Drinks

Quaker’s Cocktail

Quaker's Cocktail.

The Quaker’s Cocktail is a difficult but also underrated drink. It needs the right rum-cognac combination to realise its full potential.

30 ml Hinton Rum 6 years
30 ml Park XO cognac
15 ml D’Arbo raspberry syrup
15 ml lemon juice

Preparation: Shaken.

There are drinks that accompany you for a long time. Drinks that keep you busy because you know they are good, but you just haven’t understood or mixed them properly yet. For us, the Quaker’s Cocktail is one of these drinks.

We had difficulty understanding why rum and cognac should be mixed together. The result had never really convinced us. But then it came, that one moment when we suddenly understood how this drink was meant. We have Jörg Meyer from Le Lion in Hamburg to thank for it. There, on 12 April 2015, we had the pleasure of tasting a twelve-year-old El Dorado rum with an El Dorado from 1982 that was comparable in age. Jörg had bought a bottle and offered this comparative drinking. Until that moment, we had thought that the current El Dorado was quite a respectable rum. But – the producer may forgive us at this point – the difference was startling for us. The bottling from the 80s was unsweetened, wonderfully aromatic, multi-layered. It immediately reminded us of a good cognac. Not because it tasted like cognac, but because it literally demanded to be married with a cognac. The aromas just lent themselves to it. So this was the long sought-after key to the Quaker’s Cocktail. The sweetened, “new” El Dorado, on the other hand, simply tasted sweet, somewhat uninspired and flat.

We do not want to start the discussion about sweetened rums at this point. Those who like them – and there are many of them, as can be seen from the sales figures – should drink them. The producers should just be a little more transparent in the declaration of their additives.

We bring this anecdote to your attention here because it gave us an understanding of this drink. So the rum had to be matured, unsweetened, complex. It had to be aromatically compatible with cognac. We had already tried many matured rums and none of them suited this drink. So we thought that we should have a look at a Rhum Agricole, because it is more French-inspired and could therefore go better with a Cognac – or so we thought. Well, we found what we were looking for in the twelve-year-old Trois Rivières. It goes wonderfully with a good cognac.

In the meantime, we were able to bring about a further improvement by using the six-year-old Hinton Rum from Madeira instead.

In the historical context, the question arises as to how to classify the Quaker’s Cocktail. It is not a classic cocktail, because it lacks bitters. Rather, it is closely related to the punch. As evidence and example of this, we have found, for example, a recipe for a Brandy Punch from 1909 found in Jacob A. Didier: [5]

Brandy Punch. Jacob A. Didier. 1909.

Use a punch glass.
4 or 5 dashes of lemon juice.
1 spoonful of sugar.
1 dash of raspberry syrup.
Fill glass with fine ice.
1 drink of brandy.
1 dash of Jamaica rum.
Stir or shake well, dress with fruit
in season, and serve with straws.

The same ingredients are used in this punch as in a Quaker’s cocktail, although in completely different proportions, so that one cannot speak of equality here. There is also a relationship with the “English Punch”, which Edward Spencer wrote about in 1899: “English Punch,” says a writer of our own time, “is, as regards the spirit, mostly of two kinds — brandy and rum, mixed in proportions which must be left to taste. The rum generally predominates. The acid is nearly always lemon juice. The spice is nearly always lemon-peel, but sometimes tea-leaf”. — now marry come up! — ” sometimes nutmeg; and as for the sugar and the water they explain them­ selves.” [4] The Quaker’s Cocktail basically corresponds to this definition: rum and cognac, lemon juice, sugar in the form of raspberry syrup and water. Lemon zest, tea or nutmeg are omitted, of course.

Another example can be found in Albert Barnes’ book The Complete Bartender on page 9:

St. Croix Rum Punch. Albert Barnes. 1884.

Use large bar glass. 1 table spoonful of sugar, juice half
of a lemon, 1 wine glass of St Croix Rum, 1 tea spoon
full of raspberry syrup, 1/2 wine glass of Jamaica Rum, fill with
cracked ice, shake well and ornament with fruits in season,
serve with straws.

The Quaker’s Cocktail is a relatively young drink. It was first published in 1923 by Harry McElhone, in “”Harry” of Giro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails”, published in London, and at a time when Harry McElhone was still a bartender in London.

It appears again and again, with an unchanged recipe. In 1929, 1934, 1948 a “Pirate” is published, but with slightly different proportions, with more raspberry syrup and less lemon juice.

Trader Vic then uses the same ratios in Quaker’s Cocktail in 1948, alternatively using lime juice, and Harry Schraemli follows Trader Vic a year later. In the following years, there are other publications that no longer follow the original quantity ratio or suggest further variations, such as Stan Jones’ use of orange juice in 1977.

