the Sheets, and, of all the crazy names, the Bosom Caresser. At least, this was what Vogue was reporting at the time.  And canapes were also starting to come into fashion, something that was also, evidently, covered by the magazine in great detail.  A canape that got an honorable mention in Vogue was one served at Somerset Maugham's home on the Riviera.  His canape consisted of "a green olive stuffed with a nut dipped into Gentlemen's Relish, wrapped in a strip of bacon." That sounds tasty to me, but finding Gentlemen's Relish in Atlanta isn't the easiest endeavor.

Of the five or six cocktail recipes that appear in this book, one in particular caught my eye: Lady Mendl's Invention. The book fails to mention the origin of this recipe, but a Google search identified this cocktail by another name, Pink Lady.  Did Elsie de Wolfe invent this cocktail? Or, did she adopt it as her own? I can't say, but I mixed one up over the weekend to see what the fuss was about.  The cocktail isn't really bad, but it did remind me of the pink penicillin I had to take when I was sick with strep throat as a child. If you liked that taste (and I didn't), you might enjoy this cocktail.

And if any of you know what exactly Lady Mendl's connection was to this cocktail, do tell!

Lady Mendl's Invention
*Recipe is based on a 1 1/2 ounce measure. Shake well with broken ice and serve while frothy.

3/4 gin
1/4 grenadine
juice of half a lemon
1 white of egg

This Hoyningen-Huene photo shows the Cubist bar that was designed for home of the Vicomte de Noailles, c. 1928. How dashing was that?


Hoyningen-Huene photo and Fish illustration from The Twenties in Vogue

Wallis Blue Cocktail

I never thought that I would find myself drinking blue cocktails, much less admitting to drinking them. But I have been, and I'm coming clean about it. The drink is called the Wallis Blue, and it's actually quite good.

I can only assume that the Wallis Blue was named in honor of Wallis Simpson whose signature shade of blue was referred to as "Wallis Blue". I can't find any information as to when it was created nor who concocted it. The drink consists of gin, lime juice, and blue curaçao. When I mix my Wallis Blues, I use DeKuyper blue curaçao as the man at the package store told me it was the best. I wasn't about to question him; I just wanted to get out of the store as quickly as possible without anyone catching me with a blue liquor.

The drink is quite refreshing and has a nice orange flavor to it thanks to the blue curaçao. As you can see above, it's a vibrant shade of blue, one that looks quite nice when photographed against my "Trixie" wallpaper. (I couldn't resist photographing it with an assortment of Duchess of Windsor books. What can I say? I was bored.)

The other nice thing about that shade of blue is that it's perfect to serve for Fourth of July festivities. Your guests might question your choice of cocktail at first, but one sip will convince them that one shouldn't judge a cocktail by its color.

Happy Fourth of July!


Wallis Blue

1 1/2 oz. gin
1 oz. blue curaçao
Juice of 1 lime

Shake all the ingredients together with ice. Pour into cocktail glasses whose rims have been rubbed with lime pulp. And if you like a sweet touch, dip the rims in castor sugar.

*Recipe from Vogue Cocktails.

Martinis with Judy Bentley

Visiting my friend Judy Bentley's home is always a treat. Not only is she a wonderfully talented designer, but she's a hostess par excellence as well. I love looking throughout her home as she has so many pretty things in each and every room. (And "pretty" is in fact a word that I hold in high regard.) Judy has a passion for Chinoiserie, something that is evidenced by her impressive collection of blue and white porcelain, and she loves cocktails too. I should clarify by saying that Judy loves the art of mixing cocktails- specifically Martinis- and serving them stylishly to her guests.

Judy has an inviting bar in her house that looks out upon a back patio with a fountain. It's certainly an attractive and convivial place at which to imbibe. But what's even more fascinating about this space, at least to me anyway, is Judy's collection of cocktail shakers, cocktail glasses, and sterling silver bar accessories, almost all of which are either vintage or antique. Judy started the cocktail shaker collection for her late husband, with beautiful bar tools, linens, and memorabilia having been added along the way.

