Gallicauda

Gallicauda,^[1] linguis vernacularibus cocktail, est potio fortis mixta, quorum antiquissimae hoc nomen habentes, saeculo undevicensimo ineunte oblatae, ex aqua vitae, aqua, saccharo, elixire amaro^(en) confectae sunt. Plura huius temeti genera post annum fere 1860 hodie usque inventa sunt, nominibus praecipuis variisque proprietatibus ferentia.

Nomen et origo

Ex antiquissima citatione verbi cock-tail sensu potionis, Londinii anno 1803 divulgata, fere nihil discimus quia pars est enumerationis potionum fictae sed rebus politicis, privatis, sexualibus fartae: "Dominus Pitt, duo cyathi parvi unguenti Veneris, 1s.; ... unus perfecti amoris 7d.; ... cock-tail i.q. zingiber ¾d.".^[2] E secunda citatione, Amherstii in Nova Hantonia anno insequenti, haud plura: est enim ephemeris ficta Aristippi cuiusdam provincialis: "Cyathum gallicaudae bibimus, capite sanativissimum: abambulavimus omnes ad puellas visitandas ... Apud Colonellum venientes puellas vivaces amabilesque reperimus: cyathum vini bibimus ... Apud medicum venimus: ibi Burnham reperimus qui sapiens videbatur: cyathum iterum gallicaudae bibimus."^[3] Citatio tertia, Hudson in urbe Novi Eboraci anno 1806 divulgata, enumerationem potionum profert: "720 grogs rhomii; 17 grogs spiritus vini; 32 slings iuniperati; 411 cyathi elixirum amarorum; 25 cyathi cock-tail."^[4] Ibi contextus potionum fortium sed aliud nihil nobis praebitum esset, nisi quod lector quidam, talium allusionum fastidiosus, definitionem verbi incogniti postulavit. Cui editor sic non sine subrisu politico respondit:

Cock tail ... is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters — it is vulgarly called bittered sling, and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head.

("Cock tail est temetum stimulans e spiritu alicuius generis, saccharo, aqua, elixire amaro mixtum et vulgariter bittered sling nuncupatum. Quae potio optime candidatis convenit, corde potoris forti audacique reddito, capite itidem ebriato.")^[5] Haec definitio strictissime ad temetum vetustius convenit, recentius sub appellatione gallicaudae "prisco stilo" (Old Fashioned) recreatum, sed ad plurimas potiones quae cocktail vel gallicaudae appellantur satis correspondet.

*Acerba e vischio* (e vischio, suco limoniorum, saccharo, glacie) inlata, frusto aurantii cerasoque maraschino condito ornata

Citationibus 1798 et 1803 non iam repertis, definitione autem 1806 recensa, philologus H. L. Mencken cocktail ab Americanis primam inventam fuisse censuit. Quae res in dubio manet: cocktail enim annis 1800 tam in Anglia quam in Civitatis Foederatis primum relata, tam illic quam hic annis 1860 diffusa est. Londinii anno 1869 William Terrington "composita" definivit "saepissime adhibita a mane surgentibus ad animum intimum roborandum, etiam ab eis qui consolationes calidasque validasque requirere solent".^[6] Sed illis annis limites definitionis cocktail rapidissime extendebantur: in libro praeceptorum a Jerry Thomas anno 1862 divulgato cocktail parvam potionum categoriam constituit, crustis, punch, sour, sling^(en), cobbler, flip exclusis; in editione 1887 eiusdem operis verbum cocktail maiorem harum potionum partem comprehendi habetur.^[7]

Historia socialis

Iam anno 1906 Lyman Phillips his verbis iudicavit: The cocktail is the national apéritif of America—Manhattan or Martini being most in favor ("cocktail est propoma Americanorum nationale: in hoc genere Manhattan aut Martini maxime probatur");^[8] quae consuetudo iam apud Britannos, mox ubique apud plures accepta est. Recte ergo H. L. Mencken (subridens et ille) disseminationem potionum huius generis a plurimis gentibus recognitam esse tamquam beneficium omnium maximum, quod gens humana, Americanarum morum gratia, ad salvationem suam accepissent:

The cock-tail, to multitudes of foreigners, seems to be the greatest of all contributions of the American way of life to the salvation of humanity.^[9]

Talia beneficia seipsum elaboravisse et auxisse nuntiavit, undecim potiones se primum invenisse quarum novem sui honore nominatas: olim cum amico quantitatem maximam potionum quae e materie bibulica optimarum cauponarum confici possent a mathematico calculari mandavisse, seipsosque non minus quam 273 confecisse et gustavisse, quorum aliqua peiora, aliqua meliora sed omnia bona reportavissent.^[10]

