The Drink:
It popularised
the use of the straw and is said to have been the first drink to have been
shaken with ice. The Professor, Jerry Thomas, described it as ‘not requiring
much skill to compound’. It has been described as the most important mixed
drink in American history. A drink documented by greats such as Charles
Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Mark Twain.
Sherry meets Berries. I am talking, of course, of the Sherry Cobbler.
The Why:
All of the
above should suffice for my reasoning, but let me elaborate.
Rich in
History: A historical gem, documented for the first time in 1809, according to our knowledge, in Washington
Irving’s Knickerbocker’s History of New York, it preceded classics like the Mint
Julep (1824), the Sazerac (1859), the Martinez (1862), the Manhattan (1870) and
the Ramos Gin Fizz (1880s). So firmly established in its history and
popularity, Jerry Thomas documents its recipe in his 1862 edition of his Bartender’s Guide, the go-to-guide for popular
drinks of the 1800 century.
Global Domination: This quintessential American Cocktail rose
to popularity in the USA in the early 1830’s and soon
spread across the globe
to the UK (1847
- "Oxford Night Caps") and later Canada(1848
- “Canada and the Canadians“). William Terrington, author of Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks called it
“an American invention that has become a universal favourite”
Popular still Today: Rather a
drinks ‘classification’, than a ‘cocktail’, we still find it on the beverage
list of Night Jar in London, amongst other world famous bars and is readily
available in the most watering holes in the world with a knowledgeable bartender. It’s uncharacteristically lower alcohol content
compared to the drinks of its age, make it easy to drink, even to today’s sweet
toothed consumer.
