Using the tags I’ve created for the site, I’ve made a complete list of all ingredients and garnishes used in the Savoy Cocktail Book. I didn’t initially ‘tag’ all the ingredients in the cocktails, so I’ll add more as I find them. Hopefully, eventually, I’ll work it up into a glossary type thing.
One of those things I’ve been meaning to do, you know, just in case someone else wants to hold their own Savoy Cocktail Book Night.
Kind of makes me want to make up some ingredients for U, Y, and Zed.
Savoy Ingredients
–A–
Absinthe: Anise and Wormwood flavored distilled spirit. Illegal for most of the twentieth century due to demonization & misunderstandings regarding toxicity of some of the component substances, it is once again available in most civilized countries.
Abricotine: A french brand of Apricot Flavored Liqueur. See Apricot Brandy, below.
Absinthe Bitters: A lot of people have tried to convince me that the ‘Absinthe Bitters’ in the Savoy Cocktail Book are just ‘Absinthe’ or an Absinthe Substitute. It is essentially a typo.I think it is a different sort of typo. When I was looking through Eddie Clarke’s “Shaking in the Sixties”, I discovered he includes a recipe for “Wormwood Bitters”: Put three to four sprigs of wormwood into a pitcher, and pour over them a bottle of gin. Cover the pitcher and let it stand for three weeks, after which time the bitters are ready to be bottled, the wormwood having been removed. This recipe is from Bermuda, whose inhabitants, we are told, used these bitters almost exclusively. Not only that, but many 19 cocktail books include recipes for “Gin and Wormwood”, which they say were used as bitters on the East Coast and in the West Indies. Feel free to substitute the bitter, horrible, macerated “Absinthe” from middle Europe.
Almonds: Almond Nuts.
Amer Picon: French Bitter Orange Aperitif. Long unavailable in the United States, some substitutes include Torani Amer and Amer CioCiaro. Jamie Boudreau has also published a DIY clone on his website: Amer Picon
Angostura Bitters: The ubiquitous aromatic bitters, essential for the cocktails like the Old-Fashioned and Manhattan. For a while, until the recent revival of interest in cocktails, nearly the only bitters left on the American market. Every household should have a bottle of Angostura Bitters and a can of SPAM.
Anis del Oso: Spanish style anise flavored liqueur, often available in two styles Dulce (sweet) and Seco (dry).
Anisette: French Style anise flavored liqueur, the most ubiquitous is that of the Marie Brizard Company.
Apple: Fresh Apple fruit.
Apple Brandy: Brandy distilled from fermented apples or their juice.
Apple Jack: American name for Brandy distilled from fermented apples or their juice. Confusingly, the Laird’s Company introduced a new product called “Apple Jack” in the 1950s which is a compound distillate made from neutral spirits, apple brandy, apple juice, and flavoring. This product should be avoided at all cost, if you must use Laird’s products, use their Bonded Apple Brandy.
Apple Juice: Juice from pressed apple fruit. Again, modern production methods have done nothing for the flavor and character of apple juice. If at all possible, buy fresh pressed juice from Farmers’ Markets.
Apricot: A fruit closely related to peaches. Unfortunately, apricots are very seasonal and really only good for about a week in the summer before they become mealy, mushy, and sad. While they are good, try to enjoy. Otherwise, avail yourself of apricot nectar or dried apricots.
Apricot Brandy: Usually apricot flavored liqueur, but it is sometimes worthwhile experimenting with Apricot Eau-de-Vie in recipes which call for “Apricot Brandy”.
Apricot Jam: Preserve made from the flesh and often seeds of apricot fruit.
