I tried Rose with grenadine; not too sweet….really good…took me back to Paris in March 2017, around the Latin Quarter, and getting across town to catch Joe Lovano at the New Morning, on Rue des Petites Ecuries!
That was a good story about ‘20s, Bartender. Personally, if I went back anywhere it would be to the Café Wha? in Greenwich Village about Spring 1963. Yes, I know it’s a coffee-bar (no cocktails), but what a time and place! See, sitting in the corner there bragging about his new album to Liam Clancy and Tom Paxton is a scruffy Bob Dylan with Suze Rotolo hanging on his every word; but he’s getting come-on looks from one of the celebrities in the place, Joan Baez, who is sitting with John Phillips. He’s got an idea to start a vocal group but not having much success. But wait, Cass Elliot has just walked in, brushing past James Brown who is rushing to take the A-Train to Harlem for his show at the Apollo tonight. At that table, just before going to a gig at the Vanguard is John Coltrane. He is with Miles Davis. I wonder if they are talking about getting back together, but probably arguing about chord progressions with a bored looking Nina Simone. All the laughter is coming from that table with Joan Rivers, Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen, trading punch-lines; the young lad hanging on to their every word is Martin Scorsese. Over there, talking politics as ever are Gloria Steinman, Betty Friedan, Alex Haley and James Baldwin. James is helping to plan a civil-rights march in August. In fact, he’s soon to meet the US Attorney General to discuss it; but the meeting will not go well. Andy Warhol is sipping his expresso with Elaine Sturtevant, Morris Louis and Tennessee Williams trying not to notice Jack Kerouac under the table. The woman with the camera is Diane Arbus, of course. Elmore James is tuning his guitar before his gig at the Gaslight; he’ll be recording his final album soon but will not live to see the massive impact it will have on some young guitar players in London. If he starts playing then those two, Bob Fosse and Martha Graham, will be on their feet. Over there, Barbra Streisand is relaxing after a heavy recording session for her first album. She’s having a cappuccino with Paul Simon, Bette Midler, Neil Diamond and Stephen Stills. They’re listening to Roger McGuinn picking out Pete Seeger tunes on his 12-string Rickenbacker – he’s thinking of adapting folk songs to rock music. In the corner, Alan Ginsberg is with Albert Grossman cooking up some sort of deal for his new book of poems; with them is 16-year old Patti Smith who has bunked off from Deptford Township school to be here. George Wein is here trying to get Bill Evans to play at the Newport Jazz Festival having been blown off by Brubeck. Now, there are a couple of tables here you might like to avoid. Keeping his head down because he’s in the wrong part of town is Joe Colombo from Brooklyn and the guy he’s speaking to is Mario Puzo who is probably looking for mob stories for a book he’s writing. That will please that fella over there, Al Pacino, who’s out of work at the moment. And speaking of writing a book, there’s Joseph Heller scribbling away in the corner, trying to make a deadline. The other table to avoid is the one with the big guys. The older man is Rocky Marciano, the other two are Angelo Dundee and Joe Frazier; Joe (in the marine uniform) is an amateur now but he’s hoping to get to the Olympics next year. That old chap there is Norman Mailer chatting to the young blonde; she’s in The Crucible at the moment but Faye Dunaway will move to Hollywood in a couple of years to look for work. Joining them is Lisa Minnelli who is also off-Broadway in Best Foot Forward. That kid cleaning tables and smiling at Donald Fagan is Angela Trimble. She’s thinking about changing her name and dyeing her hair blonde; she’s up for a job at the Playboy Club. And Mister Jones knows something is happening here but doesn’t know what it is. No one is drinking “bourgeois” cocktails. But if they were, it would have to be a Manhattan, right?
Anyway, your eyes are glazing over and I’ve been here too long; I must get going…..See you next week
Saturday's variation was made with Cassis. 50ml Noilly Prat, 25ml Tanquaray, barspoon of cassis. Worked a treat. There's potentially a lot of these, and in the spirit of the Savoy Book, each one should have it's own name, even if it's just Rose Cocktail #23
For all Apple Music users out there - here is week 4's playlist:
https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/the-spirits-week-4/pl.u-e98lo6qIZWzD36
Hi Bartender
I tried Rose with grenadine; not too sweet….really good…took me back to Paris in March 2017, around the Latin Quarter, and getting across town to catch Joe Lovano at the New Morning, on Rue des Petites Ecuries!