Although Judy admits that her very favorite cocktail is actually a glass of champagne, she has a soft spot for the Martini. As Judy says, "When I think of a Martini, I think of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, James Bond, a groomed man in a perfectly tailored tux, and a lady in an elegant gown and jewels." How can one not like a drink that conjures up such stylish memories?

And when it comes to the question of gin or vodka, the answer is gin, of course. According to Judy, the original recipe for a Martini was one half dry gin and one half dry vermouth. During the 1940s, the proportion changed to two to three parts gin to one part vermouth. Judy prefers the two to one recipe, which I have included below.

I think that after you take a look at the photos below, you will be ready to mix yourself a very dry martini and then hit the internet in search of antique shakers and bar tools.




Judy loves the classic shape of a martini glass, and she has quite a few different glasses in her collection. The lantern cocktail napkins were designed by Judy's dear friend, Nancy Stanley Waud of Beverly Hills, CA.




Also a classic is the Napier Penguin cocktail shaker. The penguin napkins are also a Nancy Stanley Waud design.







Judy first started the cocktail shaker collection as a wedding gift to her late husband. She always purchased one for him as Christmas, birthday, and anniversary gifts.



The majority of her collection is from the Antiques Department at Bergdorf Goodman as well as antiques shops in this country and in Europe.









Judy often has the silver shaker tops monogrammed for added detail.








The silver bell shaker is a great hit at Christmas time.








Antique and vintage bar tools are also part of Judy's collection, much of which has been purchased on Judy's travels.




She especially loves to collect olive forks, picks, silver jiggers, and silver openers.


A sterling pick holding lemon, an olive, or a tiny onion is the finishing touch to a martini.



Judy loves all things Chinoiserie. Here, you have an Asian man and woman whose robes conceal bottles of wine. (They were purchased from Takashimaya, sadly no longer in business.) The oriental motif shaker is antique, while the cocktail napkins are from Bergdorf's.






A sterling ice bucket monogrammed with a "B".




A collection of swizzle sticks. No surprise that my eyes honed in immediately on the Greek Key pick.



A collection of cocktail guides, including Cocktails (Memoirs) by Amy Sacco, The Art of the Bar: Cocktails Inspired by the Classics by Jeff Hollinger, and Hollywood Cocktails by Tobias Steed, a particular favorite of Judy's.




Jockey and cap bottle openers from 21.




Quite appropriately, a bottle of Bentley's Scotch Whiskey.




Judy's liquors of choice when mixing a Martini are Tanqueray Ten, Tanqueray Rangpur, and Martini and Rossi vermouth.

And without further ado, the recipe for the Bentley Martini.

1.5 oz Dry Gin
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
Olives for garnish

Chill your cocktail glasses to the point of frost. Fill Martini shaker with cracked ice (not crushed.) Ice should be dry and hard frozen. Measure out ingredients for the number of drinks required, pouring gin first, then the vermouth. Stir until very cold. Strain at once into frosty, stemmed cocktail glasses.

In addition to serving delicious Martinis, Judy also likes to put out pâté, cheese, or Parmesan cheese wheels with cocktails. Fresh grapes served in blue and white oriental bowls are also a favorite.



Bottoms up!


Photos by Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic

Ounces of Hangover Prevention

I recently found this 1934 ad, above, for Martini & Rossi Vermouth. What captured my attention was the neat little cocktail setup with those frosted cocktail glasses (which, by the way, were available at Bergdorf's). I'm not used to seeing Martinis and Manhattans served in thick, stemless glasses like those in the ad, and I have to say that they're not what I would use when serving cocktails. I can only imagine that the cocktail would become warm if the glass was held for any length of time.

One nice thing about the glasses, though, was that they were the proper size for a cocktail. Back during the 1930s and 40s, cocktail glasses were small and light enough that you could hold the stem using just a few fingers. Not anymore. Cocktail and martini glasses today are enormous, as big as Alfie's head, in fact! And they require a whole hand grip, too. The problem with these large glasses is that they hold too much cocktail. The urge is to fill these big glasses with enough cocktail so as not to appear chintzy. Only problem is that by the time you finish your drink, you've had the equivalent of two cocktails- not a good thing if you're serving drinks before dinner.

