Manhattan Cooler
The Juice of 1/2 Lemon or 1 Lime. (Juice 1/2 Lemon)
1/2 Tablespoonful Powdered Sugar. (dash Rich Simple Syrup)
1 Wineglass Claret. (2 oz Smith and Woodehouse Late Bottled Vintage Port)
3 Dashes Rum. (1 teaspoon Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum)
Shake well and strain into medium size glass. Decorate with fruit in season.

Didn’t have any French Wine in the house, so substituted Port and reduced the sweetener. Figured I should use a Rum with some spine, as it was in such a small amount. Just built it over a cube of ice, since the port was already chilled and added a splash of soda. Fresh out of fruit at the moment.

Then I thought to check Hugo Ensslin, for his take on the Manhattan Cooler…

Manhattan Cooler

Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 spoonful of Powdered Sugar
1 wine glass of Claret
3 dashes of St. Croix Rum

Stir well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, pour into a stem glass, decorate with fruit and serve with straws.

First, I do think it’s kind of funny that the only actual “Wine Cooler” in this section is named the “Manhattan Cooler”, what with New Yorkers’ near obsessive insistence on overproof spirits and ridiculously large and potent drinks.

The use of St. Croix Rum is a bit interesting. As you may recall, Martin Cate had once told me he felt using a Spiced Rum where St. Croix Rum is called for provides more interest than actual St. Croix Rum.

However, I have yet to meet a spiced rum I particularly care for. But, wait, isn’t Allspice Dram, well, spiced rum?

2 oz Bordeaux Wine
1/2 Tablespoon Allspice Dram
1 Tablespoon Rich Simple Syrup
Juice 1 Lime

Shake and strain into a tall-ish glass, uh, wait, there’s no soda in this Cooler nor is it served in a tall glass!

Well, I did add a splash of soda to my adaption and to be honest, kind of enjoyed it. Not that I think it would fly in the Manhattan of today.

About the only way I could see them drinking this there would be if you reversed the proportions, maybe 4 oz of navy strength rum, swizzled, with lime and a float of wine.

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