However the real reason i like the pegu club cocktail is. The pegu club on pyay road and zagawar street was originally established in 1882 by the british. Cointreau or orange curacao, not triple sec 12ounce fresh squeezed lime juice. Pegu club, a pioneering manhattan cocktail bar, wont reopen. In new york city, a bar named pegu club serves the cocktail. Sep 16, 2019 audrey sanders created one of the most famous iterations of the equal parts martini at pegu club. The drink was created with a view to becoming the bars signature cocktail, and offered great refreshment in a hot country. On the road to mandalay, where the flyin fishes play. When thinking about the pegu club, two things come to mind. How to be a better home bartender, according to a cocktail.
Oct 03, 2019 from the history of the cocktail to spirits production, assembling the right arsenal of tools, as well as, of course, over 100 recipes, including some originals from meehan himself, this books. In this book, he shares his story and what hes learned since helping audrey saunders open pegu club in 2005. Jim meehan is a renowned bartender and author of the pdt cocktail book. He worked at some of new york citys most revered restaurants and bars, including gramercy tavern and pegu club, before opening the james beard awardwinning bar pdt in 2007. The story behind the popular jasmine cocktail the seattle times. After being popularized in burma now myanmar, the pegu clubs reputation spread far. And few ingredients have as rich a history or serve as fundamental a role in. A 2,000year history of dining out was published in. May 14, 2012 this may be the only bad cocktail in the savoy cocktail book, mr. Over the years, the club remained an intimate part of yangons history and went on to inspire worldfamous novels and cocktails. As master mixologist harry craddock observed in 1930, the pegu club cocktail has travelled, and is asked for, around the world. The club wined and dined british royalty and many highranking officials within its walls, and its name lives on through its signature ginbased cocktail, the pegu club, thats still served in.
Named after a victorian era gentlemens club in rangoon, burma now yangon, myanmar. A captivating gin sour, you can think of the pegu club cocktail as gins answer to the daiquiri and margarita. In yangon, the pegu club cocktail is available in the strand hotel, the governors residence, and as of 2018, at the original pegu club. Pegu club, the pioneering manhattan cocktail bar, wont. Kipling is gone, and the club has vanished along with the british, but the pegu club cocktail is still the drink of goodfellowship. Pegu club drink recipe how to make the perfect pegu club. Like all of its ilk, the pegu club had a bar, and like all such bars, this one had its house cocktail. The history is fascinating and the recipes are awesome. Created in the 1920s at the pegu club, an expat gentlemens club in british colonial rangoon, burma. The pegu club is named for the bar it was invented in, which was built in rangoon, burma now yangon, myanmar in 1880 to serve british army officers. How the pegu club connects contemporary cocktail culture with. He would make them for patrons regularly at the savoy. The recipe appears in the savoy cocktail book of 1930 by harry craddock as the pegu club cocktail, and the 1930 edition of cocktails by jimmy late of ciros.
Pegu club cocktail recipe pegu club david lebovitz. The cocktail became popular in the 1930s when it was featured in the savoy cocktail book. May, 2015 making this drink more interesting than simply a sweet and sour, boozy kick in the ass. News came last week that audrey saunders pegu club, that elegant atelier of modern cocktails, has closed. Pegu club helped craft a wonderful template for cocktail bars, but like every great movement, the followers watered down the concept. Unlike the muthaiga country club and the ootacamund club, though, the pegu club managed to. Shake cointreaur, lime juice, and bitters together for the perfectly balanced pegu club cocktail, a gin makeover of the classic margarita. History, such as americas prohibition laws, art movements, such as the art deco style of the 1920s and 1930s, and the great drinking holes of the world can all be found in cocktail books from the past. It dates back to the early 20th century, first mentioned in the 1930 savoy cocktail book, in which harry craddock credits the drink to the pegu club in burma myanmar today.
The pegu club is a tart, mouthwatering gin based cocktail that offers a. And in true british style, the house cocktail was based on, youve guessed it, gin. News came last week that audrey saunders pegu club, that elegant atelier of modern cocktails, has closed its glass front door for good. How pegu club forever changed the cocktail game grub street. Bombay sapphire 34ounce orange liqueur recommended. Aug 26, 2019 this was the house cocktail in the 1920s at burmas pegu club, a gentlemans establishment for british army officers and government officials. Its history is very closely linked to that of a club in todays myanmar, the historic burma.