That was a good story about ‘20s, Bartender. Personally, if I went back anywhere it would be to the Café Wha? in Greenwich Village about Spring 1963. Yes, I know it’s a coffee-bar (no cocktails), but what a time and place! See, sitting in the corner there bragging about his new album to Liam Clancy and Tom Paxton is a scruffy Bob Dylan with Suze Rotolo hanging on his every word; but he’s getting come-on looks from one of the celebrities in the place, Joan Baez, who is sitting with John Phillips. He’s got an idea to start a vocal group but not having much success. But wait, Cass Elliot has just walked in, brushing past James Brown who is rushing to take the A-Train to Harlem for his show at the Apollo tonight. At that table, just before going to a gig at the Vanguard is John Coltrane. He is with Miles Davis. I wonder if they are talking about getting back together, but probably arguing about chord progressions with a bored looking Nina Simone. All the laughter is coming from that table with Joan Rivers, Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen, trading punch-lines; the young lad hanging on to their every word is Martin Scorsese. Over there, talking politics as ever are Gloria Steinman, Betty Friedan, Alex Haley and James Baldwin. James is helping to plan a civil-rights march in August. In fact, he’s soon to meet the US Attorney General to discuss it; but the meeting will not go well. Andy Warhol is sipping his expresso with Elaine Sturtevant, Morris Louis and Tennessee Williams trying not to notice Jack Kerouac under the table. The woman with the camera is Diane Arbus, of course. Elmore James is tuning his guitar before his gig at the Gaslight; he’ll be recording his final album soon but will not live to see the massive impact it will have on some young guitar players in London. If he starts playing then those two, Bob Fosse and Martha Graham, will be on their feet. Over there, Barbra Streisand is relaxing after a heavy recording session for her first album. She’s having a cappuccino with Paul Simon, Bette Midler, Neil Diamond and Stephen Stills. They’re listening to Roger McGuinn picking out Pete Seeger tunes on his 12-string Rickenbacker – he’s thinking of adapting folk songs to rock music. In the corner, Alan Ginsberg is with Albert Grossman cooking up some sort of deal for his new book of poems; with them is 16-year old Patti Smith who has bunked off from Deptford Township school to be here. George Wein is here trying to get Bill Evans to play at the Newport Jazz Festival having been blown off by Brubeck. Now, there are a couple of tables here you might like to avoid. Keeping his head down because he’s in the wrong part of town is Joe Colombo from Brooklyn and the guy he’s speaking to is Mario Puzo who is probably looking for mob stories for a book he’s writing. That will please that fella over there, Al Pacino, who’s out of work at the moment. And speaking of writing a book, there’s Joseph Heller scribbling away in the corner, trying to make a deadline. The other table to avoid is the one with the big guys. The older man is Rocky Marciano, the other two are Angelo Dundee and Joe Frazier; Joe (in the marine uniform) is an amateur now but he’s hoping to get to the Olympics next year. That old chap there is Norman Mailer chatting to the young blonde; she’s in The Crucible at the moment but Faye Dunaway will move to Hollywood in a couple of years to look for work. Joining them is Lisa Minnelli who is also off-Broadway in Best Foot Forward. That kid cleaning tables and smiling at Donald Fagan is Angela Trimble. She’s thinking about changing her name and dyeing her hair blonde; she’s up for a job at the Playboy Club. And Mister Jones knows something is happening here but doesn’t know what it is. No one is drinking “bourgeois” cocktails. But if they were, it would have to be a Manhattan, right?
Anyway, your eyes are glazing over and I’ve been here too long; I must get going…..See you next week
Saturday's variation was made with Cassis. 50ml Noilly Prat, 25ml Tanquaray, barspoon of cassis. Worked a treat. There's potentially a lot of these, and in the spirit of the Savoy Book, each one should have it's own name, even if it's just Rose Cocktail #23