Apricot Pit: The kernel of the Apricot fruit. The seeds (and other parts) of all members of the rose family (Rosacea) contain cyanogenic glycosides. This plant family includes apricots, almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries, and about 2,900 other plant species, On ingestion cyanogenic glycosides release hydrogen cyanide into your system. The amounts of these chemicals vary from plant to plant and species to species. Bitter almonds generally contain the most. Eating 50-70 bitter almonds in one sitting is enough to be potentially fatal for an adult human. Fortunately, in most people, these chemicals are rapidly broken down by your liver, and do not build up over time. Small doses are apt to do no damage. If you’re prone to worry or a bit paranoid about your health, feel free to skip the apricot kernels and just use a touch of bitter almond extract.
–B–
Bacardi Rum
Baked Apple
Batavia Arrack
Beer
Benedictine
Black Pepper
Blackberry Brandy
Blue Vegetable Dye
Bourbon
Brandy
Byrrh
–C–
Calvados
Campari
Canadian Club
Canadian Whiskey
Caperitif
Cassis
Cayenne Pepper
Champagne
Chartreuse
Cherry Brandy
Cherry Heering
Cider
Cinnamon
Claret
Clove
Clove Syrup
Coffee
Cognac
Cointreau
Cream
Crème de Cacao
Crème de Cassis
Crème de Menthe
Crème de Noyau
Crème de Violette
Crème Yvette
Curacao
–D–
Danzig Goldwasser
Dry Gin
Dry Sherry
Dry Vermouth
Dubbonet (Rouge)
–E–
East Indian Punch
Egg
Egg White
Egg Yolk
–F–
Fernet Branca
Fine Ice
Forbidden Fruit Liqueur
French Vermouth
Fresh Cream
Fresh Mint
–G–
Genever
Ginger Ale
Ginger Beer
Ginger Brandy
Gomme Syrup
Gooseberry Syrup
Grand Marnier
Grape Juice
Grapefruit Jelly
Grapefruit Juice
Green Chartreuse
Green Crème de Menthe
Grenadine
Groseille Syrup (Red Currant Syrup)
Guinness Stout
Gum Syrup
–H–
Hard Cider
Hercules
Hollands Gin
Honey
Hooch Whiskey
Hot Water
–I–
Ice
Irish Whiskey
Italian Vermouth
–J–
Jamaica Ginger (Ginger Extract)
Jamaica Rum
–K–
Ketchup
Kina Lillet
Kirsch
Kirschwasser
Kola Tonic
Kummel
–L–
Lemon Juice
Lemon Peel
Lemon Soda
Lemon Syrup
Lillet (Blanc)
Limes
Lime Juice
London Gin
Lump Sugar
–M–
Madeira
Maple Syrup
Maraschino Cherry
Maraschino Liqueur
Milk
–N–
Nutmeg
–O–
Old-Tom Gin
OIives
Orange Juice
Orange
Orange Bitters
Orange Curacao
Orange Flower Water
Orange Marmalade
Orchard Syrup
–P–
Peach Brandy
Peach Eau-de-Vie
Peach Kernel: (Peach Pit)
Pepper
Peychaud’s Bitters
Pimento Dram
Pineapple
Pineapple Juice
Pineapple Syrup
Plymouth Gin
Port Wine
Powdered Sugar (Superfine)
Pricota (Apricot Liqueur)
Prune Syrup
Prunelle Brandy
Prunes
–Q–
Quinquina
–R–
Raspberries
Raspberry Brandy
Raspberry Syrup
Red Currant Juice
Rose’s Lime Juice (Lime Cordial)
Rye Whiskey
–S–
Santa Cruz Rum
Scotch Whisky
Secrestat Bitters
Sherry
Simple Syrup
Sirop-de-Citron
Sloe Gin
Sparkling Moselle
St. Croix Rum
Strawberries
Sugar
Sugar Cube
Sugar Syrup
Swedish Punch
Sweet Cream
–T–
Tomato Catsup
–V–
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla Ice Cream
Vinegar
Vodka
–W–
White Crème de Menthe
White Grape Juice
White Port Wine
White Wine
Whole Egg
Worcestershire Sauce
–Y–
Yellow Chartreuse