Episode 95: Like Lambs to the Slaughter – Picon Punch

Classic cocktail history Ritz Sidecar

The Pendennis Cocktail seems to have been a drink that was hardly known. Appearances in recipe books are few and far between, and when it did show up, there were variations on the recipe. Not much to talk about there. However, while the cocktail information was sparse, there seems to be a whole lot of different Pendennis drinks including a toddy, a mint julep, and even an eggnog. So, this Pendennis must be something important.

Join us as we discuss this almost completely forgotten cocktail. We also explore the Pendennis Club, where it got its name, and why we probably would not be asked to be members.
We also do a call back to the Old-Fashioned episode where the Pendennis Club made an appearance, and the Fish House Punch episode where we discussed similar types of social clubs. More clubs where we would probably not be asked to be members.

The Pegu Club Cocktail takes us all the way to Myanmar, to ask the question. What was the Pegu Club? And how did it get its own cocktail? The answer is…not 100% sure! We know it was a club for Brits who lived and had their holidays in Myanmar in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In this episode we try to piece together what the purpose of the club was, why the British were there (hint: it rhymes with mimperialism), and a very tiny slice of Myanmar’s long and rich history that led to the cocktail we discuss.

The Mother-in-Law Cocktail is a tricky one to discuss. It is a family recipe out of New Orleans, and the ingredients are in great proportions to make it something you store in a bottle. This drink calls for New Orleans staple Peychaud’s Bitters, Angostura, Bitters, Amer Picon, Orange Curacao, simple syrup, maraschino liqueur, and Bourbon. Just short of every booze possible.

So, with nothing to go on as far a history of this cocktail we talk about, you guessed it, Mother-in-laws! Join us as we discuss the long-running mother-in-law jokes and stereotypes with roots in Vaudeville and the transition to other entertainment mediums, possibilities of where this trope might have originated, and whether there is any cultural truth behind overbearing mother-in-laws.

The recipe is:

1 tsp Peychaud's Bitters
1 tsp Angostura Bitters
1 tsp Amer Picon
0.5 oz orange curacao
0.5 oz simple syrup
0.5 oz maraschino
9 oz bourbon

We have done a number of episodes that have taken us into the realm of gross. Sometimes it is the ingredients, sometimes it is the backstory, sometimes it is because we are gross. The Monkey Gland is a special one because hits on all three!

Join us as we break down the why Harry MacElhone and not Frank Meier created this drink, how the drink was used as a defense in a trial, and how this drink was named after some very weird virility experiments involving, you guessed it, monkey glands.

The recipe is:

1 ½ ounces dry gin
1 ½ ounces orange juice
1 teaspoon grenadine
1 teaspoon absinthe