by Martha Rhodes

Created on: January 29, 2009   Last Updated: December 09, 2011

Anything with Grand Marnier is a great drink. Grand Marnier is a French, cognac-based orange liqueur that is aged in oak casks. References to cocktails do date back as far as 1806. "The Balance," an American publication stated that a "Cocktail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters..."

The martini has and will probably always be one the world's most famous cocktails and Satan's Whiskers is thought of as a variation of the Bronx cocktail which is a perfect martini with orange juice. By 1900, the popularity of the martini ushered the cocktail into its heyday and during prohibition (1920-1933), cocktails became even more popular because the flavorings in the mixed drinks provided some help with the terrible taste of some of the liquor that was being smuggled into the underground drinking establishments by bootleggers.

Unlike whiskey and other liquors, gin did not require any aging or special wood casks, so it was relatively easy to make. Gin was made with juniper berries. Gin could easily be made by mixing raw alcohol with juniper berry extract and a few other ingredients in a large container. This is where the term "Bathtub Gin" comes from. The United States remains one of the world's largest consumers of gin.

The first recipe for Satan's Whiskers is from 1930 in Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book. In one article about the cocktail recipes of Hollywood, The Embassy Club, a Hollywood night spot (speakeasy), is credited for the Satan's Whiskers cocktail recipe. Whoever invented it, it's a great cocktail for Halloween.

Satan's Whiskers Straight

1/5 Dry Gin

1/5 Dry Vermouth

1/5 Sweet Vermouth

1/5 Orange Juice

1/10 Grand Marnier

1/10 Orange bitters or triple sec

Stir well with ice and strain into glass. Garnish with a slice of orange

Satan's Whiskers Curled

Substitute Curacao for the Grand Marnier using the above recipe.

The Grand-Marnier website: http://es.grand-marnier.com/dispatch.php

Wikipedia Article Classic cocktail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_cocktails

Article on the history of cocktails: http://www.drinkfocus.com/articles/cocktails/cocktai l-history.php

Article about The Embassy Club entitled The Bottle Gang: Hollywood Cocktails: http://www.sparberfans.blogspot.com/2008/09/bottle-g ang-hollywood-cocktails.html

Article entitled All About Gin: http://www.tastings.com/spirits/gin.html

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