Race to it.
As Churchill almost said, “Some horse, some neck!”
This cocktail, famous as it may be, looks nothing like a horse’s neck, despite its taxonomy. Yet, as London Cocktail Week fades to a memory, I thought I’d better throw in my tuppence worth with a classic – but with a twist, naturally.
Click on the picture below for a bigger image.
The neck in question is supposedly represented by the curlicue of lemon peel residing in the glass then hanging out over the rim, in the way that a horse’s neck might.
I mean, who thinks these things up?
What you must have, however, is a small but very sharp knife in order to slice the peel off a lemon in one piece. The phrase ‘Don’t try this at home’ should really apply here but not to the rough tough type who enjoy a cocktail.
"Hey, I just did a 12-hour shift down a tin mine" doesn’t cut it, I’m afraid, with the fearless cocktail provider.
“Just drink this Horse’s Neck and give us peace. But wash your bloomin’ hands first!”
Before we start, have a listen to the following track. I know it’s a Stones song but this version is ten times better…
Back to business. The classic Horse’s Neck cocktail is not unlike a Rye and Dry, ergo in my own recipe I like to jazz it up un peu.
On no account, entertain any so-called cocktail barman aficionado who, when commissioned to prepare this recipe, shakes his weary head and sneers, “Yes, hmm, but it ain’t a Horse’s Neck.”
Fact is, cocktail recipes change with the winds that blow these so-called aficionados in and out of town. One Horse’s Neck recipe might suggest bourbon as the main ingredient while another would plump for brandy.
So who cares? Be an iconoclast. It’s your personal taste that remains the only concern.
Here we go …
Horse’s Neck
Ingredients
2 fl oz good bourbon (Jack Daniels will do nicely)
8 fl oz ginger ale (a ratio of approximately four to one in favour of the ginger ale works best for my gang)
Juice of 1 lemon (strained)
Juice of 1 small orange (strained)
4 dashes of Angostura bitters
4 ice cubes
Peel of 4 lemons
Method
Place ingredients – NOT the ginger ale – in a cocktail shaker and give it a vigorous workout.
Pour into a large jug and add the ginger ale.
Into 4 small tumblers, insert the sliced peel of each lemon, allowing the “neck” to hang out. (see picture above). Fill each glass up with more ice cubes then pour in the mixture from the jug.
Serves four but there will probably be enough left for a top-up. Always be prepared, as good Scouts would.
As with other healthy cocktails in my previous posts, this Horse's Neck can count as one of your five a day.
With trends like these, who needs enemas?
Do not, most definitely, try the following at home …
