I have to admit that I was not looking forward to writing today's cocktail of the week. All of my top 10 favorite drinks cocktails have been covered already. On top of that, Summer is gently fading away setting us smack in the middle of the no man's land of not-quite-Fall. Hearty winter drinks aren't appropriate and margaritas poolside are definitely iffy. I went through Alice's card file of recipes and a couple recipes basically jumped out at me, the cards laying strewn across the bar. I looked at them carefully, seeing the pattern that segregates different liquors from mixers, Tom from John, and Collins from sour. If you know your drinks you are going to smile at where this took me.

vintagepaperads.com

Follow up:

Today we go to a party and carefully enjoy a drink or 2 before driving home at 10pm stone cold sober. Imagine a time before personal responsibility and accountability had been discovered. Back in the heady days of cocktail parties and stumbling home drunk, cocktails were carefully crafted to be deceptively drinkable while hiding the punch of hard liquor. This was also the time of TV dinners and instant everything, just add water. Orange juice came in a can to which you added water. Cocktails were no different and instant cocktails were the rage. Enter the Pussycat.

The Pussycat was a cocktail created by Early Times as an instant mixer for their bourbon. It's a sour variant, but it was so much more. Mixing bourbon and sweet and sour doesn't even come close to the miracle of the Pussycat. They even sold Pussycat glasses which were short but tapered, with a short stem. The glass was an excellent marketing coup because it separated the Pussycat from just any "sour" and made it elegant, without looking feminine (short stem, not long, angles and not curves). Anyone could enjoy a Pussycat, and any home bartender could look good making one perfect every time, thanks to the instant drink mix.

Alas, the Instant Pussycat is gone leaving us with only memories. Or is it? While the Instant Pussycat is truly gone, the recipe lives on. Jackrabbitscrewball is proud to present to you:

The Pussycat

• 1 1/2 oz Early Times Bourbon
• 1/2 oz ameretto
• 2 oz orange juice
• 1/2 oz lemon juice

Pour over ice in a rocks glass, stir, and garnish with a lime slice.

If you remember the original Pussycat you'll instantly recognize the flavors. The only thing different is the lack of foam that the probably toxic ingredients of the instant packet created. Enjoy!