Million Dollar Cocktail

History

Some say the Million Dollar Cocktail was created as early as 1894 by Louis Eppinger (the bartender credited for creating the Bamboo Cocktail) at The Grand Hotel, Yokohama, Japan. Others maintain it was created around 1910 by Ngiam Tong Boon at The Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Singapore. While, in his 1939 book The Gentleman's Companion volume II, Charles H. Baker, Jr. credits his first recipe for a Million Dollar Cocktail to Shideaki Saito, "Saito, No. 1 Bar Boy at The Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, 1926, 1931 & 1932", as his second recipe to "Nomura the No. 1 Bar Boy at Tor Hotel, Kobe, dating from 1926, to 1931 & 1932."

David Wondrich, the noted cocktail historian, discounts Singapore, Yokohama and Tokyo in favour of the Million Dollar Cocktail originating at the Shanghai Club in China. Founded as The Correspondent's Club in 1861, this was the principal men's club for British residents of Shanghai. Wondrich says, [courtesy of spiritsandcocktails.community] "The earliest and sanest recipe I've found for the drink dates back to 1922, when J.A. Wolfson, a Manila lawyer, included it in a little cocktails section he contributed to Elsie Gaches's Good Cooking and Health in the Tropics, published in Manila that year."

The Million Dollar Cocktail notably also features in Jean Lupoiu's 1928 book 370 Recettes de Cocktails, and Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book, while the 1933 Fourth Edition of O'Dell's Book of Cocktails and Fancy Drinks in English and Japanese has two recipes.

MILLION DOLLAR COCKTAIL
Gordon gin............... 3/4 whiskey glassful
White of egg............. 1
Grenadine................ 1/6 whiskey glassful
Pineapple juice........ 1/6 whiskey glassful
Method of mixing. – Use the shaker. Frappé well. Serve with a piece of pineapple. (This is for one serving.)
"The end crowns all."

Elsie McCloskey Gaches, Good Cooking and Health in the Tropics, 1922

Million Dollar Cocktail
1 jet Sirop Ananas, 2 jets Curaçao, 3 jets Sirop Orangeade, 1/3 Vermouth Noilly Prat, 2/3 Gin, la moité d'un blanc d'oeuf.
Agiter et server.

Jean Lupoiu, 370 Recettes de Cocktails, 1928

MILLION DOLLAR COCKTAIL.
Teaspoon Pineapple Juice.
Teaspoon Grenadine.
The White of 1 Egg.
⅓ Italian Vermouth.
⅔ Plymouth Gin.
Shake well and strain into medium size glass.

Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930

No. 157. Millionaire Dollar Cocktail
2 dashes Grenadine,
2 dashes Pineapple Juice,
½ Old Tom Gin,
½ Italian Vermouth,
White of Egg.

No. 158. Millionaire Dollar Cocktail (No. 2)
3 Dry Gin, 1½ French Vermouth,
3 Pineapple or Orange Juice (or ½ and ½),
White of Egg, ½ Grenadine.

O'Dell's Book of Cocktails and Fancy Drinks in English and Japanese, 1933

MILLION DOLLAR COCKTAIL No. I, as mixed by Shideaki
Saito, No. 1 Bar Boy at The Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, 1926, 1931 & 1932
First fill shaker 2/3 full of cracked ice then put in 1½ jiggers old Tom gin, ½ pony of Italian vermouth, 2 tsp pineapple syrup, 1 tsp of grenadine for colour, 2 tsp strained lemon juice, 2 tsp of thick cream and ½ the white of a fresh egg. Shake hard, strain into a big opulent-looking saucer champagne glass, and that's that. . . . Vermouth content is immediately varied by Saito to suit the palates of his various Million Dollar clients in Tokyo-running from l pony down to ½ pony. Some prefer French dry vermouth, but the standard blend calls for Martini & Rossi.

MILLION DOLLAR COCKTAIL No. II, as mixed by Nomura the No. 1 Bar Boy at Tor Hotel, Kobe, dating from 1926, to 1931 &
1932.
His formula was exactly the same as Saito's masterpiece except the vermouth was stepped up to 1 pony: and the lemon juice to 1 tbsp, strained of course; then 1 tsp grenadine.

Charles H. Baker, Jr., The Gentleman's Companion volume II – An Exotic Drinking Book, 1939