This book does not repeat the timeworn cocktails of old. Instead historian, expert, and drink aficionado Dr. Cocktailhas hand-picked a superb collection of 80 drinks rarely made today, and all of them deserve revival. Some are from the nineteenth century, some from the Prohibition era, and some from just after World War II, just as the golden age of the cocktail was waning. All are retrieved from extremely uncommon sources. In fact, some of these drinks were found carefully penned into old cocktail manuals or on scraps of paper and may never have been published. They are true treasures, indeed.Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails pays homage to the great bartenders of the past and the grand beverages they created, the recipes for which were almost lost to history. Fully illustrated, it is filled with golden-age style, narrated with humorous and colorful anecdotes, chock-full of fascinating cocktail history, and brimming with delicious concoctions. If you have half the fun looking at this book and trying these recipes as the author did putting them together, a great party is about to ensue.

    The Clouseau blends bourbon, cherry liqueur, triple sec, and light cream for a scintillating drink that pays tribute to the bumbling but beloved inspector. The Phantom, aka the Sir Charles Cocktail, combines lemon-flavored vodka, triple sec, grapefruit juice, and fresh lemon for an appropriately sophisticated taste. Of course, the Panther himself is here in a variety of luscious libations, including some that are actually pink thanks to ingredients like pink lemonade and grapefruit juice. Colorful retro artwork by the infamous Shag adds to the fun, and the bonus CD expands the experience with video clips and songs from Virgin Records' "Pink Panther Penthouse Party."