Quill
The Quill by Frank C. Payne
Harry MacElhone was a talented craftsman, showman and businessman in the spirit world. His heyday was in the roaring twenties, at his eponymous “Harry’s New York Bar”, in Paris. His establishment, famously located at 5 Rue Daunou, was at the center of activities for bon vivants and barflies of the expat era. He also knew the power of offering his patrons a little help – he placed advertisements in the newspapers and taxicabs of Paris, with instructions to tell the driver to “take me to Sank Roo Doe Noo”. The many cocktail creations he is credited with inventing can be found in his books Harry of Ciro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails, 1921, and Barflies and Cocktails, 1927.
quill and ink
MacElhone was clearly well versed in Negroni lore, despite its obscurity outside of Italy at the time, and is in fact credited with creating the Boulevardier variation with bourbon rather than gin for his good friend Erskine Gwynne, nephew of Andrew Carnegie and editor of the Boulevardier magazine, a sort of “New Yorker” for the Parisian crowd. Another Negroni variation can be found in MacElhone’s book, but not one he ever knew about, at least by the current name. The “Quill” cocktail only first appeared in Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails, 1996 edition, where it is attributed to Frank C. Payne. There is just a subtle twist to this version, the addition of a hint of absinthe to the usual mix of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, but that potent presence alters the drink considerably. Payne was a theater press agent whose union, the Theatrical Press Representatives of America, irregularly published a magazine named The Quill. His Negroni amplifies the herbal bitterness of the drink and adds a notable barb – for when you want an extra challenge. Don’t be afraid to deconstruct this drink and reconfigure it to suit your tastes, and try something new. Cheers!
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The Quill
1 oz gin (London dry)
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz Campari
1 barspoon absinthe
Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Hedgehog lime wheel garnish optional.
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