Novum genus comissationum, nomine cocktail party anno 1917, in urbe S. Ludovici in eadem domo ubi hodie archiepiscopi S. Ludovici habitantur, inceptum esse constat, sicut in paginis diarii St. Paul Pioneer Press legi potest: hanc novissimam conviviorum manifestationem mulierem Iulii S. Walsh primam invenisse, hospitibus quinquaginta convocatis horamque singulam inter meridiem prandiumque morantibus: potiones Bronx, Clover leaf, Highball, Gin fizz, Mint julep, Sazerac, Martini, Manhattan appetenter consumptas.^[11] De prima huius generis comissatione in Anglia habita certiores facimur ab Alexandro Waugh mythistorico, qui se anno 1924 rem proposuisse rettulit: pictorem Ricardum Nevinson^(en) mulieremque hospites triginta convocavisse; duabus hydriis potiones praeberi, unam ex iuniperato aliquo modo factam, alteram e rhomio Iamaicano sucoque lumiarum Rose's et elixire amaro Angusturensi glacieque fortissime confectam; paropsides propositas esse cream crackers magnumque caseum Cheddarensem, quo gustus rhomii optime promotus esset: duos, nec plures, convivas adfuisse, quibus necesse erat cyathos generosius implere.^[12]

Index notabiliorum cocktail generum

Notae

↑ "Gallicauda" contextu Anglico scripta: Wondrich (2015). Cf. nomen botanicum Columnea gallicauda Wiehler.
↑ Mr. Pitt, two petit vers of “L’huile de Venus” 0 1 0; ... one of “perfeit amour” 0 0 7; ... “cock-tail” (vulgarly called ginger) 0 0 0¾: Morning Post and Gazetteer (20 Martii 1798). Zingiber sicut excitatorium anale equi debilioris venditores adhibebant, quo inserto caudam sublevare incitaretur: Wondrich (2015)
↑ Drank a glass of cocktail — excellent for the head; all sauntered away to see the girls ... Went to the Col[onel]’s, found the girls very lively and sociable — drank a glass of wine ... Call’d at the Doct[or]’s, found Burnham — he looked very wise — drank another glass of cocktail.: Farmer's Cabinet (28 Aprilis 1803)
↑ 720 rum grogs; 17 brandy [grogs]; 32 gin-slings; 411 glasses bitters; 25 glasses cock-tail: The Balance and Columbian Repository (6 Maii 1806)
↑ The Balance and Columbian Repository (13 Maii 1806)
↑ Cocktails are compounds very much used by "early birds" to fortify the inner man, and by those who like their consolations hot and strong: Terrington (1869) p. 180
↑ Thomas (1862); Thomas (1887)
↑ A. Lyman Phillips, A bachelor's cupboard (Bostoniae: Luce, 1906) p. 162
↑ Mencken (1945) p. 256
↑ I have myself invented eleven, and had nine named after me ... employed a mathematician to figure out how many could be fashioned of the materia bibulica ordinarily available in a first-rate bar ... the number was 17,864,391,788. We tried 273 at random, and found them all good, though some, of course, were better than others. Mencken (1945) p. 256
↑ Positively the newest stunt in society is the giving of "cocktail parties" ... Mrs. Julius S. Walsh, Jr., a leader in society activities ... responsible for the innovation ... interregnum preceding 1 o'clock dinner [etc.]: St. Paul Pioneer Press (Maio 1917) fide Felten (2007)
↑ At each end of the table was a large earthenware jug. "One’s rum. The other's gin. Which'll you have?" they asked. I opted for rum. Jamaican rum had been blended with Rose's lime juice and sharpened with Angostura. Large nuggets of ice kept the mixture cool. It was very potent ... In front ... were two dishes of cream crackers and a large cheddar cheese. I cut myself a slice ... The cheddar brought out the flavor of the rum ... "It looks," said Richard, "as though you’ll have more than your ration of liquor to consume": Waugh (1974)

Bibliographia

Historica

Charles H. Baker Jr, The Gentleman’s Companion, Volume II: An Exotic Drinking Book. 1939 Textus
Walter Burns, "The Ultimate Cocktail Encyclopedia". Didacopoli Californiae: Thunder Bay Press, 2014
Amy Fleming, "The science of mixing mind-blowing cocktails" in The Guardian (19 Augusti 2014)
Eric Felten, "St. Louis -- Party Central" in Wall Street Journal (6 Octobris 2007)
William Grimes, Straight up or on the rocks: a cultural history of American drink. Novi Eboraci: North Point Press, 1993; nova ed., 2001
William L. Hamilton, Shaeen and Stirred. Novi Eboraci: Harper, 2004
H. L. Mencken, The American Language: supplement 1 (Novi Eboraci: Knopf, 1945) pp. 256-260
Jeffrey Miller, "The Prohibition-era origins of the modern craft cocktail movement" in The Conversation (15 Ianuarii 2019)
Hilario Alonso Sánchez, El Arte del Cantinero (Havanae, 1948) pp. 251-280 et passim
Steven Schneider, Craig N. Owens, edd., The Shaken and the Stirred: The Year’s Work in Cocktail Culture. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2020
Alec Waugh, "They laughed when I invented the cocktail party" in Esquire (Iulio 1974)
David Wondrich, Imbibe! From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar. 2a ed. Novi Eboraci: Perigee, 2015. ISBN 978-0-399-53287-0 (editio 1a: 2007)
David Wondrich, "Ancient Mystery Revealed! The Real History (Maybe) of How the Cocktail Got its Name" in Saveur (14 Ianuarii 2016)
David Wondrich, Noah Rothbaum, edd., The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails. Novi Eboraci: Oxford University Press, 2021. ISBN 978-0-19-931113-2

Praecepta

Si plus cognoscere vis, vide etiam Libri de potionibus mixtis.

