Properly Sauced: Mamie Taylor

By Rob Christopher in Food on Jun 12, 2013 6:20PM

When scotch is mentioned, the adjective "refreshing" does not usually follow. After all, as the summer sun sinks slowly in the west, one's inclination is to gather round the campfire, not drink it. But in the late 19th century, some forgotten bartender had a eureka moment and used the smoky spirit to create a long drink that's genuinely thirst-quenching. Named after actress Mamie Taylor, as Ted Haigh notes in his excellent book Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, the drink was a summertime sensation in the 1890's but had fallen out of favor by Prohibition. The scotch-lime-ginger mixture is not widely known today. A shame: it's not only easy to make, but also pairs really well with burgers and other items from the grill. Trust us!

Mamie Taylor

2 oz. scotch (we like The Black Grouse)
.75 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 bottle spicy ginger ale (we like Reed's)

Fill a tall glass with large ice cubes. Add the ingredients to the glass in the order listed, stir gently to combine, and serve.

Scotch is gradually becoming a more popular component of cocktail recipes (see the Blood and Sand and A Quiet Smoke in the Woods for two other outstanding examples) as drinkers continue to cozy up with smoky flavors. We surmise that it's only a matter of time before someone creates a Mamie Taylor variation by swapping out the scotch for Mezcal. D'oh! It's already been done!