Depth charges, yes I’m talking Jägerbombs, are a modern innovation, no? Synonymous with students, dive bars, nightclubs and even weddings, they seem to transcend social and economic divides. Pretty much everyone loves a Jägerbomb. Did you know, though, that there’s a gin-based depth charge in The Savoy Cocktail Book published in 1930? No, really.
‘Take one hooker of Gin, place in it an olive, then deposit the glass carefully in the bottom of an ordinary tumbler. Fill the said tumbler with Water, Ginger Ale, or What Have You, until almost to the top of the small glass, then down the whole thing quickly. That is, everything but the small glass.’ Noted to be popular among pilots on American flying fields, this rather wonderful drink may not be a cocktail in the classic sense of the word, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun and in my mind, absolutely deserves a revival!
To translate the recipe, rather than hooker, read shot glass, and as far as what to put in the tumbler, ginger ale is a great choice, as is bitter lemon, or tonic water. Basically, anything you usually mix gin with. I’d highly recommend pitted olives too, so you don’t have to mess about with the stone.
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