1862 : Jerry Thomas, How to mix drinks, or The bon-vivant's companion. Novi Eboraci: Dick & Fitzgerald; Textus; alibi; alia impressio, titulo The bar-tender's guide; editio 1876
1869 : William Terrington, Cooling cups and dainty drinks (Londinii: Routledge Textus apud Internet Archive
1887 : Jerry Thomas, The bar-tender's guide, or How to mix all kinds of plain and fancy drinks [tertia ed. ab alio curata]. Novi Eboraci: Dick & Fitzgerald Textus apud Internet Archive
1934 : Patrick Gavin Duffy, Official mixer's manual. Novi Eboraci: Ray Long & Richard R. Smith Editio 1934 apud Hathi Trust; editio 1940 mutuabilis
1941 : Crosby Gaige, Cocktail guide and ladies' companion. — Lucius Beebe, praef., Cocktail guide and ladies' companion. 5a ed. Novi Eboraci: Fireside Press, 1945; de hac editione
1948 : David A. Embury, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. 1948. — 3a ed., 1958. — Nova ed. (Robert Hess, Audrey Saunders, praeff.): Novi Eboraci: Mud Puddle Books, 2009. ISBN 978-1-60311-164-5
2011 : Brad Thomas Parsons, Bitters: a spirited history of a classic cure-all. Berkeleiae: Ten Speed Press, 2011
2018 : Gary Regan, The joy of mixology. Novi Eboraci: Clarkson Potter, 2003. — 2a ed. 2018
2020 : Dale DeGroff, The New Craft of the Cocktail. Novi Eboraci: Penguin Random House

Nexus externi

Vicimedia Communia plura habent quae ad cocktail spectant (Cocktail, Cocktails).

CocktailSafe
"Major figures of cocktail history"
"Origine et date de 290 cocktails classiques"
Il bibliotecario apud Bar Giornale
EUVS Vintage Cocktail Books
Keith Allison, "Spies at the Savoy" 1, 2, 3
Simon Difford, "Vintage cocktail books: a timeline"
Pascal Tréguer, "Notes on the earliest mention of a drink called 'cocktail'"; "Notes on the second-earliest mention of a drink called 'cocktail'"; "Earliest definition of 'cocktail'"

[1] "Gallicauda" contextu Anglico scripta: Wondrich (2015). Cf. nomen botanicum Columnea gallicauda Wiehler.

[2] Mr. Pitt, two petit vers of “L’huile de Venus” 0 1 0; ... one of “perfeit amour” 0 0 7; ... “cock-tail” (vulgarly called ginger) 0 0 0¾: Morning Post and Gazetteer (20 Martii 1798). Zingiber sicut excitatorium anale equi debilioris venditores adhibebant, quo inserto caudam sublevare incitaretur: Wondrich (2015)

[3] Drank a glass of cocktail — excellent for the head; all sauntered away to see the girls ... Went to the Col[onel]’s, found the girls very lively and sociable — drank a glass of wine ... Call’d at the Doct[or]’s, found Burnham — he looked very wise — drank another glass of cocktail.: Farmer's Cabinet (28 Aprilis 1803)

[4] 720 rum grogs; 17 brandy [grogs]; 32 gin-slings; 411 glasses bitters; 25 glasses cock-tail: The Balance and Columbian Repository (6 Maii 1806)

[5] The Balance and Columbian Repository (13 Maii 1806)

[6] Cocktails are compounds very much used by "early birds" to fortify the inner man, and by those who like their consolations hot and strong: Terrington (1869) p. 180

[7] Thomas (1862); Thomas (1887)

[8] A. Lyman Phillips, A bachelor's cupboard (Bostoniae: Luce, 1906) p. 162

[9] Mencken (1945) p. 256

[10] I have myself invented eleven, and had nine named after me ... employed a mathematician to figure out how many could be fashioned of the materia bibulica ordinarily available in a first-rate bar ... the number was 17,864,391,788. We tried 273 at random, and found them all good, though some, of course, were better than others. Mencken (1945) p. 256

[11] Positively the newest stunt in society is the giving of "cocktail parties" ... Mrs. Julius S. Walsh, Jr., a leader in society activities ... responsible for the innovation ... interregnum preceding 1 o'clock dinner [etc.]: St. Paul Pioneer Press (Maio 1917) fide Felten (2007)

[12] At each end of the table was a large earthenware jug. "One’s rum. The other's gin. Which'll you have?" they asked. I opted for rum. Jamaican rum had been blended with Rose's lime juice and sharpened with Angostura. Large nuggets of ice kept the mixture cool. It was very potent ... In front ... were two dishes of cream crackers and a large cheddar cheese. I cut myself a slice ... The cheddar brought out the flavor of the rum ... "It looks," said Richard, "as though you’ll have more than your ration of liquor to consume": Waugh (1974)

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