I have written about the pegu club in connection with the gin gin mule which is also a very recommendable cocktail by the way so i do not want to repeat it here. Featured in his new book the martini cocktail, robert simonson explains, for orange bitters, she used a house mix of regans and fee brothersthe only orange bitters brands widely available. The club was located just outside rangoon, and its members were those britons who were senior government and military officials and prominent businessmen. Pegu club cocktail was first introduced in the 1920s. He would make continue reading pegu club cocktail history and recipe. The cocktail appears in the 1923 harry of ciros abc of mixing cocktails with the following recipe 1 dash of angostura bitters, 1 dash of orange bitters, 1 teaspoon lime juice roses, 16 curacao orange 23 gin which transposes. From the history of the cocktail to spirits production, assembling the right arsenal of tools, as well as, of course, over 100 recipes, including some. Gone are the days when a lonely bottle of angostura bitters held court behind the bar.
You made it this far because youre interested in the pegu club cocktail. Savoy cocktail book where he notes, the favourite cocktail at the pegu club. Whether it becomes a bar, hotel, museum, restaurant, or remains an. The club was named after the pegu, a burmese river. Apr 30, 2020 pegu club, the soho bar that kicked the cocktail revival in new york city into high gear when it opened in 2005 and quickly became one of the most influential cocktail bars in the world, will not. Whatever the pegu club and its cocktails history, its future is most telling. The pegu club cocktail is a mixed drink invented in rangoon, burma, in the 1920, while the country was part of the british colonies. The closing of pegu club is the end of a cocktail era. Cocktails for the history books the new york times. Originally published as a separate book packaged inside the nomad cookbook, this revised and standalone edition of the nomad cocktail book features more than 100 brandnew recipes for a total of more than 300 recipes, a service manual explaining the art of drinkmaking according to the nomad, and 30 new fullcolor cocktail illustrations for. The recipe appears in the savoy cocktail book of 1930 by harry craddock as the pegu club cocktail, and the 1930 edition of cocktails by jimmy late of ciros london as pegu club. How the pegu club connects contemporary cocktail culture.
Whether it becomes a bar, hotel, museum, restaurant, or remains an empty shell, it will be a marker of myanmars. He is the author of countless newspaper and magazine articles and five books, including the hugely influential imbibe. If a hint of sweetness is preferred, splash in a dash or two of simple syrup 1. A collection of cocktail world figures lined up saturday at the manhattan cocktail classic, the annual new york drinks convention, to shoot down some sacred cows many a preprohibition libation has been glorified in recent years as the cocktail demimonde began to resurrect and lionize the drinks of days gone by. The pegu club or the pegu is a ginbased cocktail that was the signature drink of burmas pegu club. The pegu clubs tasty tipple is back where it belongs, as the highlight of a historic club brought back to life in modern times. This was the house cocktail in the 1920s at burmas pegu club, a gentlemans establishment for british army officers and government officials. Heritage landmark the pegu club yangon was originally established in 1882. Invented in burma, at a british club called the pegu club, this tropicallytinged cocktail found its way into the savoy cocktail book. No real rocket surgery here, but its still a great drink, its blue and it rhymes. However the real reason i like the pegu club cocktail is that its a cocktail with a romantic, oldworld history attached. Pegu club, a pioneering manhattan cocktail bar, wont. This gin drink was invented in a british social club in burma.
The cocktail faded into obscurity only to be revived during the heady early years of the vintage cocktail revival of the aughts. I knew that if i opened a bar called pegu club that bartenders who. Inspired by dougs pegu blog, this weeks drink of the week. Wondrich laid into the bath cure, the house drink at chicagos famous pump house. An exact replica of the pegu club cocktail but with blue curacao instead of orange. Resembling an early ancestor of the long island iced tea, it called for six kinds of liquors, adding up to a full eightandonehalf ounces of booze. Imagine the great victorian storyteller rudyard kipling on his visit to the pegu club in 1889, sipping the signature drink as he writes his famous lines. Oct 17, 2017 bartender jim meehan talks to us about being a better home bartender, why gin and tonics matter, and how cocktail bars have changed in the past decade.
