Upstairs

Upstairs is a good example of how a recipe can be modified to create something new, although the original recipe remains clearly recognisable. Those who like Calvados or Williams eau de vie will have a lot of enjoyment with the Upstairs.

30 ml Chateau de Breuil VSOP Calvados
30 ml Scheibel Williams eau de vie
25 ml lime juice
15 ml sugar syrup (2:1)
4-5 mint leaves

Preparation: Shaken with the mint leaves and double strained.

This mixed drink comes from Gianfranco Spada and was created in 2011 at Le Lion in Hamburg as a twist on the “Stairs Mojito” developed in 2006 at Londsdale in London. It was created in the then “Tasting Room” on the floor above the bar at Le Lion and was initially only served there, which is why it was given the name “Upstairs”. ^[1]

It might be interesting to compare the Upstairs with the Stairs Mojito. Therefore, the recipe for the Stairs Mojito is also given here: ^[2]

50ml Santa Teresa Claro Rum
20ml lime juice
20ml sugar syrup
8 mint leaves
juice of half an apple
juice of half a pear

Unfortunately, there is another recipe, also called Upstairs, which has been known since at least 1925. It is Dubonnet with lemon juice, topped up with soda. For the sake of completeness, we have listed it in the appendix. Incidentally, if you use a lemon syrup instead of lemon juice – or add some sugar to the lemon juice – you get something that Harry McElhone called Dubonnet Citron in his 1923 book “‘Harry’ of Ciro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails”. ^[3-73] We reported on this in a separate article.

Sources

1. That’s what it said in the Le Lion recipe database when I asked Hendrik Albrecht for more information.
2. http://loftclapham.blogspot.com/2009/06/mojito-101.html Mojito 101. 24. June 2009.
3. Harry McElhone: „Harry“ of Ciro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails. London, Dean & Son Ltd, 1923.

Historical recipes

1925 „Robert“ Buckby & George Stone: The Buckstone Book of Cocktails. Seite 61. Upstairs Cocktail.

Glass of Dubonnet, juice of 1/4 lemon.
Use medium-sized glass and fill with soda
water

1933 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 165. Upstairs Cocktail.

The Juice of 1/4 Lemon.
1 Glass Dubonnet.
Use medium size glass and fill
with soda water.

1934 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual [collectic1806]. Seite 194. Upstairs Cocktail.

Juice of 1/4 Lemon
1 Glass Dubonnet
Pour into glass and fill with soda water, add­
ing 1 ice cube.
Use glass number 12

1936 Raymond Porta Mingot: Gran manual de cocktails. Seite 372. Upstairs Cocktail.

Usese la cocktelera.
Unos pedacitos de hielo.
El jugo de medio limón.
Dos copitas de licor de Dubonnet.
Agítese, cuélese y sírvase en copa de 150
gramos.
Termínese de llenar con agua de Seltz y
wpreséntese con pajitas.

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

Juice of 1/4 Lemon
1 Glass Dubonnet
Pour into glass and fill with soda water, add­-
ing 1 ice cube.
Use glass number 12

1950 Ted Shane: Authentic and Hilarious Bar Guide. Seite 126. Upstairs.

Juice of 1/4 Lemon 1 glass Dubonnet
Pour into glass and fill with soda water, adding 1 ice cube.

1953 Anonymus: Manual del bar. Seite 265. Upstairs.

. El Jugo de medio Limón.
Batido. 60 gramos de Dubonnet.
Servido en un vaso de Se terminar de llenar con
aperitivo. soda.

1956 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual. Seite 8. Upstairs.

2 Jiggers Dubonnet
Juice of 1/4 Lemon
Pour into large cocktail glass with
ice cubes and fill with Soda
Water.

1964 Anonymus: Manual del bar. Seite 265. Upstairs.

. El jugo de me.dio limón.
Batido. 60 gramos de Dubonnet.
Servido en un vaso de Se termina de llenar con soda.
aperitivo.

1973 Anonymus: 500 Ways to Mix Drinks. Seite 43. Upstairs.

2 jiggers Dubonnet
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Soda
Pour into an 8 oz. old-fash-
ioned glass filled with ice
cubes. Fill with soda.

1976 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 165. Upstairs Cocktail.

The Juice of 1/4 Lemon.
1 Glass Dubonnet.
Use medium size glass and fill
with soda water.

1977 Stan Jones: Jones’ Complete Barguide. Seite 422. Upstairs.

Fizz Glass Shake
2 oz Dubonnet
1/2 oz lemon juice
Fill with soda

explicit capitulum
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