Cast a Little Light

Whenever I am visiting a destination where there is a lighthouse, I find a way to fit that into the journey and see it with my own eyes. So here we are again taking a little tour, or detour, to another. This one can be found somewhat more commonly as a reproduction, and many may not know its true origins or provenance.

The story involves two magicians, as many good tales do. If you have ever read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, a book I highly recommend, you will know what I mean. The first magician was named Doug Haigh, who lived in Bradford England and discovered his love of magic at the age of 40. He was a prominent member of his local magic society, becoming its president in 1971. The second magician was named John Ergatoudis, a mild mannered civil engineer by day who was also prominent in and president of his own local magic society in Leeds. John became famous for amassing one of the foremost private collections of magic memorabilia in the world, which was auctioned off in 2005 after his death the year prior. The two must have met at the Northern Magic Circle, a prominent regional society with members from across the North of England, the UK and even overseas, to which both of their local chapters were affiliated. Doug Haigh was the president of that society as well, in 1975.

Doug Haigh was also a puzzle and magic trick maker, with metalworking and lathe skills. John Ergatoudis was a generous friend, and member of the international puzzle collector community. He commissioned a small set of brass puzzles from Doug, to give out to his friends as gifts. Over a period of eight years, Doug created puzzles for John, each based on classic Victorian wood turned treen puzzles from Professor Hoffman’s Puzzles Old and New, although with occasional new “twists and turns” of Doug’s invention. He made just one design per year, and only made ten of each type, keeping a few for his family and giving the rest to John, who never sold them, but gave them as gifts or trades. Later, the puzzle company Bits and Pieces reproduced a few of Haigh’s original designs. Their Lighthouse reproduction, which had a little “diamond” prize inside the lamp, was given as an exchange puzzle during the International Puzzle Party in 2000 and has become a coveted collectors item in its own right. The very rare Haigh originals were presented in a display stand case and can be distinguished by a tiny embossed “H” stamped at the base.

I seem to have acquired a collection of lighthouse puzzles. I’m not sure if I have quite enough lights to make a chandelier yet, but this toast can serve as a start. The drink’s creator, New York bartender William Elliot, adapted it from the classic Coffee Cocktail, a drink as old as they come. It can be found in the pages of the father of the American cocktail, “Professor” Jerry Thomas’s Bar-Tenders’ Guide, from the 1887 edition, where instructions are given to combine 1 large wine-glass of port and 1 pony of brandy with some sugar, an egg and 2 or 3 lumps of ice. The guide points out the obvious, that the name is a misnomer as there is no coffee, nor bitters (required for a true “cocktail”) to be found in this drink, which when properly prepared will look just like a cup of coffee with cream.

This modern take on the classic keeps the cognac and port, but ups the ante with the addition of a krauterlikor … pardon me? Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably heard of at least one krauterlikor, a type of traditional German herbal spiced liqueur also known as a halbbitter (half-bitter). Originally distilled as medicinal tonics, like most bitter liqueurs, krauterlikors might be considered the German equivalent to amaros and include notable brands such as Jägermeister, Underberg, Becherovka, Unicum, Riga Black Balsam, Killepitsch, Kuemmerling, and Aromatique. I find any excuse to add Becherovka to drinks this time of year, so of course used that in mine. The piece de resistance of this cocktail, though, is the final flourish – a few dollops of Angostura whipped cream on top. How dazzling!

Chandelier Flip by William Elliott

1 ¼ oz tawny port

¾ oz cognac

¼ oz herbal liqueur (or krauterlikor)

¼ oz cinnamon syrup

1 whole egg

½ tsp saline solution (2:1 water:sea salt)

Angostura whipped cream

Dry shake ingredients (without ice) to combine and froth, then shake with ice to chill and strain into a chalice and top with the whipped cream, a few dashes of Angostura bitters, and freshly grated nutmeg.

Angostura whipped cream: whip 2 oz heavy cream with ¼ oz Angostura bitters and ½ oz demerara syrup