Red Widow – published once and never heard of again. Which is incomprehensible. Once again, it shows that you have to search through old books to uncover forgotten or unknown treasures.
30 ml Compagnie des Indes Jamaica Overproof Rum 30 ml Eagle Rare 10 Bourbon 15 ml Antica Torino rosso 15 ml raspberry syrup
Preparation: 3 ice cubes, stirred for 20 seconds (60 times). * Raspberry syrup: briefly bring 100 ml raspberry juice (from frozen fruit) and 100 g sugar to the boil, then leave to cool.
There isn’t much to write about the “Red Widow”: the recipe was only published once, in the 1917 edition of “The Reminder”, written by Jacob A. Didier. As it is not included in the 1909 edition, we can narrow down the time frame of its creation to between 1909 and 1917.
William S. Lawyer: Binghamton, its settlement, growth and development. 1900, page 870. [2-870]
But perhaps I can take this opportunity to write something about Jacob A. Didier. A book about Binghampton from 1900 provides us with some information about him: “Didier, Jacob A., proprietor of the attractively appointed Opera Cafe, opposite the Stone Opera House on Chenango street, has been a resident of Binghamton about seven years, although he first came to the city in 1889. Mr. Didier is comparatively a young man, yet as a compounder and dispenser of cafe refreshments he enjoys considerable celebrity, having been in business either as proprietor or employee nearly twenty years and in almost as many important cities in the country. He was born in Albany, April 21, 1865, and when five years old removed with his father’s family to Gloversville, where the latter was a contractor and builder. At the age of sixteen years “Honest Jake,” as he is best known among his many friends and acquaintances, went to Detroit and was employed in the cafe connected with the Russell House. Two years later he went to work in Chicago for Chapin & Gore, and still later dispensed “good cheer” in the famous Continental Hotel in Philadelphia. In 1883 he returned to Detroit and became proprietor of Recreation Park saloon, but in the next year came to Syracuse, where he worked for a time for A. G. Courtney and later in the Vanderbilt House. In 1889 he came to Binghamton and worked in the Crandall House bar, but soon afterward went to St. Paul, Minn, remaining only a few months, and then returned to this city. He was employed successively by such popular proprietors as J. D. Stratton, Mott E.Boss and the Crandall House, but in 1893 he opened the Opera Cafe, a popular and well managed resort for men. The proprietor himself is a quiet and companionable gentleman and takes an earnest interest in all that pertams to the welfare of the city. In 1887 Mr. Didier married Anna, daughter of the late Jacob Fess, of this city. One daughter has been born of this marriage.”[2-870]
Robert Simonson has researched the biography a little and adds that Jacob A. Didier later ran a business on Court Street. However, he had to make way for a new building and opened a billiard parlour at 78 Court Street in 1907. In 1910, he obtained a liquor licence for a pub at 166 Walter Street. It was called Didier’s Café or Didier’s Restaurant, but it was actually a saloon bar. He published the first edition of his cocktail book, The Reminder, in 1909, so we can assume that it most likely contains the recipes he served in his saloon from 1910 onwards. In 1917, he also ran a cigar shop at 43 Chenango Street. Interestingly, he was better known as a boxing referee than as a hotelier or bartender: from the 1890s onwards, he was often mentioned in the press as a boxing referee. On 5 September 1935, Didier suffered a stroke while working at Didier’s Restaurant and later died at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital at the age of 70. He is buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Johnson City. [1]
Jacob A. Didier: The Reminder. (Without year, 1914?)
Historical recipes
1917 Jacob A. Didier: The Reminder. Page 152. Red Widow.
Use old-fashioned cocktail glass.
1 or 2 pieces of ice.
1/6 raspberry syrup.
1/6 Italian vermouth.
1/3 Bourbon whiskey.
1/3 Jamaica rum.
Serve with small bar spoon in glass.
30 ml Compagnie des Indes Jamaica Overproof Rum
30 ml Eagle Rare 10 Bourbon
15 ml Antica Torino rosso
15 ml raspberry syrup
Preparation: 3 ice cubes, stirred for 20 seconds (60 times).
* Raspberry syrup: briefly bring 100 ml raspberry juice (from frozen fruit) and 100 g sugar to the boil, then leave to cool.
There isn’t much to write about the “Red Widow”: the recipe was only published once, in the 1917 edition of “The Reminder”, written by Jacob A. Didier. As it is not included in the 1909 edition, we can narrow down the time frame of its creation to between 1909 and 1917.
But perhaps I can take this opportunity to write something about Jacob A. Didier. A book about Binghampton from 1900 provides us with some information about him: “Didier, Jacob A., proprietor of the attractively appointed Opera Cafe, opposite the Stone Opera House on Chenango street, has been a resident of Binghamton about seven years, although he first came to the city in 1889. Mr. Didier is comparatively a young man, yet as a compounder and dispenser of cafe refreshments he enjoys considerable celebrity, having been in business either as proprietor or employee nearly twenty years and in almost as many important cities in the country. He was born in Albany, April 21, 1865, and when five years old removed with his father’s family to Gloversville, where the latter was a contractor and builder. At the age of sixteen years “Honest Jake,” as he is best known among his many friends and acquaintances, went to Detroit and was employed in the cafe connected with the Russell House. Two years later he went to work in Chicago for Chapin & Gore, and still later dispensed “good cheer” in the famous Continental Hotel in Philadelphia. In 1883 he returned to Detroit and became proprietor of Recreation Park saloon, but in the next year came to Syracuse, where he worked for a time for A. G. Courtney and later in the Vanderbilt House. In 1889 he came to Binghamton and worked in the Crandall House bar, but soon afterward went to St. Paul, Minn, remaining only a few months, and then returned to this city. He was employed successively by such popular proprietors as J. D. Stratton, Mott E.Boss and the Crandall House, but in 1893 he opened the Opera Cafe, a popular and well managed resort for men. The proprietor himself is a quiet and companionable gentleman and takes an earnest interest in all that pertams to the welfare of the city. In 1887 Mr. Didier married Anna, daughter of the late Jacob Fess, of this city. One daughter has been born of this marriage.” [2-870]
Robert Simonson has researched the biography a little and adds that Jacob A. Didier later ran a business on Court Street. However, he had to make way for a new building and opened a billiard parlour at 78 Court Street in 1907. In 1910, he obtained a liquor licence for a pub at 166 Walter Street. It was called Didier’s Café or Didier’s Restaurant, but it was actually a saloon bar. He published the first edition of his cocktail book, The Reminder, in 1909, so we can assume that it most likely contains the recipes he served in his saloon from 1910 onwards. In 1917, he also ran a cigar shop at 43 Chenango Street. Interestingly, he was better known as a boxing referee than as a hotelier or bartender: from the 1890s onwards, he was often mentioned in the press as a boxing referee. On 5 September 1935, Didier suffered a stroke while working at Didier’s Restaurant and later died at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital at the age of 70. He is buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Johnson City. [1]
Sources
Historical recipes
1917 Jacob A. Didier: The Reminder. Page 152. Red Widow.
Use old-fashioned cocktail glass.
1 or 2 pieces of ice.
1/6 raspberry syrup.
1/6 Italian vermouth.
1/3 Bourbon whiskey.
1/3 Jamaica rum.
Serve with small bar spoon in glass.
explicit capitulum
*