Bronxathon: Silver and Golden

Two items of historical interest: the Silver Bronx and the Golden Bronx. Both have egg in them, and both sound more interesting than they actually are. I present them for the sake of completeness and for anyone who has seen the recipes and wondered what they’re like. Wonder no longer. They are dull. I even added a dash or two of bitters but it didn’t help.



The Silver Bronx Cocktail

• 2 gin (1 oz Bombay)
• 1 French vermouth (1/2 oz Dolin Dry)
• 1 Italian vermouth (1/2 oz Dolin Rouge)
• 1/2 orange juice (1/4 oz orange juice)
• white of 1 egg
• (2 dashes Fee Bros orange bitters)

Ice. 25 shakes. Strain into cocktail glass.
SOURCE: HARMAN BURNEY BURKE, BURKE’S COMPLETE COCKTAIL AND DRINKING RECIPES

I shook this without ice (dry shaking) to incorporate the egg, then strained through mesh into an ice-filled tin and beat it up again—in case anyone’s wondering.

It’s not good, but at least it’s totally forgettable. This thing was published in 1934. I don’t know how long the recipe had been around before that, but it would’ve been especially repulsive with bootleg gin. But on to our next delight.



The Golden Bronx Cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz gin (Bombay)
• 1/2 sweet vermouth (Punt e Mes)
• 1/2 dry vermouth (Dolin Dry)
• 1 oz orange juice (3/4 oz)
• 1 egg yolk
• (1 dash Fee Bros aromatic bitters)

Mix all ingredients with cracked ice in a blender or shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
SOURCE: JOHN J. POISTER, THE NEW AMERICAN BARTENDER’S GUIDE

This is sort of odd, and also not any good. The egg yolk gives it a nice texture, but the drink doesn’t have any focus or much in the way of flavor either.

So I feel a little guilty not showing you something tasty to make today, but at least I had fun finally getting around to these, and now you don’t have to.