Suffering Bastard
November 12th, 2007 | Published in MxMo, bourbon, brandy, gin, mixers, whiskey | 13 Comments
It’s Mixology Monday again, this time hosted by gin enthusiast Jay over at Oh Gosh!
This drink is something of a pain. See, there are two Suffering Bastards in the world—this drink, which was invented at Shepherd’s Hotel in Cairo by a fellow named Joe Scialom, and the tiki version that came about via Trader Vic. They are very different animals; if you were to walk into a bar and order one only to recieve the other, it would be something of a shock.
There are many versions of the Scialom recipe, some of which call for gin and brandy instead of bourbon, but this version was adapted from Esquire Drinks. Wondrich (and Webtender) note that the drink was originally named the Suffering Bar Steward (the British name for a bartender), but attribute its Bastardization to the poor hearing of inebriated patrons. He recommends, as Scialom himself did, drinking this after a long night (and a longer morning after), when the ginger will certainly do wonders to calm a rocky stomach.
1 oz London dry gin
1 oz bourbon
1 tsp lime juice
dash Angostura bitters
ginger beerShake first four ingredients over ice. Strain into a chimney glass filled three-quarters of the way with ice and top with ginger beer.
Wondrich’s recipe calls for ginger ale, but “The bartender advised Americans to substitute ginger beer for the ginger ale because the British version of the soft drink is more heavily seasoned with ginger than ours.” On top of that, I generally like ginger beer much better than ginger ale, so it’s what I keep in the house.
This is a good, solid drink. Nothing I would rave over, but if I were suffering through a hangover this would certainly help. The botanical flavors of the gin complement the earthy ginger beer nicely, plus there’s a little oaky warmth from the bourbon adding sweetness and tying everything together. Even better, it’s easier to make than a Bloody Mary—more time you could spend lying on the couch watching re-runs of “Judge Judy” and moaning in agony.
November 12th, 2007at 11:21 am(#)
That sounds good. But is it just Firefox that has the text imposed over the picture? I’m having a hard time reading the ingredients…
(And I guess I gotta buy some ginger beer now! Between wanting Dark & Stormy-s on Saturday, and now this one…)
November 12th, 2007at 11:22 am(#)
Oh, and heh, of course, as soon as I posted that comment it cleared up (though I’d refreshed a couple of times ahead of time). Cool!
I take it you used the Plymouth and Woodford? Have you tried any other good combinations of bourbon and gin?
November 12th, 2007at 1:26 pm(#)
I had the same Firefox problem as SeanMike, until I hit reload.
Sounds like my kind of drink :)
November 14th, 2007at 10:30 am(#)
Apparently Firefox has an issue with this post—I guess it prefers the Trader Vic version.
SeanMike—I used Plymouth for this because I was concerned about how the bourbon would taste with an especially botanical gin, but I think Tanqueray No. 10 might work well here. As for bourbon, I tend to keep Woodford as my general go-to for mixing, and it’s perfectly acceptable to sip if you’re so inclined.
Anita—It was a hit with dinner, so I think it’s right up your alley. ;)
November 15th, 2007at 6:24 pm(#)
I happen to find myself spending time with a bacardi rep that has a supply of ginger beer! Coincidnece? No, i think Ill gice this one a go.
I tried this cocktail with Bombay original and makers mark that we had on hand. And your fore sight was correct, the botanicals were way too pronounced and over powered the drink.
With supplies at hand we tried the same recipe with bacardi 8 year substituted for the bourbon and surprise. The gin added a herbal note that worked well with the gingerbeer making this more of a ginny stormy i guess. Thanks for the inspiration to drink! I enjoyed browsing around your wesite, some great drinks.
November 16th, 2007at 8:54 am(#)
While I like Bombay, I can see how the botanicals would be an issue. Bacardi 8, you say? Hmmm. That sounds like a yummy combo. I’ll have to give it a try!
November 20th, 2007at 8:57 am(#)
[...] This drink, like so many of its ilk, is purported to be yet another child of the Don the Beachcomber-Trader Vic Mai Tai Supremacy battle. For those who don’t know, the creator of the Mai Tai was disputed amongst the two men, each claiming to have birthed the banner drink of the tiki craze. In the end the general consensus rules Vic the winner, but this is one of the drinks that has variously been claimed to be Don’s Mai Tai (yet another being the Suffering Bastard—though not the bourbon version). [...]
December 29th, 2007at 4:23 pm(#)
When I was using an “extra ginger beer” I needed to use more assertive gins and bourbons; the Maker’s Mark and Plymouth were just overwhelmed by the ginger beer.
Today I got some different ginger beer and went with very assertive liquors for both - Buffalo Trace bourbon and Anchor Junipero gin. They were too assertive, maybe, for the ginger beer, particularly the gin. I might stick with the Makers (or switch to Jefferson), but I’d definitely consider going back to the Plymouth. I just wish I’d remembered that before doing it. :-)
(PS - this has become one of my all time favorite drinks.)
January 1st, 2008at 6:26 pm(#)
Hmmm…I like Junipero very much, but I can see how it would be a problem in this drink. Glad someone out there is doing some experimenting for the team! :)
June 30th, 2008at 7:30 pm(#)
Just gave this a try, using Plymouth, Bulleit, and Bundaberg as the ginger beer. A darn tasty tipple. I really like the way the flavor of the bourbon is still noticeable under the ginger beer.
July 1st, 2008at 8:36 pm(#)
Stevi,
Glad you liked it! I think it’s a pretty great little drink, though I prefer the tiki version.
July 4th, 2008at 1:53 pm(#)
This is great to sip on a hot afternoon. I think it needs more lime juice than this recipe calls for. I’ve been using 1 oz dry London-style gin, 1 oz bourbon (I like one with a good amount of rye), 3/4 to 1 oz lime juice, generous dash of bitters, 4 oz ginger beer. pour into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. I stir in one of the lime shells for color, but I don’t think a cherry adds much to the drink. Maybe a sprig of mint would be nice. Be sure to use a nice snappy ginger beer.
July 8th, 2008at 7:12 am(#)
Emily,
The ginger beer is definitely important—I’ve had a couple that were entirely too sweet to be palatable in cocktails. Thanks for the tip on the lime juice!