Ideally, a cocktail glass should hold between 4.5 and 5 ounces of liquid. While it's worth seeking out vintage cocktail glasses for both their jazzy designs and their economical sizes, there are, fortunately, some new collections that include correctly sized glasses too. William Yeoward's glassware is never super-sized, but that might be because he's British. His new American Bar collection is quite handsome and affordable too. But if you insist on drinking from those monster 12 oz. glasses, fine. Just don't blame me in the morning.






William Yeoward's Greta glassware includes a 5 oz. martini glass.






William Yeoward's Vesta glasses are the appropriate sizes for the beverages they were designed to hold, including martinis and champagne. (These are not, by the way, part of the new American Bar collection.)







C. 1930 Mappin & Webb set of cocktail glasses, available through Foundwell.

William Yeoward's American Bar

I'm rather meek when it comes to mixing cocktails at home. A French 75 or a Gin Fizz is about as wild and crazy as it gets. However, my attitude towards mixology has completely changed thank to a very entertaining new book, William Yeoward's American Bar. (The title refers to the high-style bars of London and Paris during the 1920s and 30s, often referred to as "American bars" because of the cocktail craze that began on our shores.)

Yeoward's book is a compilation of cocktail recipes conjured up by the bartenders at five of Yeoward's favorite London watering holes: The Connaught Bar; Annabel's; Beaufort Bar at The Savoy; American Bar at The Savoy; and Berkeley Blue Bar. With names like Smoked Old-Fashioned, Fleurissimo, and Hanky Panky, these cocktails are no ordinary drinks. Rather, they are creatively crafted drinks made from all kinds of intriguing ingredients like Punt e Mes vermouth, celery bitters, or jasmine pearl tea.

Now, it's the exotic sounding ingredients that might give you pause. Initially, they did to me as well since I don't have things like celery bitters sitting on my bar. But the book's gorgeous photographs of cocktails in glamorous settings were enough to convince me to try my hand at some of these recipes. And Yeoward's writing is so upbeat and enthusiastic, you will want to make more than a few of these cocktails.

The bonus to this book is the last section in which Yeoward lists his favorite cocktails to serve to his guests, and these drinks you'll probably recognize: Margarita; Gin Sling; Whiskey Sour. These recipes are a nice addition because sometimes you just want to serve a drink that's easy to make. There are also some wonderful canape recipes as well as photographs of Yeoward's preferred party glasses. (As would be expected of a man whose crystal and glassware is coveted by so many of us, Yeoward has an enviable collection of drinkware.)

If you love cocktails and enjoy entertaining, or if you're simply a fan of William Yeoward, then I highly recommend that you consider this book for your collection. The book would make a great gift for friends or family, too.

Visit The Peak of Chic Entertains today to read the book's recipe for a Connaught Martini.




Fleurissimo




Annabel's Special




Costa Esmeralda




Princess Ida




Ramos Fizz


All photos from William Yeoward's American Bar by William Yeoward; Cico Books, 2012; Gavin Kingcome photographer.

Holiday Elixir

During the holidays, stories of family strife abound. Inevitably, there is one relative who makes you wish that you were sitting in a dentist's chair getting a root canal rather than at the dining table eating turkey and dressing with your family. I'm very fortunate because I actually get along with my family, and because I do have such a small family, the likelihood of there being fisticuffs on Thanksgiving Day is nil.

However, if you're stuck this Thursday with that person who literally drives you to drink, may I suggest a Martini (or two) to help get you through the day? To the left of this page, I'm including a classic recipe for a dry Martini courtesy of Henry McNulty's book Vogue Cocktails. (If you're reading this post by email, click here to be taken to the homepage.)

Of course, a Martini is a very personal thing. Some like it with gin while others prefer vodka. Some drinkers like theirs with a few olives, while to others, only a twist will do. I think that what we can all agree upon, though, is that a Martini does indeed have magical powers that might make you forget about being stuck at the table next to an insufferable relation.

But remember, Martini moderation is key. As Dorothy Parker once wrote, "I like to have a Martini, two at the very most; three, I'm under the table, four I'm under the host!"

