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Joshua Perez
6th October 2025 at 12:39
Supposedly, the first appearance of the Balalaika was published in the 1965 revised edition of The Savoy Cocktail Book. I haven't been able to confirm this myself, but the Japanese cocktail book 新版 バーテンダーズマニュアル credits it.
6th October 2025 at 12:44
Seems believable as I've found a recipe for it in the 1966 Booth’s Handbook of Cocktails and Mixed Drinks.
https://www.scribd.com/document/408647965/Collectif1806-1966-BOOTH-S-HANDBOOK-OF-COCKTAILS-AND-MIXED-DRINKS-E-pdf#content=query:balalaika,pageNum:83,indexOnPage:0,bestMatch:false
https://www.scribd.com/document/408647965/Collectif1806-1966-BOOTH-S-HANDBOOK-OF-COCKTAILS-AND-MIXED-DRINKS-E-pdf#content=query:balalaika,pageNum:83,indexOnPage:0,bestMatch:false
7th October 2025 at 07:44
Thanks, Joshua. I'll investigate and add to the history above.