Day Drinking For Witty People — The Algonquin

The Algonquin Round Table was not a table. It was a rotating group of clever people in the literary and acting worlds who met for lunch at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City.  The only name I immediately recognized was Harpo Marx of the Marx Brothers (their movies are dated but hilarious).  The vast majority of the Algonquin Round Table’s activities occurred during Prohibition, so there wasn’t any (official) drinking.  That didn’t stop someone at the hotel from creating this cocktail in the 1930s.

The Algonquin

1.5 ounces rye
.75 ounces dry vermouth
.75 ounces fresh pineapple juice

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake as if you’re sparring (verbally) with a famous writer or actor, and strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass.

These seemingly disparate ingredients result in an oddly tasty and bracing cocktail. Some people like to add a dash or two of orange bitters.  On its own the Algonquin is pleasantly bitter, so adding the bitters is optional as far as I’m concerned.

The best comment about the Algonquin came from Harpo Marx, who declared this: ”                               ”   (if you don’t get the joke, Google his character in the movies).