Man O’ War – Hope

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” declared Franklin D. Roosevelt in his inaugural address as President of the United States in 1933. And for good reason. The country had been immersed in the worst economic crisis in its history for four years—the infamous Great Depression. Four years earlier, in 1929, the New York Stock Exchange had collapsed, taking the banking system and the jobs of thousands of Americans with it. And even though it was far from a priority at the time, not even drinking was an option, as Prohibition was in effect.

In this devastated landscape, an unlikely beacon of hope emerged. A racehorse—yes, believe it or not—named Seabiscuit. Not for any practical reason, because, obviously, the horse had no capacity to solve the United States’ socio-economic problems. This wasn’t an episode of Bojack. But Seabiscuit became a kind of personification—or rather, “horsification”—of hope. Seabiscuit was small and underestimated, with a difficult start to his career. However, guided by Tom Smith and Red Pollard—his trainer and jockey, respectively—he became a symbol of the fight to overcome adversity, and strive.

What few people know—or perhaps not—is that Seabiscuit was the grandson of one of the greatest champions in American racing history, Man O’ War. This horse competed between 1919 and 1920 and won 20 out of 21 races he participated in, including the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, part of the Triple Crown. He skipped the Kentucky Derby for strategic reasons, and his only loss was by less than a head in the Stanford Memorial Stakes.

With a name and résumé like that, it was only natural for Man O’ War to be honored with a cocktail. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, horse racing was at its peak, and many cocktails were named after feats on the racetrack. Another example is the Suburban, which has already been reviewed here, and the Futurity. This, in a way, disappoints me. It would have been much cooler if the drink had been named after the band or some gigantic 16th-century ship. But I digress.

It’s funny that, despite this history, no one is quite sure who created the Man O’ War cocktail. But that hardly matters. Like most classic cocktails, its recipe doesn’t involve any elaborate pre-preparation, which likely contributed to its widespread. It’s simply lemon, triple sec, sweet vermouth, and of course, Bourbon Whiskey—perhaps a nod to Churchill Downs.

The place, photo by yours truly

The choice of ingredients, as always, is important because it will affect how balanced the drink is. I chose Woodford Reserve for its more balanced profile, and Dolin vermouth so it wouldn’t overpower the cocktail. The lemon should be freshly squeezed—it oxidizes quickly, and the recipe calls for a certain freshness to remain interesting. The triple sec is the easiest choice: Cointreau. Although, as an educated guess through some psychic writing, I think Cointreau Noir might add good depth. I’m almost afraid to suggest a clarified version of this. God forbid, but wouldn’t it be amazing?

Man O’ War is a distinguished cocktail, not just because of its flavor profile and relative simplicity but also because of the story behind it. Part of the cocktail experience is just that—creating a timeless experience that is still an authentic snapshot of its time. Let’s get to the recipe.

MAN O’ WAR

INGREDIENTS

  • 60ml Bourbon Whiskey
  • 30ml triple sec (some recipes call for curaçao—there’s absolutely no good reason to ruin your drink unless you have access to a really good curaçao)
  • 45ml sweet vermouth
  • 45ml fresh Sicilian lemon juice (don’t be lazy)
  • Cocktail shaker gear
  • Chilled coupe glass

PREPARATION

  1. Add all ingredients to the shaker. Except the glass. That’s important, as it could potentially make this your last drink ever.
  2. Shake vigorously and strain into the chilled coupe glass.
  3. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with a maraschino cherry or a Sicilian lemon twist.

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