Suffering Bastard - How to Make the Classic Tiki Drink & the History Behind It

Опубликовано: 27 Октябрь 2024
на канале: Distinguished Spirits

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How to make the Suffering Bastard, the Egyptian Tiki cocktail made with Gin, Brandy, Lime Cordial, Aromatic Bitters, Ginger Beer, with a Mint Sprig and an Orange Wheel for garnish. It’s in the class of drinks along side the Moscow Mule, Mamie Taylor and Dark ’N Stormy. It’s the Horse’s Neck meets the Gimlet. And, as unlikely as it seems, it became a mid-century Tiki standard.

The Bastard was born far from the faux Polynesian world of California Tiki culture and it certainly did not follow the Don the Beachcomber (Planter’s Punch) exotic drink template. It was born in 1942 in British-controlled Cairo at the Long Bar in the Shepheard's Hotel. The drink was created by Joe Scialom, an Egyptian native, who at one time, was one of the most famous bar keepers in the world.

He created the drink as a Corpse Reviver or a hair-of-the-dog drink, one meant to cure your hangover. In 1942, nearly all of North Africa was being effected by World War II. Supply-lines were cut. Scialom was forced to work with less than great spirits. But for this drink, he managed to beg, borrow and steal quality versions of each ingredient. Most importantly, the lime cordial was homemade and the ginger beer was really spicy.

In the mid-1950’s the British lost control of Egypt. During the upheaval, Scialom was thrown in prison under suspicion of being a spy. When he was let out a month later, he grabbed his family and fled the country. However, Conrad Hilton, who had been charged with helping make Puerto Rico a tourist destination, was building a new hotel in Puerto Rico and he needed the best bartender in the world to head up the exotic bar in the hotel. Hilton hired Scialom and they remained partners for decades. Scialom opened bars and trained staff for Hilton in dozens of cities throughout the world. Everywhere he went, the Suffering Bastard followed and it became a standard on tiki menus.

The story behind this was uncovered by Tiki historian, Beachbum Berry. A large chunk of his book, Potions of the Caribbean, is devoted to Scialom. There’s a lot more about Scialom and about the history of rum and tiki and all kinds of good stuff in that book. The stories about Scialom alone make the book worth buying.

For the Lime Cordial, Beachbum Berry recommends in his books that you use Rose’s Lime Juice, however, you’re going to love it a lot more with a homemade Lime Cordial and the best recipe for that comes from The 12 Bottle Bar. It’ll make the best Gimlet you’ve ever had and it’ll be hard to beat in this one too.

As for the ginger beer, you really wanna hit that perfect balance of not too citrusy, not too sweet and fiery as hell. Fentiman’s is good. Fever Tree is excellent. But if the ginger beer you have on hand isn’t spicy enough, you’ll want to hit it with a little ginger syrup to help bring it up to the right level. If you have a Caribbean ginger beer that’s heavy on the citrus, maybe dial back the lime cordial a touch.

This drink is really good when done right, but it was invented by a guy who trained as a chemist, so it’s balance is precise. It’s easy to throw it out of whack with too much sugar, too much citrus, not enough ginger, etc. It may take a little tweaking for you to nail it at home, but it’s worth spending a little extra time in the lab. Okole Maluna!

Recipe:
1 oz (30 ml) Gin
1 oz (30 ml) Brandy
0.5 oz (15 ml) Lime Cordial
2 dashes Aromatic Bitters
4 oz (120 ml) Ginger Beer
garnish Mint Sprig
garnish Orange Wheel

Shake all the ingredients except the ginger beer. Strain over ice in a collins glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with Mint Sprig and Orange Wheel.

Music:
Trouble in Paradise by Andreas Ericson
via Epidemic Sound

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Featured in this Episode:

Ford’s Gin
http://bit.ly/2Arn7eP

Copper & Kings Brandy
http://bit.ly/2qD25E3

Lime Cordial
   • How to Make Lime Cordial - Homemade V...

Angostura Bitters
http://amzn.to/2jHG5G7

Fentimen’s Ginger Beer
http://amzn.to/2A2IS7B

The 12 Bottle Bar by David & Lesley Solmonson
http://amzn.to/2npmUFT

Potions of the Caribbean by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry
http://amzn.to/2rfjffU

Bar Tools:

Schott Zwiesel Collins Glasses
http://amzn.to/2q3GUyD

OXO Angled Measuring Cup, Mini
http://amzn.to/2pazwfR

OXO SteeL Cocktail Shaker
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Bamboo Paper Straws
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Cutting Board
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Small Knife
http://amzn.to/1KDFQoc