Grenadier Cocktail

1 Dash Jamaica Ginger. (6 drops Eclectic Institute Ginger Herbal Extract)
1/3 Ginger Brandy. (3/4 oz Canton Ginger Liqueur)
2/3 Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Cerbois VSOP Armangac)
1 Teaspoonful Powdered Sugar. (1/2 teaspoon Rich Simple Syrup)

Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Brandied Cherry wrapped in ginger slice.)

One of my favorite descriptions from the Cocktaildb is that of “Jamaica Ginger“:

Defunct generic USP grade liquid ginger compound used medicinally as an antispasmodic and in drinks as a ginger flavoring, added in dashes. Prohibition saw Jamaica ginger abused in much larger quantities as an additive to “bathtub gin” and other crudely-distilled and foul-tasting products prepared for scofflaw drinkers. This often led to cases of temporary semi-paralysis, known as “jake-leg”, an ironic variation of the term “jack-leg”, meaning the stagger around without control.

Figure the Ginger Herbal Extract from the hippie coop is about equivalent.

According to wikipedia, “A grenadier (French for “Grenademan”) was originally a specialized assault soldier for siege operations, first established as a distinct role in the mid to late 17th century. Grenadiers were soldiers who would throw grenades and storm breaches, leading the forefront of such a breakthrough.”

After all that drama I dunno if this cocktail is quite all that menacing. It’s got a little heat from the ginger extract and is a pleasant enough use of Brandy. My embellishment here, the cherry wrapped in a very thin slice of fresh ginger, does act pretty grenade-like.

Interestingly, from a recent NY Times article, there’s a new bar in Brooklyn called “Jake Walk”!

Cocktails and Cheddar, Jessica Grose

On any given evening in Carroll Gardens, several neighborhood denizens will stop on Brooklyn’s bustling Smith Street in front of the JakeWalk’s large picture window, peering into the smallish, packed rectangular bar….While the cured meat and cheese offerings (including fondue) are a major pull for locals, the potent cocktails and free-flowing whiskey certainly add to the JakeWalk’s allure. (The bar is named for the wonky walk induced by drinking jake liquor, a kind of moonshine made from Jamaican ginger and served in pre-21st Amendment dives.)

Well, that sounds like fun, Jamaica Ginger based cocktails or not.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.