Quartier Latin Cocktail

The Quartier Latin cocktail has probably fallen into oblivion. But it is worth rediscovering this French cocktail made from Dubonnet, Picon and a little Triple Sec.

30 ml Picon
30 ml Dubonnet
5 ml Combier Triple Sec

Preparation: Stirred.

Alternatively and currently preferred by us:

30 ml Picon
30 ml Dubonnet
5 ml Hiebl Bitterorangengeist

The Quartier Latin Cocktail first appears in Harry McElhone’s book “”Harry” of Ciro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails” published in 1923. Three years later, in 1926, he states that this cocktail comes from Wilson’s Dingo Bar in the Rue Delambre in Paris. Finally, in 1927, he specifies further and states that the recipe was from Dick Garrick. Unfortunately, we were unable to find out who Dick Garrick was and whether he was a bartender at Wilson’s Dingo Bar. However, since all the information comes from Harry McElhone, who ran his own bar in Paris, we assume that he did.

The “Dingo American Bar and Restaurant” opened in 1923 and was located at No. 10 Rue Delambre in the Montparnasse district of Paris. Originally called just “Le Dingo”, it was a bar for the working population and got its name from the word “le dingo”, which colloquially means a “crazy person”. The bar was then taken over by Louis and Yopi Wilson, an American-Dutch couple. This bar was one of the few open all night in those days. It was a favourite haunt of many English-speaking artists and writers in the 1920s and 1930s, including Ernest Hemmingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Today, the bar no longer exists and the surviving building houses the Italian restaurant “L’Auberge de Venise” on the same site. ^{[1] [2] [5]}

This cocktail is named after the Quartier Latin, which translates as “Latin Quarter”. However, the Latin Quarter does not refer to a district in the strict sense of the division of the Parisian administrative structure, but to an area with imprecise boundaries. This is the traditional student quarter in Paris. Since the students and scholars of the Sorbonne, located in the Latin Quarter, spoke Latin for a long time, the quarter was so named. The Sorbonne was founded as a college of the University of Paris as early as the 13th century. ^{[3] [4]} The Latin Quarter is a few hundred metres from Dingo Bar.

The Quartier Latin Cocktail is a rather dry cocktail, only a little Cointreau (respectively Triple Sec) is used. The two main ingredients Dubonnet and Picon are used in equal parts, in later times also with double the amount of Dubonnet.

As a curiosity, a Quartier Latin cocktail was published by Jean Lupoiu in 1938 that used Campari instead of Picon. But this is no longer a Quartier Latin cocktail.

In two publications, from 1931 and 1946, the proportion of Cointreau is increased to 20 per cent, but even this is no longer really a Quartier Latin cocktail, because it changes the cocktail too much. With such a high proportion, it is probably better described as a “Sanctuary Cocktail”. This was first published by Harry Craddock in 1933 in the Savoy Cocktail Book, with a Cointreau content of 25 percent. In two later recipes, this is even increased to one third.

Sources

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingo_Bar: Dingo Bar.
2. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montparnasse: Montparnasse.
3. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartier_Latin: Quartier Latin.
4. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbonne: Sorbonne.
5. John Glacasso: Memoirs of Montparnasse. ISBN 1-59017-184-5. New York, New York Review Books, 2012. Page 232. https://books.google.de/books?id=UnTpkMKieU4C&pg=PA232&lpg=PA232&dq=%22Dingo+American+Bar+and+Restaurant%22&source=bl&ots=53w0UGsllw&sig=fiLmvzae-JNVV7eZo3kMyJCo_Y0&hl=de&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiH4ZC1mNTdAhXLmLQKHYhzB4YQ6AEwCXoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22Dingo%20American%20Bar%20and%20Restaurant%22&f=false

Historical recipes

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

1 teaspoonful of Cointreau, 1/3 Amer. Picon, 1/3
Dubonnet.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

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

1 teaspoonful of Cointreau, 1/3 Amer. Picon, 1/3
Dubonnet.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
(Recipe by Wilson’s Dingo Bar, Rue Delambre.
Paris.)

1927 Harry McElhone: Barflies and Cocktails. Seite 58. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

1 teaspoonful of Cointreau, 1/3 Amer Picon, 2/3 Dubonnet.
Shake well and st rain into cocktail glass.
(Recipe by Dick Garrick.)

1927 Jean Lupoiu: 370 recettes de cocktails. Seite 81. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

1 jet Cointreau , 1/2 Picon , 1/2 Dubonnet.

1927 Piero Grandi: Cocktails. Seite 49. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

Une cuillerée à thé de Cointreau, 1/3 d’Amer
Picon, 2/3 de Dubonnet. Mélangez bien et ver-
sez dans un verre à Cocktail.

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

1 teaspoonful of Cointreau, 1/3 Amer. Picon, 2/3
Dubonnet.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
(Recipe by Wilson’s Dingo Bar, Rue Delambre,
Paris.)

1931 Dominique Migliorero: L’art du shaker. Seite 55. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

2/5 Amer Picon, 2/5 Dubonnet, 1/5 Cointreau.
(Recette de « Dick Garrich »)

1932 Al Hirschfeld: Manhattan Oases. Seite 72. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

One teaspoonful of Cointreau, 1/3
Amer Picon, 2/3 Dubonnet. Shake
well and strain into cocktail glass.

1933 Anonymus: O’Dell’s Book of Cocktails and Fancy Drinks. Seite 107. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

Teaspoonful of Cointreau,
1/3 Amer Picon, 2/3 Dubonnet.