Quaker's Cocktail (Harry McElhone 1927).
Quaker’s Cocktail (Harry McElhone 1927).

Where it got its name from, we do not know. Harry McElhone’s book “Barflies and Cocktails” from 1927 suggests that it was named after the Quakers, because one is pictured there. However, since Quakers emphasise moral behaviour, including abstaining from alcohol, [1] this illustration is probably more ironic. The word Quaker was an early derisive name used for members of the Religious Society of Friends, the formal name of the Quaker organisation. [2] The term first appeared in 1650, referring to the statement of the Quakers’ founding father, George Fox, who exhorted his co-religionists to tremble at the words of God. [3] But perhaps the Quaker depicted in the drawing is trembling because he dreads the idea of having to drink a Quaker’s cocktail.

Quaker's Cocktail.
Quaker’s Cocktail.
Sources
  1. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekklesiologie_(Qu%C3%A4kertum): Ekklesiologie (Quäkertum).
  2. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qu%C3%A4kertum: Quäkertum.
  3. http://homebars.barinacraft.com/post/133690454288/quakers-cocktail-drink: Quaker’s Cocktail – Care To Join Me For A Drink Friend?.
  4. Edward Spencer: The Flowing Bowl. A Treatise on Drinks of All Kinds and of All Periods, Interspersed with Sundry Anecdotes and Reminiscences. London, Grant Richards, 1899. Page 104.
  5. Jacob A. Didier: The Reminder. An Up-to-Date, Bartenders‘ Vest Pocket. How to Mix Drinks of the Present Time. Containing Clear and Practical Directions for Mixing the Most Popular Plain and Fancy Drinks, Such as Cocktails, Daisies, Fixes, Fizzes, Flips, Sours, Cobblers, Punches, Rickeys, High Balls, Frappes, Juleps, Hot Drinks, Etc. Etc. 3. Auflage. New York, The Outing Press, 1909. Page 39.

Historical recipes

1923 Harry McElhone: „Harry“ of Ciro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails. Seite 59. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy, 1/3 Rum, 1/6 Lemon Juice, 1/6 Raspberry
Syrup.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

1926 Harry McElhone: Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails. Seite 75. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy, 1/3 Rum, 1/6 Lemon Juice, 1/6 Raspberry
Syrup.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

1927 Harry McElhone: Barflies and Cocktails. Seite 58. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy, 1/3 Rum, 1/6 Lemon Juice, 1/6 Raspberry
Syrup.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Quaker's Cocktail (Harry McElhone 1927).
Quaker’s Cocktail (Harry McElhone 1927).

1927 Jean Lupoiu: 370 recettes de cocktails. Seite 81. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Jamaïca Rhum, 1/3 Sirop Framboise,
1/3 Cognac, 1 jet jus de citron.

1927 Judge Jr.: Here’s How! Seite 20. Quaker. Anmerkung: Dies ist ein anderer Drink; aber der Quaker’s Cocktail wird manchmal auch nur als Quaker geführt, deshalb ist dieses Rezept hier ebenfalls aufgenommen.

THIS little drink is called the
Quaker because it knows its
oats:
3 parts of chilled cocoanut milk;
1 part Gordon water;
1 dash of lime juice;
a dash of grated nutmeg.

1927 Piero Grandi: Cocktails. Seite 49. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 de Brandy, 1/3 de Rhum, 1/6 de jus de
citron, 1/6 de sirop framboises. Mélangez bien
et versez dans un verre à Cocktail.

1929 Anonymus: Cocktails de Paris préséntes par RIP. Pirate.

1/3 Rhum Saint-James
1/3 Courvoisier «the Brandy of Napoléon»
1/3 sirop de framboise
Quelques gouttes jus de citron

1930 Anonymus: Cocktails by „Jimmy“ Late of Ciro’s London. Seite 65. Quaker.

2 parts Brandy
2 parts Jamaica Rum
1 part Lemon Juice
1 part Grenadine.

1930 Edgar Baudoin: Les Meilleurs Cocktails. Seite 23. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/2 Jamaïca Rhum, 1/3 sirop Framboise, 1/3 Cognac,
1 jet jus de citron.

1930 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 130. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy, 1/3 Rum.
1/6 Lemon Juice.
1/6 Raspberry Syrup.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.

1930 Harry McElhone: Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails. Seite 71. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy, 1/3 Rum, 1/6 Lemon Juice, 1/6 Raspberry
Syrup.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

1930 Ridgely Hunt & George S. Chappell: The Saloon In The Home. Seite 17. The Quaker.

Two parts Rum,
Two parts Brandy,
One part Lemon juice,
One part Raspberry Syrup.

