Conan Doyle

Tonic Bar

Dec 9

Sherlock Holmes did not drink cocktails, it must be admitted. He was, however, well versed in all things, including fine French wines and spirits. He was, on occasion, known to partake in certain imbibements, such as French Burgundies (particularly from Montrachet and Meursault), port wine, claret, and even Imperial Tokay. In his parlor, he might enjoy a highball of whiskey and soda (a proper cocktail) or a brandy (for medicinal purposes). Of course, his interests in alcohol were to the greater extent by way of research, to know his case subjects, and their foils, all the better.

Were Holmes and his pals at Scotland Yard still skulking about these days, they might find themselves at Tonic Bar in the heart of Edinburgh, an award winning establishment beloved by the industry. In 2008 they introduced an homage to their literary hero, the Conan Doyle cocktail, which is a regionally appropriate twist on another classic. The Corn ‘n Oil is a very old cocktail originating from 1700’s Barbados, where the two main ingredients, dark rum and falernum, were commonplace. Falernum is a richly sweet syrup made from steeped almonds, ginger and lime, which evokes those tropical flavors in any cocktail and is perfectly suited for dark rum. Commercially, John D. Taylor’s “Velvet” Falernum is a well known and accessible brand, but I made my own recently and although it was a lengthy process, the taste cannot be matched. Pairing it with smoky scotch is an outstanding idea, and if you are looking for an unusual option for the Old Fashioned, this should be elementary. Just dust off your favorite pipe, tune your violin, and don your parlor robe. Cheers.