Episode 62 - More Scotch Cocktails!

The Cast of Characters

In this episode the Gents are back together tasting rums, reminiscing about Mike, Mark and Jack, and wondering if Kauai (the Garden Island) is the New Jersey of Hawaii.  All this and a couple of drinks!  Let’s get started.

First up is an old drink from the turn of the century.  The last century, not this most recent one.  It’s called a Mamie Taylor and was named after a musical actress named Mayme Taylor.  There are a couple of different stories involving her asking for this drink, or being accidentally served this drink, but either way, she was involved.  It was huge for a few years, then fell out of fashion.  Fortunately, it’s preserved in Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.  It’s much like any drink that has spirit and fizz but better.  Find the spiciest ginger beer or ale that you can.  The Gents were lucky enough to get a hold of some “Old #3 Hot” Blenheim Ginger Ale.  You can track down some yourself right here.  You want the red cap!

Mamie Taylor
-circa 1899 from Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh.

2 ounces Scotch
3/4 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
Spicy ginger ale or ginger beer (Get Blenheim’s #3 Ginger Ale)

Pour the scotch and lime juice into an ice-filled highball glass and fill with ginger ale. Stir and garnish with a lime wedge.

Mmmmmmm.  Mamie Taylor, where have you been all our lives?  This drink is all gingery scotchy limey goodness.  It’s just what you think it’s going to taste like, only better somehow!  If you happen to be in Vancouver, why don’t you head on down to Mamie Taylor’s in Chinatown and get one made for you?

Liquid gold!

Next up is the Modernista.  This is Ted Haigh’s name for the drink which he derived from a drink called the Modern Cocktail or the Modern Maid.  He readjusted the proportions to what you see here and added Swedish Punsch.

The Modernista
-adapted by Ted Haigh from "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" by Ted Haigh.

2 ounces Scotch
1/2 ounce dark Jamaican rum
1 teaspoon absinthe or pastis (Pernod etc)
1/2 ounce Swedish Punsch
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
 2 dashes orange bitters

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass.  Add a lemon twist

Ted says in his description that this can be a challenging drink.  If you were new to cocktails you might have a little bit of trouble with it.  The licorice flavour of the absinthe certainly comes through as does the lemon juice.  All the other flavours seemed to be secondary.

The Modernista just before it became a Modern Mamie!

In fact, the Gents took it upon themselves to tweak the recipe a little further by adding some ginger beer from the Mamie Taylor, and came up with a new drink that they’re calling the Modern Mamie.  Try it out and leave a comment so they know what you think of it.

Modern Mamie
-The Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure 2018

2 ounces Scotch
1/2 ounce dark Jamaican rum
1 teaspoon absinthe or pastis (Pernod etc)
1/2 ounce Swedish Punsch
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
 2 dashes orange bitters
1/2 ounce of spicy ginger beer or ale (Get Blenheim’s #3 Ginger Ale)


Shake all ingredients (except ginger beer) in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass.  Add the ginger beer and stir gently.

The Gents thought this drink tasted better.  The addition of the ginger beer changed the flavour in such a way that Gentleman Jason thought it now tasted of apples.  Please try making one for yourself and let the Gents know.

During the episode Gent J mentioned an old sketch that he had been in called the Spit Take Sketch.  Please enjoy this trip to 1996!