Party Touches to Wow Your Guests

Speaking of jazzing up one's style of entertaining (I'm referring to yesterday's post on Peter Callahan), I found this timely article in the February 1960 issue of House & Garden. The article was titled "Party touches your guests will talk about". Truthfully, some of the suggestions were either corny or far too time-consuming. Case in point: "At each place set a tiny basket filled with a bouquet of radishes cut in the shape of flowers, plus watercress for foliage and stalks of celery and olives for added greenery. To be admired, then nibbled while the first course is being served." Um, I don't think so.

But some of the ideas weren't half bad. I'm especially taken with the idea of using vintage ice-cream molds to turn out a good looking dessert. (See below.) Anyway, here are some of the better suggestions that I can see using at future dinner parties. I even added my thoughts on how I might interpret these ideas for my own parties.


Cards or flowers to match up make a game of dinner seating. As your guests go into the dining room ask them to pick a playing card from one of two baskets- the men's containing Kings and Jacks, the ladies', Aces and Queens. Guests find their places by matching their cards to those you've put on the napkins, alternating ladies and men. If you are serving at small tables, ask everyone to choose a flower from a basket containing blooms in as many different colors as you have tables. Each guest looks for the table with a centerpiece in the same color as his flower.

Okay, it's a little silly, but I kind of like this tip. Since my dining room is small, I might forgo the cards in favor of a basket of colored flowers.




Picture markers for trays of sandwiches are both decorative and informative, guiding your guests to the fillings they like best. You can buy French parchment markers like these or make your own. If you're no artist cut out appropriate pictures from children's coloring books or seed catalogues. Or if pretty printing is your forte, skip the pictures and write out the contents of the sandwiches in colored inks. Fix markers to the sandwiches with long Japanese bamboo skewers so that they are easily visible.

For a tea or ladies luncheon, I would absolutely use markers like these. They're easy to make, and with the aid of a computer and printer, you could use all kinds of chic motifs. I'm just trying to figure out what drawing to use for Pimento Cheese sandwiches.




Molded ice with embedded fruit and leaves makes a romantic cooler for a punch bowl. Use any lidless mold, or, lacking that, a cardboard ice-cream container. Fill partly with water and freeze. Then place on top of the ice a layer of whatever you'd like to look at (we used strawberries and rose geranium leaves for this fruit punch), fill to top with water and freeze again. Here the design is repeated by wool felt roses and berries taped to cloth.

I'm not crazy about the way the ice mold looks in the punch bowl in the photograph, but in the right sized bowl, a bombe of ice would look really nice.




Flower-shaped ice-cream molds turn out your desserts in style, ready to be garnished with a chocolate leaf cookie. You can get many designs in old or new ice-cream molds, any of which will be a refreshing change from the standard scoop. Just pack the molds with softened ice cream or sherbet and re-freeze. Loosen the contents before you open molds by wrapping them for a second or two with a hot dish towel.

Yes, yes, and yes. I plan to find a vintage ice-cream mold in the shape of a flower or a fruit. I found one online in the shape of an asparagus stalk. How about molding some pistachio ice cream and then drizzling it with Crème Anglaise (to resemble a Hollandaise sauce.) Kind of weird but kind of fun.




Tiny cocktail trays are the simple solution to cocktail party juggling. On each tray place an individual plate of hors d'oeuvre, a cocktail glass and napkin and an ashtray with matches. Fly-weight Japanese lacquer trays come in just the right size- and in wonderful colors (have a different color for each guest).

This seems a little cumbersome and not as handy as the magazine claimed. But, if you're doing heavy hors d'oeuvres, it might work. Pearl River would be the place to go for small lacquer trays. Of course, most of us can forgo the ashtray and matches.





Italian brandy warmer on a liqueur tray adds an extra touch of pomp and circumstance to the brandy-and-cigars pleasance. You might include two kinds of brandy-perhaps a fine and an Armagnac- for discriminating brandy drinkers, and, for non-brandy drinkers, a white fruit liqueur like kirsch or framboise.

I might skip the brandy warmer, but I do like the idea of putting out a tray of after-dinner drinks. (Sometimes, I skip dessert in favor of a glass of B&B.) It's a nice way to keep the conversation going.