Prince of Wales

Prince of Wales c. 1860

Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy. - Albert Einstein

A toast to the Tartan Box then, my friends. Let’s raise our glass on St. David’s Day with none other than the Prince of Wales himself – or, at least, his cocktail. This classic cocktail is credited to King Edward VII, from when he was still Prince Albert Edward and fondly known to royalty as “Bertie”. That he would invent a cocktail comes as no surprise – he was “heir apparent” for almost sixty years thanks to his mother Queen Victoria’s very long rule. He lived a fashionable life in high society, and was the first British royal to visit North America in 1860, during the cocktail’s golden age, where he would undoubtedly have been introduced to the “Improved Whiskey Cocktail”.

regal recipe

The Prince’s drink is made with a base of (preferably) spicy rye whiskey, although some recipes call for cognac. Typical of many classics of the era, and clearly influenced by the Improved Whiskey, there are added subtle hints of flavor and sweetness here that transport it. The cocktail historian David Wondrich sums it up nicely in his classic book “Imbibe!”: “a little rye whisky, crushed ice, a small square of pineapple, a dash of Angostura bitters, a piece of lemon peel, a few drops of Maraschino, a little champagne, and powdered sugar to taste.” Any regular cocktail which has champagne poured on top can be called a ‘royale”, a term used to indicate that sparkling crown of embellishment. This cocktail is literally a royal royale - Iechyd da!

tandem tartans

Nowhere beats the heart so kindly as beneath the tartan plaid! - William Edmondstoune Aytoun

Prince of Wales c. 1860, adapted by David Wondrich

2 oz rye whiskey

1 tsp Maraschino liqueur

1 tsp rich simple syrup

1 pineapple wedge

1 lemon peel

1 dash Angostura bitters

Dry Champagne

Muddle pineapple in a cocktail shaker, add remaining ingredients except champagne, and shake well with ice. Strain into a coup glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist, orange wedge, or lemon wheel tartan.