The Thunderer

Review:

The strength and cleanliness of vodka, lightly softened and flavoured with cassis berry fruit and parfait amour's floral aromatics.

History:

"The Thunderer" is the nickname of The Times newspaper, and this cocktail was created in 1982 for the newspaper by legendary London bartender Dick Bradsell, who was working at a London bar called Zanzibar. In his Dicktails book, Dick says, "This is the first drink I ever invented." The Times Saturday columnist Jane MacQuitty commissioned Bradsell and other leading London bartenders to create a cocktail for the newspaper, and Dick's was judged to be the best.

Since cocktails invite imaginative experiment, Saturday commissioned the Zanzibar's Dick Bradsell to create an original drink suitable for The Times and its readers. A panel of experienced imbibers sampled several impressive concoctions before giving its unanimous vote to one which, although not in the fashionable fruit-and-parasol idiom, may well become a classic. Lovely and lethal, from its colour to its satisfying impact, it should be just the thing to sip while turning from the leader page to the Court Circular. Choosing a name was not difficult.

The Thunderer
2 measures Stolichnaya vodka
1 teaspoon Creme de Cassis
½ teaspoon Parfait Amour

The ingredients must be ice-cold. Keep them in a small frosted cocktail glass (about 4oz) in the fridge until the moment arrives to swirl the Crème de Cassis around the inside of the glass. Add Parfait Amour and top up with the frozen vodka (at a pinch, any Russian or Polish vodka would do, or Smirnoff Silver). Serve instantly before the glass defrosts. The Parfait Amour may be omitted if its aroma is deemed too provocative.

Jane MacQuitty, The Times, 1982

Nutrition:

One serving of The Thunderer contains 185 calories