1933 Antonio Josa: Cocktelera universal. Seite 40. Quartier Catin Cocktail.

Una cucharadita de Cointreau.
1/3 de Amer Picón.
2/3 de Dubonet.

1933 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 140. Sanctuary Cocktail.

1/4 Cointreau.
1/4 Amer Picon.
1/2 Dubonnet.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.
So-called because the Savoy, together with The
Clink, Deadman’s Place, Fulwood’s Rents, The
Mint, Mitre Court, Baldwin’s Gardens and
Stepney were the last places in London where the
privilege of “Sanctuary” existed. Unfortunately
this privilege was abolished by “The Escape from
Prison Act” in 1697. But even to-day no Ladies
are allowed in the Savoy’s inner American Cock­-
tail Bar.

1934 A. T. Neirath: Rund um die Bar. Seite 210. Quartier-Latin-Cocktail.

Originalrezept von
Wilson
Bartender, Paris, „Dingo-
Bar“,
1/10 Cointreau
3/10 Amer-Picon
6/10 Dubonnet
M-Gl. [Mischglas] K. [Kirsche] Z. [Zitronenspirale]

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

1 teaspoonful of Cointreau, 1/3 Amer. Picon, 2/3
Dubonnet.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
(Recipe by Wilson’s Dingo Bar, Rue Delambre, Paris.)

1934 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual. Seite 194. Sanctuary Cocktail.

1/4 Cointreau
1/4 Amer Picon
1/2 Dubonnet
Stir well in ice and strain into glass.
Use glass number 1

1934 William T. Boothby: „Cocktail Bill“ Boothby’s World Drinks. Seite 149. Sanctuary.

Cointreau . . . . . . . . . 1/4 jigger Amer Picon . . . . . . . . . . . 1/4 jigger
. Dubonnet . . . . . . . . . . 1/2 jigger
Shake well with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass and serve.

1938 Hyman Gale & Gerald F. Marco: The How and When. Seite 139. Sanctuary Cocktail.

1/3 Cointreau
1/3 Amer Picon
1/3 Dubonnet
Shake well
Strain into Cocktail Glass

1938 Jean Lupoiu: Cocktails. Seite 121. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

Dans le verre à mélange:
2 jets de Curaçao rouge Bardinet, 1/2
Bitter Campari, 1/2 Dubonnet.
Mélanger et servir.

1940 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual. Seite 194. Sanctuary Cocktail.

1/4 Cointreau
1/4 Amer Picon
1/2 Dubonnet
Stir well in ice and strain into glass.
Use glass number 1

1946 Bill Kelly: The Roving bartender. Seite 40. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

1/3 oz. Cointreau
1/3 oz. Picon
1 oz. Dubonnet
Shake.

1948 Jean Lupoiu: Cocktails. Seite 91. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

Dans le verre à mélange:
2 jets de Curaçao rouge, 1/2 Bitter
Campari, 1/2 Dubonnet.
Mélanger et servir.

1948 Trader Vic: Bartender’s Guide. Seite 205. Sanctuary Cocktail.

1/2 oz. cointreau 1/2 oz. Amer Picon
. 1/2 oz. Dubonnet
Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.

1949 Harry Schraemli: Das grosse Lehrbuch der Bar. Seite 421. Quartier-Latin-Cocktail.

3 d. Cointreau, 1/3 Amer-Picon, 2/3 Dubonnet. Kurz
schütteln.

1955 Jean Lupoiu: Cocktails. Seite 97. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

Dans le verre à mélange:
2 jets de Curaçao rouge, 1/2 Bitter
Campari, 1/2 Dubonnet.
Mélanger et servir.

1960 Anonymus: Tout les cocktails et les boissons rafraichissante. Seite 92. Quartier Latin.

1/2 Dubonnet
1/2 Campari
2 traits Curaçao

1960 Anonymus: Tout les cocktails et les boissons rafraichissante. Seite 92. Quartier St.-Germain-des-Prés.

1/3 Picon
2/3 Dubonnet
1 trait de Cointreau

1965 Harry Schraemli: Manuel du bar. Seite 456. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

3 dashes Cointreau,1/3 Amer-Picon, 1/3 Dubonnet. Agiter brièvement.

1966 Harry Schraemli: Le roi du bar. Seite 146. Quartier Latin Cocktail.

Shaker. 3 d [dash] cointreau, 1/3 Amer Picon, 2/3
Dubonnet.

1973 Anonymus: 500 Ways to Mix Drinks. Seite 42. Sanctuary.

1/2 Dubonnet
1/4 bitter Picon
1/4 Cointreau
Stir gently with cracked ice.
Strain. Serve in a cocktail
glass.

1976 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 140. Sanctuary Cocktail.

1/4 Cointreau.
1/4 Amer Picon.
1/2 Dubonnet.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.
So-called because the Savoy, together with The
Clink, Deadman’s Place, Fulwood’s Rents, The
Mint, Mitre Court, Baldwin’s Gardens and
Stepney were the last places in London where the
privilege of “Sanctuary” existed. Unfortunately
this privilege was abolished by “The Escape from
Prison Act” in 1697. But even to-day no Ladies
are allowed in the Savoy’s inner American Cock ­-
tail Bar.

1977 Stan Jones: Jones’ Complete Barguide. Seite 392. Sanctuary.

Cocktail Glass Stir
1-1/2 oz Dubonnet
1/2 oz Amer Picon
1/2 oz Cointreau
(1/2 oz lemon juice & Lemon
wedge optional)

explicit capitulum
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