Bars used to be different.
They used to be a place where men went to drink strong, expensive drinks together. At lunch.
They used to be a place where a smoke haze filled the air.
(Smoke at Mahogany)
Prohibition killed the cowboy club that we called a saloon. Women started mingling with men without fear of a bad reputation. After prohibition ended its lingering moral elements made the habit of daily drinking after work less acceptable. The no smoking ban in major cities like New York and Philly, itself only a decade old, turned the contemporary bar into something very different from the bars of old. It’s healthier, safer, saner…But it feels like something’s missing.
Winston Churchill, who blazes at you through his portrait on the wall at Mahogany Cigar Bar, would laugh at the watering holes of today, lacking in romance, devoid of the elegant war of attrition gentlemen of the sporting life waged against their bodies. After all, this was a warrior, whose mother in law allegedly played a role in the creation of the Manhattan, who was fond of fiercely defending his love of drinking:
“Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than it has taken out of me.”
The icons of the past: Jack London, Rudyard Kipling, Winston Churchill, Humphrey Bogart, Ian Fleming (James Bond’s creator), Frank Sinatra. Sure, they made bad decisions, they smoked too much, drank too much, and chased women. But these were men who lived in the moment, who were violently, powerfully alive. And that sort of vitality-tied to their own self destruction-could be felt in everything they did.
A famous quote, attributed to both Jack London and Ian Fleming reads:
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them, I shall use my time.
In today’s society, this quality seems to be slipping away.
The thing is: there’s something about a room that smells like my grandfather, is foggier than a tropical greenhouse, and is frequented by men who smoke and drink and don’t care what you think. Because of this, Mahogany has a realism that even the best of the craft cocktail bars seem to lack. It’s a lot of fun, at least until the smoke starts to sting your eyes.
There are cigar bars, but Mahogany walks its walk. I like it.
I ordered a Blood and Sand, named after the Rudolph Valentino bullfighting movie of the same name:
The Blood in Sand is a gem for a few reasons. It’s one of the greatest drinks to come out of Prohibition, a time when the level of professionalism in Mixology was in free fall. It’s very rare to have a drink that has equal proportions of everything and is still amazing. Very few examples come to mind (Negroni), and Scotch’s richness and smokiness makes any good scotch cocktail worth mentioning.
Dale Degroff brought new credibility to the Blood and Sand when he reinstated it as an essential drink. The ingredients go together shockingly well, the tartness of the orange mingling with the smokiness of the scotch and lending a finish that reminds me, of all things, of Terry’s Dark Chocolate Orange:
My only complaint was that the orange wedge seemed a little limp. I would have liked to see a twist or a wheel, it just seemed amateurish for a drink of this caliber. But I’m splitting hairs.
(Credit)
Here is original recipe from the Savoy Cocktail Book:
Blood and Sand
¾ oz Scotch (Famous Grouse, Chivas, or other blended Scotch recommended)
¾ oz Cherry Heering
¾ oz sweet vermouth
¾ oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: chilled cocktail glass or coupe
Garnish: brandied cherries or orange twist, or both
By the way, in case you were wondering, yes the Mad Men post is coming soon.
