Ideal

Review:

On the dry, tart side of bittersweet with hints of freshening zesty grapefruit and dry gin botanicals which cut through heavier vermouth notes. The maraschino is subtle but key.

History:

The first known appearance of this classic cocktail is in Hugo R. Ensslin's 1917 Recipes for Mixed Drinks (2nd Edition) (It may have also appeared in his 1916 first edition.)

IDEAL COCKTAIL
1/3 Italian vermouth
2/3 Dry Gin
3 dashes Maraschino
Juice of a small piece of grapefruit
Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve.

Hugo R. Ensslin, 1917

Like so many other cocktails in Ensslin's book, it also features in Harry Craddock's influential 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book, and then the next year in Cuba's
Sloppy Joe's Bar 1931-32 Season menu/manual.

IDEAL COCKTAIL.
3 Dashes Maraschino.
1/3 Italian Vermouth.
2/3 Dry Gin.
1 Teaspoon Grapefruit Juice.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Serve small nut in glass.

Harry Craddock, 1930

IDEAL
1 Teaspoon of sugar.
1 Part of Grapefruit juice.
2 Parts of Gin.
1 Part of Noilly Prat Vermouth.
Shake with ice, and serve in a tall glass.".

Sloppy Joe's, 1932

However, our recipe is adapted from the recipe in the 1937 Bar Florida Cocktails menu (later renamed Floridita), Havana, Cuba.

IDEAL
¼ Grapefruit
1 Teaspoon Maraschino
1/3 Martini Rosso Vermouth
1/3 Noilly Prat Vermouth
1/3 Gordon Gin
Cracked Ice.
Shake very well and strain into cocktail glass. Serve with a few almonds.

Bar La Florida Cocktails, 1937

Nutrition:

One serving of Ideal contains 137 calories