Pegu club cocktail via andrew willett gin, curacao, bitters, orange bitters, key lime, lemon peel shots and stripes forever gin, blue curacao, peychauds bitters, orange bitters, lemon juice, vanilla syrup. And few ingredients have as rich a history or serve as fundamental a role in our beverage heritage as bitters. See the ingredients, how to make it, view instrucitonal videos, and even email or text it to you phone. It survived, outliving its namesake, because it is certainly one of the great cocktail inventions, a delightful and summery gin sour. Jul 20, 2015 whatever the pegu club and its cocktails history, its future is most telling. David chang, chefowner of momofuku thanks to brad thomas parsonss inquisitive detective work, readers can discover how cocktail bitters rose from the ashes of prohibition to become an indispensable ingredient for the countrys top mixologists.
Its as peruvian as llamas, machu picchu, and ceviche and is a drink that many tourists visiting peru fall in love with. Oct 30, 2007 like all of its ilk, the pegu club had a bar, and like all such bars, this one had its house cocktail. This brief novel highlights the diminishing power of british imperialism using fictional accounts in burma as an example. The language of drinking in style and fine company is universal. Amy zavatto has two decades of experience writing about wine, spirits and food and consults for restaurants and wine and spirits retailers.
A cocktail renaissance has swept across the country, inspiring in bartenders and their thirsty patrons a new fascination with the ingredients, techniques, and traditions that make the american cocktail so special. The clubs guest list included acclaimed novelist, rudyard kipling, and the cocktail synonymous with the clubs name gained popularity. Pegu club, the soho bar that kicked the cocktail revival in new york city into high gear when it opened in 2005 and quickly became one of the most influential cocktail bars in the world, will not. Bartender jim meehan talks to us about being a better home bartender, why gin and tonics matter, and how cocktail bars have changed in the past decade. Audrey sanders created one of the most famous iterations of the equal parts martini at pegu club. Shake the ingredients in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. According to harry mcelhone, add 4 cl monkey 47 schwarzwald dry gin, 1 cl orange curacao, 1 tsp. Making this drink more interesting than simply a sweet and sour, boozy kick in the ass. Wonderful recipe for the pegu submitted by wasabijazz on wed, 01232019 12. The first time cocktail historian and boozeworld icon david wondrich walked into. Were not sure precisely when it was invented, but it had to be.
The cocktail went viral and even inspired a new pegu club in new york. The pegu club eventually found its way into harrys new york bar owner harry macelhones. Harrington had made a pegu club cocktail for another patron and decided to. Over eight chapters, meehan starts with cocktail history and then moves onto chapters covering bar design, tools, techniques and hospitality, along the way including tips from more than fifty of some of the bestknown names in the bar. A delicious cocktail recipe for the pegu club cocktail with lime juice, gin, angostura bitter and orange liqueur. Ill guarantee you that the pegu club cocktail did not survive because of white suits and atmospherics. Harry mcelhone, of the american bar in paris, included it in his cocktails and barflies and the savoy cocktail book featured it as well. Savoy cocktail book, in which harry craddock credits the drink to the pegu club.
The press has celebrated bar goto as a bastion of japans cocktail culture, with new york magazine declaring that it, may be the closest thing new york has seen to a japanesestyle cocktail bar since angels sharethe legendary east village cocktail bar, which opened in 1994 with a staff of bartenders whod trained in japan. From myanmar to manhattan, the legend of the pegu club cocktail. While the pegu club as a cocktail has all but disappeared from memory in presentday myanmar, the drink ventured far and wide. The pegu clubs bartenders produced a truly fantastic cocktail that has stood the test of time. Over the years, the club remained an intimate part of yangons history and. A delicious classic cocktail with gin, orange liqueur, and fresh lime juice. Maybe you first heard rumors of it from harry craddocks the savoy cocktail book.
2 1184 982 1133 719 1173 1038 341 1059 1372 1145 757 1548 303 1418 93 1148 1417 441 1628 1408 941 1532 47 226 1230 1246 357 1144 1014 258 219 1029 671 479 523 552 766