25-02-2018 Millionaire

Some recipes for drinks pf the whisky sour type omit the lemon or lime juice altogether. Such a cocktail is the

Millionaire – David Embury

1 part Grenadine or Raspberry Syrup

2 parts Curacao

8 parts Whisky

1 Egg White to each 2 drinks

Shake the liqueurs and the egg white thoroughly with cracked ice first, then add the whisky in 2 or 3 instalments, shaking after each addition

While the above recipe produces a very satisfactory drink, in my opinion it is improved by the addition of a small quantity of lemon juice. 

Two or three dashes of absinthe for each drink convert this cocktail into the MILLIONAIRE ROYAL. 

At some bars a drink is served under the name of ‘Millionaire’ which consists of lime juice, sloe gin, and apricot brandy, with a few dashes of Jamaica rum. Since the sloe gin, which is a liqueur, predominates in this drink, I do not regard it as a true cocktail. 

This drink has a myriad of different recipes, from the Savoy to Embury and plenty in between. All different versions, and another example of a name for a drink which was just too easy to stumble across. All of them seem to originate some time during prohibition, or more relevantly, the great depression. A time when maybe a sip of an appropriately named drink could set you dreaming, while hidden away in a basement somewhere? At which stage the first recipe makes sense, a load of sugar and egg white to disguise dodgy industrial alcohol stiffened hooch from north of the border? I can’t imagine that those with means in the 20’s would enjoy knocking this back, the millionaire royal however is an entirely different beast. Embury, as per usual, is not wrong. Adding 1 part lemon juice and a few drops of absinthe makes an entirely different drink, both ingredients help dry the drink out and push through the flavours.