Coffee Cocktail
No coffee was made in the making of this drink. Creamy (but cream-less), port-forward, with the aroma of nutmeg, this cocktail looks like coffee, but that’s as close as it gets to the real thing
City/Region: United States of America
Time Period: 1887
Coffee has had quite the checkered past, being banned several times throughout history. It’s been touted as a cure-all, blamed as the cause for treason, immorality, and impotence, and is the subject of fantastical stories. You won’t have any of those reputed ill side effects to worry about with this cocktail, because it doesn’t contain any coffee (though it does contain alcohol, which may cause those reputed ill side effects). As to why someone would want to create a cocktail that looks so convincingly like a nice cup of joe, it’s anyone’s guess. Maybe they wanted to pretend they were drinking coffee during one of the coffee bans? Even the author of the historical recipe I used can only make a best guess.
“(Use a large bar-glass.)
Take 1 tea-spoonful powdered white sugar.
1 fresh egg.
1 large wine-glass of port wine
1 pony of brandy
2 or 3 lumps of ice.
Break the egg into the glass, put in the sugar, and lastly the port wine, brandy and ice.
Shake up very thoroughly, and strain into a medium bar goblet. Grate a little nutmeg on top before serving.
The name of this drink is a misnomer, as coffee and bitters are not to be found among its ingredients, but it looks like coffee when it has been properly concocted, and hence probably its name.”
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
- 2 ounces (60 ml) port wine
- 1 ounce (30 ml) brandy
- 1 egg
- 2 to 3 ice cubes
- Grated nutmeg, for garnish
Instructions:
- Measure the powdered sugar, port wine, brandy, and egg into a shaker and shake vigorously.
- Add the ice and shake again until it is well-chilled.
- Strain into a glass, grate some nutmeg on top, and serve it forth.
Notes
- You can find port, brandy, and other liquors used on the channel in my curated collection at Curiada.
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