I'll be attending the Cocktails & Spirits Online Writers Group (CSOWG) event Drink.Write this December in D.C. At this event, I'll finally get a chance to meet DJ HawaiianShirt of Spirited Remix. I'm continually impressed with his blog and often find new things.
Recently, one of those new things was the Improved Cocktail.
"2 oz spirit
1 dash simple syrup
1 dash aromatic bitters
1 dash Maraschino
1 dash absinthe
Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist."
DJ loves this easy tipple and it's not hard to understand why. He writes:
"It doesn't sound like much, but [Jerry] Thomas knew what he was doing when he codified this thing into the printing press."
Now, like me, a thought that DJ has grappled with is unintentionally creating a cocktail that might already exist. No decent person would plagiarize and anyone could suffer from cryptomnesia.
Making things worse, the craft cocktail movement has progressed to the point that stealing has become a significant discussion. At the end of the day, it leaves an amateur like myself wondering what the most prudent course of action would be. One could certainly scour the internet for the beverage in a Google search - or at least give it the old college try.
DJ finds peace of mind from some fellow cocktailians:
"Since then, I've gotten encouragement to shed humility by going ahead and naming cocktails that I've made, even if doing so seemed a bit exorbitant."
And the original remix that DJ formulated?
"Oklahoma
1.5-2 oz Cruzan Black Strap rum
heavy dash simple syrup
heavy dash aromatic bitters
heavy dash Maraschino
heavy dash absinthe
Build over ice in small tumbler. Garnish with orange twist."
Cheers!
NEW: Darcy O'Neil has some guidance.
Note: This post has been revised since its original publication
