United States Patent No. 740,519 - Coffee Brew

United States Patent No. 740,519
-Issued October 6, 1903

Process for Producing Beverages

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Inventor Frida Brandner of Brooklyn, New York was definitely a morning person.  Either that, or she really liked her coffee.

The beverage in question is a somewhat straightforward infusion of coarse-ground coffee and liquor.  The liquors described include whisky, brandy, cognac, rum and wine; but any liqour is acceptable.  After steeping sugar and water are added to finish off the drink.

Two interesting things in this application. 

First - the steeping process.  Left to steep for 2 days, the mixture is stirred 5 times a day - once every 2 hours for 10 hours - and then left to sit.   I have tried my hand at infusions and usually just let the mixture sit in the fridge until I think its ready.  Maybe with a shake or two at the start of each day.  I'd be curious to implement this technique to see if there are any noticeable differences to quality or flavor. 

Second - the beans.  The coffee beans the inventor uses are "alcohol roasted."  That is, they are sprayed with alcohol and then heated.  I'm curious what this actually does.  She doesn't describe what kind of alcohol is used for the roasting so I'm not sure if there is a flavor which gets imparted to the coffee this way.  Similarly, I would imagine that anything that didn't burn off in the roasting would likely get masked entirely once added to the base spirit. 

No cocktail thoughts for this one, but an interesting read for those who appreciate infused liquors. I'm  surprised no one thought of this before 1903.

United States Patent No. 95,605 - Improved Sirup for Flavoring beverages

United States Patent No. 95,605
-Issued October 5, 1869

 Improved Sirup for Flavoring beverages

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Inventor Victor Rillet of Hoboken, New Jersey brings us his formulation for Grenadine.  

Derived from the french word "grenade", meaning pomegranate, Grenadine is a bright red syrup made of sugar and fruit juice used in a variety of cocktails.  According to the FDA, grenadine was originally was prepared from pomegranate juice and sugar, but for many years the name has been loosely applied to syrups and beverages consisting of other fruit juices and sugar syrup.  The characteristic flavor will depend on the fruits being used but should ideally be pomegranate or black currant. 

Inventor Rillet uses the traditional pomegranate as his base.  He then clarifies the juice with a mixture of "glue and the white of eggs."  My guess is that the density of the glue and egg whites, combined with their inherent stickiness acts to agglomerate any solids which may have pressed through with the juice. 

After adding sugar, Rillet adds alcohol, vanilla extract and cochineal - a red dye derived from an insect which lives on a particular type of host cactus. 

And on that note....The entire patent and some cocktail thoughts after the jump

The Ice Box - A Thyme Julep

I have watched the Kentucky Derby for as long as I can remember.  I was always fascinated by the elegance and pageantry of the event - the hats; the seersucker; and - of course - the Juleps!  In many ways, my love of the Derby mirrors my enthusiasm for cocktail culture. 

This year, I put my $2 Win-Place-Show bet on Ice Box and settled in to watch the race.   Even though I had created the Old #152 for the Derby, a Julep was required imbibing.  Nevertheless, a lack of mint and an abundance of thyme forced my hand, and palate, in a different direction. 

And so.... The Ice Box....

The Ice Box
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2 1/2  oz straight bourbon
1 oz thyme syrup*

Pour syrup and half the bourbon in a glass (a highball glass is preferred, but a stemless cocktail glass works just as well). Add crushed ice and swirl until the outside of the glass frosts.  Add more crushed ice and the remaining bourbon and swirl again.  Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

* For the syrup: Combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated white sugar in a pan. Bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2-4 sprigs of fresh thyme. Steep overnight. Strain. Store in refrigerator.

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Thoughts and a photo after the jump

U.S. Patent No. 53,834 - Birch Nectar

United States Patent No. 53,834
-Issued April 10, 1866

 Improved Beverage

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Inventor Kenyon of Sempronius, New York brings us this potent potable.  A concoction he has dubbed "Birch Nectar."

Birch Nectar is a straightforward mix of Birch extract, Oil of Wintergreen and Whiskey.  Kenyon tells us that this combination provides a "healthy and palatable beverage."  A fact he is clearly very proud of since he mentions it twice.  Nevertheless, he doesn't actually tell us any proportions so we are left to our own devices to figure this one out.  I don't think this patent would hold up under today's standards for written description and best mode, but it's an interesting starting off point.


The entire patent and some cocktail thoughts after the jump