Loftus – Recipe from the ‘Old Waldorf Bar Guide’

Called in compliment to Cissie Loftus, famous English comedienne and mimic. Long a popular top-liner in American vaudeville. 

One-third French Vermuth 

One-third Italian Vermuth 

One-third Absinthe 

Frappe

Cecelia Loftus was born in 1876, and followed in the family tradition of the performing arts, mostly variety shows and vaudeville. She moved from the UK to New York to follow the money tied into vaudeville performances at the time, and also delved into burlesque. A string of failed marriages and a complicated birth saw her hooked on alcohol and painkillers and arrested for possession of morphine in the UK. She made bail and fled to Hollywood and even managed a couple of silent movies before alcohol and old age caught up to her.

This is a great drink, it has absinthe in it so my opinion on its quality was always going to be a sure thing. Its quite potent, and if anything I love the idea of Cissie’s battered palate finding itself at the Waldorf one day, complaining about how weak her perfect martini tasted and the bartender in desperation swapping out the gin for something a little stronger much to her delight. Shaking it all together, and the proportions do tame it more than enough to make this quite palatable. Well worth a try.