Everyday Drinking_ The Distilled Kingsley Amis - Kingsley Amis [69]
A 50-50 amalgamation of Scotch and ginger wine, the Whisky Mac, takes the edge off a chilly morning, or seems to. Seldom seen in the books, probably because it’s a totally British article, but a favourite in some pubs.
Don’t ask in the pub for Scotch and milk or everyone in earshot will gawp in bewilderment. There may be milk a yard off to pour in the coffees, but they’ll still look at you as if you’ve called for a dram of snake venom. Not responsive to unfamiliar ideas, the British. Wait till you get home and serve yourself. This any-proportion drink, which has no name I know of, is a good answer to that sadly rather common problem, when you quite fancy a little something but aren’t at all sure what view your turn will take of the project.
One unusual, enjoyable and (I should guess) ancient mixture consists of Scotch and alcoholic cordial of cloves. I’d forgotten it, and had thought the cloves had stopped being made, as many old drinks have, until it popped up the other day on the Peter Dominic list. Proportions not critical. You could call the thing a Clove Hitch if you felt inclined.
Don’t forget the great Atholl Brose. English recipe— equal parts Scotch, clear honey and cream. Warm, blend and allow to cool. Scottish recipe—instead of the cream, use the liquor made by soaking two or three handfuls of oatmeal in half a pint of water for some hours and straining. Better so, with less richness and more flavour. But either is delicious, fortifying, on a chilly Sunday afternoon in lieu of tea, or late at night.
So much for infallibility just now. I stated firmly that Scotch was not a suitable foundation for any cocktail, and the echoes had hardly died away when, in a book by Clement Freud, I came across a recipe for one that overturned my decree. The eminent radio panellist and non-smoker describes something called a Godfather, consisting of one part Amaretto and three parts whisky poured over crushed ice. He doesn’t specify Scotch, but I tried it with Scotch and found it was good. I also found that the crushed ice could be acceptably replaced by ice cubes and a brisk stir.
Amaretto, very popular in the States and now on the move here, is a liqueur from northern Italy consisting of a spirit flavoured with apricots and almonds. The name means “little bitter,” which can’t help being a joke because, of course, it isn’t bitter at all, but sweet and fruity, though not cloying, a nice winder-up to a serious meal.
The Godfather is inevitably a sweet or sweetish drink, too. Some people object to any but bone-dry cocktails and aperitifs. I see nothing wrong with an occasional bit of sweetness at the pre-food stage. A cocktail, in my world at least, is a rather once-in-a-way affair, something of a treat, and if you feel quite relieved when you get back to your basic tipple, well, that’s part of the idea.
Another unfamiliar Scotch mix, though no cocktail, was suggested by remembering a story about Nubar Gulbenkian. The great financier was seen astride his horse at a meet imbibing from a pocket flask when some pathetic protester wanted to know what was in it. “Scotch and fox’s blood!” was the reply. Not true, I imagine, but a splendidly offensive thing to bawl at a weed of an anti-hunt demonstrator. However, I wouldn’t mind betting that what the old plutocrat was actually quaffing was a combination of Scotch and cherry brandy known, according to Cyril Ray, as a Percy Special, after a hunt or pack of hounds or whatever you call it, in Northumberland, and highly thought of as a stirrup cup. Not much improvement, you may feel.
This is the time and place for a quick glance at the Scotch Toddy, just the thing for these Arctic nights. Trader Vic pours boiling water over a lump of sugar in a preheated glass, adds a good shot of whisky, stirs and drops in a lemon slice. Finally he throws some grated nutmeg on top. Good, but don’t overdo it or the drink will look muddy.
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