To make a Swizzle a swizzle-stick is necessary—a round wooden stick or dowel with swollen bottom end from which protrude five smaller sticks like the spokes of a wheel. The swizzle-stick is rotated rapidly between the palms to mix the drink thorough¬ly. A Swizzle, according to legend, is a liquid insti¬tution of Demerara, British Guiana, and became quite popular in the West Indies before it made its appear¬ance in Old New Orleans.
There were many refer¬ences to the drink over a century ago, such as "The boys finished the evening with some fine grub, swizzle, and singing" (1813), and a British traveler, Lady Brassy, more intrigued with the way the drink was concocted with a swizzle-stick than with the drink itself, wrote in 1885:
"I mean to take home some 'swizzle-sticks'. They are cut from some kind of creeper, close to a joint, where four or five shoots branch out at right angles, so as to produce a star¬like circle. The whole is mixed with powdered ice, and stirred or 'swizzled' until it froths well."
As early as 1800 this same drink was known as Switchel, an Englishman noting that "the dauntless Yankees still drank their switchell," so that deriva¬tion of swizzel from switchel seems plain.
Swizzle
1 wineglass rum
1 tablespoon "New Orleans" molasses
1 small shot of water
2-3 dashes Peychaud bitters
Mix in a bar glass, swizzle with a swizzle-stick, add ice, swizzle again. Strain into a serving glass.
This is the summer swizzle; in the wintertime pip¬ing hot water is added to the rum and molasses. Ro¬tate with the swizzle-stick, and grate a little nutmeg on top. Serve the hot drink in the mixing glass with cocktail coasters.
Sangaree
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 large shot of port wine
nutmeg
Mix the sugar with the port wine before filling the mixing glass nearly full of fine ice. Stir vigorously, or put the mix¬ture in a shaker. Strain into a thin glass and grate a little nutmeg on top.
While the original recipe for Sangaree calls for port wine, it is sometimes made with brandy, sherry, gin, or even ale. The drink is a tropical one and because of its color derives its name from the French “sang,” meaning "blood." We are also told the name "san¬garee" fits any drink, so long as it's red and made of wine and sweetened water, then spiced and iced. The drink is an old-fashioned one and was very pop¬ular as a guest refreshment in old Creole days.
Punches
Punch is the ideal for cocktails to serve at large gather¬ings and many are the kinds from which to choose when you are preparing to entertain in a big way.
The Punch Bowl, or Bowl O'Punch, as our English cousins call it, has long been a feature of Christmas and holiday festivities. The word punch comes from India, and is derived from the Hindu panch, mean¬ing five, the original beverage being composed of five ingredients, viz.: spirits, water or milk, lemon, sugar, spice or cordial. The punch field is covered by ar¬rack, brandy, claret, gin, milk, rum, tea, whiskey, wine, and fruit punch. The drink is usually qualified by the name of the principal ingredient, as, for ex¬ample, whiskey punch.
