1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Dolin)
1 dash Yellow Chartreuse (1/2 oz)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)
Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Monday, October 20, 2014
ardsley
2/3 jigger Sherry (1 1/2 oz Lustau Dry Oloroso)
1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Dolin)
1 dash Yellow Chartreuse (1/2 oz)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)
Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Two Tuesdays ago for the cocktail hour, I turned to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and spotted the Ardsley in the wine section. At first the recipe reminded me of a sherrified Puritan Cocktail, but the sweet vermouth aspect then made me think of a Green Point more. The Manhattan variation idea is perhaps supported by Ardsley being a village just north of New York City. Once mixed, the Ardsley offered a nutty sherry aroma with minty-herbal notes. Next, honey and grape on the sip gave way to a nutty and herbal swallow.
1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Dolin)
1 dash Yellow Chartreuse (1/2 oz)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)
Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The 2017 collection of 855 drink recipes, bartender tributes, and essays on hospitality from CocktailVirgin's Frederic Yarm. Available at 
The 2012 collection of 505 drink recipes, techniques, and Boston bar recommendations from Frederic Yarm. Available at 
Posts
4 comments:
Tried the Ardsley this evening and it was a really good treat. The Cuco Oloroso Sherry was very pronounced but the vermouth ( Carpano Antica )was just beneath and its bitterness put a nuance to the drink which was very interesting. The yellow Chartreuse I could not detect but again I have never tried it on its own, only mixed, but it definitely made this drink even more aromatic and luxurious to the palate. So was the Ardsley invented in the beginning of the 20th century ? In Ardsley ?
The book was written as a series of booklets that were later assembled. Amazon gives a brief history of "Once upon a time in America there was a gentleman named Charles Christopher Mueller, who published, in 1934, seven little volumes titled Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars. He wasn't alone, his three compatriots--Al Hoppe, A V Guzman, and James Cunningham--compiled the recipes they shook and stirred at 30 bars around the US before Prohibition."
Yellow Chartreuse can often get drowned out and can end up being expensive simple syrup. The original did not even call for that much, but I made it a 1/6th of the recipe for flavor's sake.
"Pioneers" has three cockails with Ardsley in their name, Jacques Straub's Drinks Manual (1913) has a few more, and I've seen others. Ardsley, near Irvington, NY, was a really big deal back in the day. From Westchester, NY Archives online: "Ardsley Casino was the clubhouse of the Ardsley Club, which was founded in 1895 in Irvington by some of the most illustrious names of the day—Cornelius and Alfred B. Vanderbilt, William and John D. Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan, Edwin Gould and Philip Schuyler. The Casino was built on part of the estate that was owned by James Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton. In addition to one of the first golf courses in the U.S., the club had a yacht basin, stables and its own railroad station on the main line of the New York Central. The station’s architecture matched that of the Casino. The Great Depression hit the club hard, and in 1936 the Casino was razed, although the club survived as the Ardsley Country Club. In 1965 the club moved from Irvington to Ardsley."
Thanks for that added dimension of insight!
Post a Comment