Ostend Fizz
1/2 Liqueur Glass Crème de Cassis. (3/4 oz Brizard Cassis de Bourdeaux)
1/2 Liqueur Glass Kirsch. (3/4 oz Clear Creek Kirsch)
(Dash Meyer Lemon Juice)
Shake well strain into medium size glass and fill with soda water.
The in the previous reference to “Ostend” was in a quote regarding the Vanderbilt Cocktail, “This drink was first made at the Kursaal in Ostend during a visit of Colonel Cornelius Vanderbilt, the American Millionaire…”
“Before World War II, Ostend was a highly frequented gambling resort for the upper-class British citizens, especially since Queen Victoria prohibited gambling in the ´20s. The gambling law was applied throughout the entire Kingdom, making it impossible for the British people to enjoy gambling in England or in any colonial territory serving under Union Jack. However, the Queen’s law never applied to Belgium, something that made the Kursaal Casino a very popular destination for the U.K. gamblers during the roaring twenties.”
A gambler’s fizz, I guess, definitely French-ish, with its Kirsch and Cassis and definitely upscale. Kirsch, after all, has always been an expensive spirit, at least the good stuff.
This isn’t bad, a tad Cherry soda-ish, certainly less interesting than a Singapore or Straits Sling. Even though I couldn’t resist a touch of citrus, you see people ordering Cassis and Soda in French movies all the time. I guess they didn’t mind the sweetness. To me, a Fizz just isn’t a Fizz without a little citrus.
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.