1932 James A. Wiley: The Art of Mixing. Seite 33. Quaker’s Cocktail.

To 1/3 Brandy, 1/3 Rum add 1/ 6 lemon juice,
1/6 raspberry syrup and ice.
Shake until quaking and exhausted.

1932 Jimmy: The Green Cocktail Book. Seite 65. Quaker.

2 parts Brandy
2 parts Jamaica Rum
1 part Lemon Juice
1 part Grenadine

1933 Anonymus: O’Dell’s Book of Cocktails and Fancy Drinks in English and Japanese. Seite 107. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy, 1/3 Rum, 1/6 Lemon Juice,
1/6 Gomme Syrup.

1933 Antonio Josa: Cocktelera Universal. Seite 39. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 de Coñac.
1/3 de Rum.
1/6 de jugo de limón.
1/6 de jarabe de Frambuesa.

1933 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 130. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy. 1/3 Rum.
1/6 Lemon Juice.
1/6 Raspberry Syrup.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.

1933 Jacob Abraham Grohusko: Jack’s Manual. Quaker’s Cocktail.

60% brandy
20% Jamaica rum
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
10% raspberry syrup
Shake well, and strain into cocktail glass.

1934 Harry McElhone: Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails. Seite 83. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy, 1/3 Rum, 1/6 Lemon Juice, 1/6 Raspberry
Syrup.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

1934 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual. Seite 167. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy
1/3 Rum
1/6 Lemon Juice
1/6 Raspberry Syrup
Shake well in ice and strain into glass.

1934 William T. Boothby: „Cocktail Bill“ Boothby’s World Drinks. Seite 135. Pirate.

Rum …………………… 1/3 jigger Cognac …………… 1/3 jigger
Raspberry Syrup … 1/6 jigger Lemon …………… 1/6 jigger
Shake well with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass and serve.

1934 William T. Boothby: „Cocktail Bill“ Boothby’s World Drinks. Seite 140. Quaker.

Rum …………………… 1/3 jigger Brandy …………… 1/3 jigger
Raspberry Syrup … 1 spoon Lemon …………… 1 spoon
Shake well with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass and serve.

1935 Leo Cotton: Old Mr. Boston. Seite 103. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Old Mr. Boston Apricot Nectar
1/3 Rum
1/6 Lemon Juice
1/6 Raspberry Syrup
Shake well with cracked ice and
strain into 3 oz. Cocktail glass.

1935 O. Blunier: The Barkeeper’s Golden Book. Seite 129. Quaker’s.

1/3 Brandy
1/3 Rum
1/6 Lemon Juice
1/6 Raspberry Syrup

1936 Bill Edwards: Drinks. Seite 58. Quaker.

2 parts Brandy
2 parts Jamaica Rum
1 part Lemon Juice
1 part Grenadine.

1936 Frank Meier: The Artistry of Mixing Drinks. Seite 37. Quaker.

In a shaker: the juice of one-
half Lime or quarter Lemon,
a teaspoon of Raspberry syrup,
half Rye Whiskey, half Brandy;
shake well and serve.

1937 United Kingdom Bartenders Guild: Approved Cocktails. Quaker’s.

33 1/3 % Brandy.
33 1/3 % Rum.
16 2/3 % Lemon Juice.
16 2/3 % Raspberry Syrup.
Shake and strain into cocktail glass.

1938 Jean Lupoiu: Cocktails. Seite 121. Quaker’s Cocktail.

Dans le shaker:
2 jets de sirop de Framboise, 3 jets de
jus de citron, 1/3 de Rhum Bardinet,
1/3 Cognac D. Mounier.
Agiter et servir.

1940 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual. Seite 167. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy
1/3 Rum
1/6 Lemon Juice
1/6 Raspberry Syrup
Shake well in ice and strain into glass.

1947 A. Vermeys: Cocktails. Seite 74. Quaker’s Cocktail.

2 traits de sirop de Framboise; 3 traits de
jus de citron; 1/3 Rhum; 1/3 Cognac.

1948 Jean Lupoiu: Cocktails. Seite 91. Quaker’s Cocktail.

Dans le shaker:
2 jets de sirop de Framboise, 3 jets de
jus de citron, 1/3 de Rhum, 1/3 Cognac
CAMUS.
Agiter et servir.

1948 Trader Vic: Bartender’s Guide. Seite 83. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/2oz. brandy 1/4 oz. orange juice
1/2 oz. Bacardi 1/4 oz. raspberry syrup
Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.

1948 Trader Vic: Bartender’s Guide. Seite 227. Pirate Cocktail.

1/2 oz. rum 1/4 oz. raspberry syrup
1/2 oz. cognac 1/4 oz. lemon juice
Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.

1948 Trader Vic: Bartender’s Guide. Seite 229. Quaker Cocktail.

1/2 oz. New England rum 1/2 tsp. raspberry syrup
1/2 oz. brandy 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.

