Peacock

The Peacock, a highball made of brandy, port and soda, first appeared exclusively in 1883 and has not been read about since. We have rediscovered it and hope that it will be offered more often, because it deserves it.

20 ml Milenario Gran Reserva brandy
20 ml Graham’s Tawny Port 20 years old
80 ml Thomas Henry soda

Preparation: Serve as a highball.

Alternatively and currently preferred by us:

20 ml Capitaine Sansot armagnac
20 ml Graham’s Tawny Port 20 years
80 ml Thomas Henry Soda

The Peacock is a very old drink and is published for the first time and apparently exclusively in 1883 by Patsy McDonough. It is served with “soda straight from the cooler”; there is no mention of ice here. We, on the other hand, think that it should be served as a classic highball, i.e. with ice cubes. The original recipe calls for brandy as an ingredient, and as was customary at the time, this must have meant cognac. However, we have tried both French cognac and Spanish brandy and clearly prefer the latter here. Please forgive us for this modification of the original. Nevertheless, we retain the original naming.

It is no longer possible to find out from where the Peacock got its name. Perhaps it is named after the bird Peacock, or perhaps – which is more likely – after a person with the surname Peacock.

One must not confuse the “Peacock” with the “Peacock Cocktail”. The latter first appears 30 years later, by Jacques Straub. However, this is a completely different drink, consisting of brandy, Amer Picon and absinthe. All publications of the following years, even those that only call themselves Peacock, practically correspond to this Peacock Cocktail.

So in naming, one should be careful to refer only to the highball as “Peacock” and otherwise use the term “Peacock Cocktail” for clarity.

Historical recipes

1883 Patsy McDonough: McDonough’s Bar-Keepers’ Guide. Seite 41. Peacock.

Use Hock glass, one pony Brandy, one pony of Port Wine; fill up
with Plain Soda direct from the cooler.

1913 Jacques Straub: A Complete Manual of Mixed Drinks. Seite 36. Peacock Cocktail.

1 Dash Amer Picon.
1 Dash Absinthe.
1 Jigger Brandy.
Shake.

1914 Jacques Straub: Drinks. Seite 35. Peacock Cocktail.

1 dash Amer Picon.
1 dash absinthe.
1 jigger brandy. Shake.

1916 Jacob Abraham Grohusko: Jack’s Manual. Seite 8963 Peacock Cocktail.

1 dash Picon bitters
1 dash absinthe
100% brandy
Shake.

1927 Anonymus: El arte de hacer un cocktail. Seite 55. Peacock (Pavo Real).

Gota de Amer Picón.
Gota de ajenjo.
Vasito de cognac Domecq.
Bátase.

1928 Pedro Chicote: Cocktails. Seite 202. Peacock-Cocktail.

Prepárese en cocktelera:
Unos pedacitos de hielo picado.
1 cucharada de ajenjo.
1 – de amer=Picon.
2/3 de copita de coñac.
Agítese y sírvase en copa de cocktail.

1930 Gerardo Corrales: Club de Cantineros. Seite 55. Peacock Cocktail.

Gotas Amer Picon.
Gotas de ajenjo.
Vasito de cognac. Bátase.

1930 Pedro Chicote: Le ley mojada. Seite 211. Peacock-Cocktail.

Prepárese en cocktelera:
Unos pedacitos de hielo picado.
1 cucharada de ajenjo.
1 — de amer-Picon.
2/3 de copita de coñac.
Agítese y sírvase en copa de cocktail.

1931 John: „Happy Days!“. Seite 59. Peacock Cocktail.

One dash Picon Bitters
One dash Absinthe
100 per cent Brandy.
Shake.

1933 Harry Todd: Mixer’s Guide. Seite 42. Peacock Cocktail.

One dash Picon Bitters.
One dash Absinthe.
One jigger Brandy.
Shake.

1933 Jacob Abraham Grohusko: Jack’s Manual. Seite 89. Peacock Cocktail.

1 dash Picon bitters
1 dash absinthe
100% brandy
Shake.

1934 Anonymus: A Life-Time Collection of 688 Recipes for Drinks. Seite 40. Peacock Cocktail.

1 dash Amer. Picon 1 jigger Brandy. Shake
1 dash Absinthe

1935 Albert Stevens Crockett: The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book. Seite 65. Peacock.

Two dashes Amer Picon Bitters
One dash Absinthe
One jigger Brandy

1937 R. de Fleury: 1800 – And All That. Seite 88. Peacock.

Brandy
1 Dash Amer. Picon
1 Dash Absinthe
Mix.

1937 Salvador Trullos Mateu: Recetario internacional de cock-tails. Seite 113. Peacock Cock-Tail.

Gotas Amer Picon.
Gotas de ajenjo.
Vasito de coñac TRES COPAS.
Bátase.

1937 United Kingdom Bartenders Guild: Approved Cocktails. Peacock.

Brandy.
1 dash Amer Picon.
1 dash Absinthe. Mix.

1938 Hyman Gale & Gerald F. Marco: The How and When. Seite 133. Peacock Cocktail.

2 dashes Amer Picon Bitters
1 dash Absinthe
1 jigger Brandy
Shake well
Strain into Cocktail Glass

1948 Hilario Alonso Sanchez: El arte del cantinero. Seite 391. Peacock.

1 vasito de coñac.
Gotas de Amer Picón.
Gotas de ajenjo.
Hielo. Bátase, cuélese y
sírvase.

1948 Trader Vic: Bartender’s Guide. Seite 82. Peacock Cocktail.

1 1/2 oz. brandy 2 dashes Amer Picon
. 1 dash Pernod
Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.

1977 Stan Jones: Jones’ Complete Barguide. Seite 361. Peacock.

Cocktail Glass Shake
1-1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz Amer Picon
1/2 oz Pernod

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