Two Guys and a Drink: Once Upon a Cape

In "Two Guys and a Drink", Dave and John focus on a single drink and experiment with multiple recipes and ingredients as they search for their own "perfect" recipe. Of course, the "perfect" recipe is purely subjective; as with life, the cocktail is a journey, not a destination, and you should find your own. For this post, they are taking on a travel-inspired original: Once Upon a Cape

Check, check... is this thing on? What do you know, it is. 
So, you may have noticed we've been MIA on the blog for a while. But that doesn't mean we haven't been documenting our drinking endeavors. Keep an eye out for our more regular online activities on Facebook here and Instagram here and here.

Background

Enjoying the view... or contemplating
ratios for a new A&T Original?

It's rare the two halves of A&T are in the same time zone, let alone in the same room long enough to share a drink together in person. For a few blissful weeks in October, though, David and John managed to squeeze in a much needed reunion in beautiful South Africa. From Faerie Glen to Maboneng, Hout Bay to Franschhoek, Pilanesberg to... some very off-the-beaten-path destination in Limpopo, the A&T crew rode again. And wouldn't you know, they came up with a drink to commemorate the whole thing. 

Two Guys and Drink: Corpse Reviver #2

In "Two Guys and a Drink", Dave and John focus on a single drink and experiment with multiple recipes and ingredients as they search for their own "perfect" recipe. Of course, the "perfect" recipe is purely subjective; as with life, the cocktail is a journey, not a destination, and you should find your own. For this post, they are taking on a pre-Prohibition classic: The Corpse Reviver #2.

A LITTLE HISTORY
"Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again." So wrote Harry Craddock in his seminal The Savoy Cocktail Book. Craddock's written contribution to the cocktail arts is filled with a multitude of similarly witty quips, but this particular one is at least partly responsible for #2's revived popularity. How can you read that and not want a taste? To be fair, four of most cocktails will likely send you to bed (or worse), but it was thoughtful of Craddock to issue the warning because this tasty concoction is one that will leave you asking for more.

Two guys and a drink: The Manhattan

In "Two Guys and a Drink", Dave and John focus on a single drink and experiment with multiple recipes and ingredients as they search for their own "perfect" recipe. Of course, the "perfect" recipe is purely subjective; as with life, the cocktail is a journey, not a destination, and you should find your own. For this post, they are taking on a classic: The Manhattan.

A LITTLE HISTORY
The Manhattan may not be the oldest cocktail around, but it is an undeniable classic. David Embury, a beacon of light for all amateur mixers and imbibers, lists it as one of his Six Basic Cocktails. Its history, like most cocktails, is a muddled one, but it was most certainly invented in New York City in the 1870s and first appeared in bartender guides as early as 1882. The Manhattan is especially notable, according to David Wonderich, for leading the way for other vermouth-blended cocktails. Is it possible that, without the Manhattan, the Martini would never have the prominent cocktail it is today? Probably not - come on, it's the Martini - but that does not mean the Manhattan's contributions to the evolution of the cocktail should be underestimated.