Allow me to introduce you to Lola. Who was a dancer. A dancer who could not sing, or act, and was terrible at ballet. A dancer who took a few lessons in Spain because, I don’t exactly know why, I guess she liked the way the Spanish danced. Truthfully though, Lola was not a good Spanish dancer either. And although hailed as an “exotic beauty” by ignorant people everywhere, to the dismay of many of her fans and lovers, Lola, aka Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, aka Betty James, wasn’t even Spanish. Betty was born in Ireland and spent most of her youth being carted between India and a private school in Scotland because of her innate resentment of authority. (This resentment also included a refusal to marry an old fat balding man that her parents had chosen for her. But I don’t blame her for that) Speaking of lovers, her long list of sexual triumphs does include notable men such as Franz Liszt, Alexandre Dumas, and of course King Ludwig I, the latter of which had to abdicate the throne because he made Lola a Countess and gave her lots and lots of taxpayer money. It also somehow came to be known that the king was obsessed with Lola’s feet. Several years after his abdication, the countess fled to France and ploughed through a list of distinguished men and artists. And Ludwig finally stopped her expensive allowance once he realized that his ‘Lolita’ was indeed not from Spain.
After deciding there weren’t any more reputable men in Europe to sleep with, especially after she had been outed as an illegitimate daughter of an Irish peasant, Lola decided to head to New York City. To protect her already flawed image, the dancer did not shore up to the port as Lola Montez. Instead, she weathered the long journey via ship dressed as a man, brandished with spurred boots and a horsewhip. In seemingly perfect attire, she made her way out west to California’s goldfields. There, Lola resumed her stage name and began to perform as a dancer once again. In the States, Ms. Montez did not acquire a reputation for bringing down monarchies. Americans were instead interested in Lola because she smoked cigars and showed some of her pale Irish skin during her performances. This reputation followed her all the way to Australia where she completed her world tour.
While Lola’s reputation may have improved, having gained great fame for being a fabulous entertainer, it turns out the star’s dancing did not. In fact, reviews of her notorious performance say that her motions were suggestive, but also incongruous and a bit spastic. This is probably why Australian Henry Seekcamp, one of Ballarat’s most reputable journalists at the time, felt confident in writing up an abysmal review for the dancer’s show. I am guessing that Henry, like many journalists, didn’t do his research. If he had, he’d have known that Lola carried a horsewhip, not because of her fondness for the four-legged mammals, but because she often used it on columnists who wrote critical reviews of her performances. Henry was no exception. The day after Seekcamp’s opinion appeared in print Lola demanded the man step outside and face her. She then, cracked him in the face with her whip. Some say this fight later deescalated to punching and hair pulling in the middle of the street. Whatever it was, I assume it was a tough day at the office for Henry, whom Lola claimed made advances toward her backstage. Advances she asserts she rejected because Henry was far too ugly.
Anyway, Lola’s violent response to shitty reviews is not what I find interesting. (that’s a lie I do find it interesting, but it has nothing to do with cocktails) What I find interesting is that Lola’s famous performance involved the dancer trying to shake a mischievous spider out of her clothes and stomp it with her heeled shoe the way any frantic Spanish dancer would. She would conclude this performance by purchasing a drink for her audience (if they were pleasant.) Her performance was called the ‘Spider’ dance.
During the Gold Rush there was a very popular drink, often consumed on the goldfields of Australia. This trendy beverage combined brandy with ginger beer, or sometimes lemonade and was mixed and served over ice. The drink was called the spider and I just can’t help but think Lola’s dance may have inspired this celebrated cocktail’s name.
What do you think? Do you think Lola’s spastic Spider dance was the inspiration for the Spider cocktail? Do you approve of Lola’s bold response to criticism? I want to know! Please share your thoughts/comments below!