The early decades of the twentieth century saw some taxing times, what with there being a world war and all, but that still didn’t stop people from flocking to the Shepheard’s hotel to bask in its elegance. Located in Cairo, Egypt this hotel was famous for its extravagance. It was so famous that in 1942 […]
The Suffering Bastard Read More »
This post begins with the following excerpt taken from ‘A General History of Pyrates’ (yes, it is spelled that way), a book written under the pseudonym Captain Charles Johnson. Low takes a Bowl of Punch in his Hand, and drinks to him, saying, Captain Graves, here’s half this to you. But the poor Gentleman being too sensibly touched at the
The Power of Punch – Part 1 Read More »
In 1850 Edward Buffum walked into a makeshift building situated just a short distance from a rapidly growing community of settlers near the Barbary Coast. The large doors opened to reveal a panelled room with a dirt floor. In the back was a wooden stage furnished with a band playing jovial tunes that seeped through
They Had Some Balls Back Then Read More »
Perhaps one of the cocktail’s greatest mysteries is who drank the first one. But if people had to guess, I think most would probably assume that the first cocktails were drunk by a bunch of wealthy white American men who had enough money to sit around and joke with members of the same sex while
In 1860 a man entered the now historical halls of Richmond’s Exchange Hotel, a popular spot in America’s Southern state. The tourist was bearded, stately, and elaborately clothed for the tender age of 19. The truth was, the man was no mere man. He was Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, and he was about
Tucked on a side street of the bustling tree lined mosaic of La Rambla, you can find Barcelona’s oldest cocktail bar. Its name is Boadas and it is one of the few places in the world where your Martini will be prepared with a dexterous bartending technique called throwing. This famous practice involves holding one
You Can Throw Your Own Way Read More »
On November 3rd 1874, Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden was elected governor of the state of New York. To celebrate socialite Jenny Jerome threw a party in her father’s NYC mansion. The mansion eventually became the headquarters for the city’s historic Manhattan Club. The governor eventually ran for President of the United States. He lost.
The Mystery of the Manhattan Read More »
“I have seen above 20 sail at a time in this road come to lade salt; and these ships coming from some of the Caribbean Islands are always well stored with rum, sugar and lime-juice to make punch, to hearten their men when they are at work, getting and bringing aboard the salt; and they
A Daisy By Any Other Name Read More »
It was a balmy afternoon in June, 1598. Sir Francis Drake and his crew had been at sea for months on end. On this day at the request of the Crown, they were on their way to sack the port of Havana. But there was a problem. Drake’s crew was sick. Very sick. So sick