1948 Trader Vic: Bartender’s Guide. Seite 281. Quaker Cocktail.

3/4 oz. rye 1 tsp. raspberry syrup
3/4 oz. brandy Juice 1/2 lime
Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.

1949 Harry Schraemli: Das grosse Lehrbuch der Bar. Seite 421. Quaker’s-Cocktail.

1/4 Himbeersirup, 1/4 Zitronensaft, 1/4 Rum, 1/4 Gin.
Schütteln.

1952 Anonymus: Cocktails. Seite 90. Quaker.

Dans le shaker:
Le jus d’un demi-cedrat ou d’un quart de
citron,
Une cuiller à café de sirop de cassis,
1/2 de Rys whisky,
1/2 de cognac,
Bien frapper et servir.

1953 Leo Cotton: Old Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide. Seite 119. Quaker’s Cocktail.

3/4 oz. Old Mr. Boston Imported
Rum
3/4 oz. Old Mr. Boston California
Brandy
Juice 1/4 Lemon
2 Teaspoons Raspberry Syrup
Shake well with cracked Ice and strain
into 3 oz. Cocktail glass.

1955 Jean Lupoiu: Cocktails. Seite 97. Quaker’s Cocktail.

Dans le shaker:
2 jets de sirop de Framboise, 3 jets de
jus de citron, 1/3 de Rhum , 1/3 Cognac
Renault.
Agiter et servir.

1956 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual. Seite 24. Quaker’s.

1/3 Brandy
1/3 Rum
1/6 Lemon Juice
1/6 Raspberry Syrup
Shake well with ice and strain
into glass.

1956 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual. Seite 103. Quaker.

1/2 Rye Whiskey
1/2 Brandy
1 Teaspoon Raspberry Syrup
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Shake well with ice and strain
into glass.

1957 Henri Barman: Cocktails et autres boissons mélangées. Seite 76. Quaker.

Shaker, glace
1/2 Canadian Club Whisky
1/2 Cognac
1 cuill. à thé sirop de fram-
boises
Jus frais 1/4 citron
Bien frapper au shaker et
passer dans verre à cocktail.
Mélangeur électr. : voir note.

1957 Henri Barman: Cocktails et autres boissons mélangées. Seite 76. Quaker’s.

Shaker, glace
1/3 Cognac
1/3 Rhum
1/6 Jus de citron frais
1/6 sirop de framboises
Bien frapper au shaker et
passer dans verre à cocktail.
Mélangeur électr. : voir note.

1960 Anonymus: Tout les cocktails et les boissons rafraichissante. Seite 92. Quaker’s.

1/3 sirop de framboise
1/3 Rhum
1/3 Cognac
1 jus de citron

1963 Luigi Veronelli: I cocktails. Seite 226. Quaker Cocktail.

3/4 di bicchiere di rye whisky
3/4 di bicchiere di cognac o brandy
1/3 di bicchiere di succo di cedro spremuto dalla
sola polpa
1 cucchiaino di sciroppo di lampone
ghiaccio a cubetti
Riempire lo shaker fino a 1/4 della sua altezza con ghiac­-
cio. Aggiungere il succo di cedro, il rye whisky, il cognac
e lo sciroppo di lampone. Chiudere lo shaker, agitarlo
vigorosamente, farlo riposare un secondo, riprendere in­-
fine ad agitare ma lentamente. Servire subito.

1972 Leo Cotton: Old Mr. Seite 79. Quaker’s Cocktail.

3/4 oz. Old Mr. Boston Imported
Rum
3/4 oz. Old Mr. Boston Five Star
Brandy
Juice 1/4 Lemon
2 Teaspoons Raspberry Syrup
Shake well with cracked ice and
strain into 3 oz. cocktail glass.

1976 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 130. Quaker’s Cocktail.

1/3 Brandy. 1/3 Rum.
1/6 Lemon Juice.
1/6 Raspberry Syrup.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.

1977 Stan Jones: Jones’ Complete Barguide. Seite 376. Quaker’s Cocktail.

Cocktail Glass Shake
3/4 oz rum
3/4 oz brandy
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz grenadine

Variation
3/4 oz rye
3/4 oz brandy
1/2 oz orange, lemon or
lime juice
1/2 oz grenadine

explicit capitulum
*

About

Hi, I'm Armin and in my spare time I want to promote bar culture as a blogger, freelance journalist and Bildungstrinker (you want to know what the latter is? Then check out "About us"). My focus is on researching the history of mixed drinks. If I have ever left out a source you know of, and you think it should be considered, I look forward to hearing about it from you to learn something new. English is not my first language, but I hope that the translated texts are easy to understand. If there is any incomprehensibility, please let me know so that I can improve it.

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