Affinity

History

Fashionable in the 1920s, the Affinity first appears in The New York Sun on Monday 28th October 1907.

There's another new cocktail on Broadway. They call it the Affinity. After drinking one, surviving experimenters declare, the horizon takes on a roseate hue; the second brings Wall Street to the front and centre proffering to you a quantity of glistening lamb Shearings; when you've put away the third the green grass grows up all around, birds sing in the fig trees and your affinity appears. The new ambrosia contains three ingredients: One medium teaspoon of powdered sugar, one dash of orange bitters, on jigger of Scotch whiskey and half a jigger of Italian vermouth. These are shaken in cracked ice, cocktail fashion, until thoroughly blended and cooled hen strained and quickly served.

The New York Sun, 28/October/1909

Then a quite different Affinity served frappé with French and Italian vermouths, and crème de violette appears in William T. Boothby's 1908 The World's Drinks And How To Mix Them.

The first cocktail book appearance with a recipe close to the 1907 Affinity appears in Jacques Straub's 1913 Straub's Manual of Mixed Drinks but under the name "Express Cocktail".

EXPRESS COCKTAIL.
1 Dash Orange Bitters.
½ Jigger Italian Vermouth.
½ Jigger McCallum's Perfection Scotch Whiskey.
Shake.

Jacques Straub, 1913

However, the first reference for the version of the Affinity to endure to this day appears in Jacob A. Didier's The Reminder Bartenders' Vest Pocket Guide.

AFFINITY COCKTAIL.
Use a mixing glass.
2 dashes Aromatic Bitters.
1/3 drink French vermouth.
1/3 drink Italian vermouth.
1/3 drink Scotch whiskey.
1/2 glass cracked ice.
Stir, strain, twist lemon peel over top, add cherry and serve.

Jacob A. Didier, 1909

Hugo R. Ensslin purloined Diddler's recipe for his 1917 Recipes for Mixed Drinks.

AFFINITY COCKTAIL.
1/3 drink French vermouth.
1/3 drink Italian vermouth.
1/3 drink Scotch whiskey.
2 dashes Aromatic Bitters.
Stir well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve with a cherry and a twist of lemon peel over the top.

Hugo R. Ensslin, 1917

As with so many other vintage cocktails that have been rejuvenated for modern palates, the Affinity appears in Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book and Craddock repeats the recipe used by Didier and then Ensslin but omits the cherry garnish. Such is Craddock's influence that modern recipes (including mine) also omit the cherry.