Normandie – Recipe below from ‘Old Waldorf Bar Days’

The name of a hotel in Broadway’s early spotlight district, patronized by sportsmen and sports. 

Dash of Orange Bitters 

One-half jigger Apple Whiskey 

One-half Italian Vermuth 

Stir; strain 

The Hotel Normandie was knocked down in the 1920’s, another hotel victim to shrinking profits from an age without legal booze It must have been quite grand in its time, apparently Tchaikovsky stayed here in 1891 on a visit to inaugurate Carnegie Hall, although the phrase ‘patronised by sportsmen and sports’ does not allude to a better type of clientele.

The drink itself is a good one, I’ve developed a real liking for Applejack and am going through a phase to seek out drinks with it in. I’ve assumed its equal portions which is where the only real issue is, I think this would work much better in Manhattan proportions, to give the drink a little more punch. Maybe this worked better at the Normandie, to keep their guests a little more on the sober side of a fun night out.

On the image below the Normandie can be seen just peaking though the Otard Brandy sign upper right hand side and gives you an idea of the vibrancy of Broadway in the late 1800’s.