Ward 8
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A Ward 8 cocktailThe Ward 8 or Ward Eight is a cocktail originating in 1898 in Boston, Massachusetts at the bar of the Gilded Age restaurant Locke-Ober.In 1898 Democratic political czar Martin M. Lomasney hoped to capture a seat in the state's legislature, the General Court of Massachusetts. Lomasney held considerable power in the city for nearly 50 years. The story goes that the drink was created to honor his election, and the city's Ward 8 which historically delivered him a winning margin. Competing, but unfounded myths abound in print and on the Internet. One story purports that it originated in New York in an area known for political corruption, another that the cocktail is a traditional drink of the Scottish Guards.[edit] Ingredients and preparationLike the story of its creation, there are several variations of the Ward 8 cocktail. Various recipes call for blended whiskey, bourbon, rye, and even single malt scotch. Some recipes call for lemon juice, lime juice, no juice, grenadine, sour mix, and gomme syrup.Following the end of prohibition, Locke-Ober reopened its bar using this recipe
:2 ounces rye whiskey
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grenadineMaraschino cherry (optional)Shake the rye whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice, and grenadine with ice; then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.[1] Garnish with a maraschino cherry, if desired. Originally the drink was decorated with a small paper Massachusetts flag.[edit] References^ William Grimes (2001). Straight Up Or on the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail. p. 135. Hamilton, William L. (2004). Shaken and Stirred. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-074044-2. Haigh, Ted (2004). Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum Cocktail to the Zombie. Quarry Books. ISBN 978-1592530687. "Martin Lomasney and the Ward Eight". The City Record and Boston News-Letter. 2007-03-15. http://bostonhistory.typepad.com/notes_on_the_urban_condit/2006/03/martin_lomasney.html. [edit] External linksBoston cocktails site

Mixology Monday seems to come around faster and faster every month, so much so that lately I have been a little lax in taking part every month and in doing so have missed some superb topics. Thankfully though today I find myself sitting in Hamburg airport with an hour to kill and a perfect drink for this months theme – superior twists hosted by fellow Englishman Tristan Stephenson.Tristan asks us to consider drink variations that “for one reason or another do an even better job than the drinks upon which they are based.” I’ve already written about several superb drinks that fall in to this category such as Bastian Heuser’s Guyana Manhattan, a Manhattan that replaces rye with Demerara rum, and Gonçalo de Sousa Monteiro’s Pegu Club variation, The Juniper Club Cocktail. Of course there is even the humble Oh Gosh!, a Daiquiri variation that if not superior is at least interesting.The drink I’ve chosen, however, is a play on the Last Word – a cocktail that already defies common sense and logic by combining powerful ingredients like Chartreuse, Maraschino and gin, yet somehow manages to turn out delcious, complex yet incredibly balanced. Attempting to adjust such a recipe might seem foolhardy, but thankfully with a skilful bartender like Phil Ward of Death & Co. in New York you know you are in safe hands.Photo to come…Final WardView in: oz ml shots¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz rye whiskey¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz Green Chartreuse¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz Maraschino¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz lemon juiceShake all ingredients with ice and strain in to a cocktail glass.Swapping gin for rye, and lime juice for lemon juice, the ingredient list for the Final Ward, like its progenitor the Last Word, doesn’t look like it would turn out very well on paper. In a cocktail glass, however, is another matter. A deliciously bright drink for a rye cocktail, the Final Ward is at once fresh, complex and very herbal with the strange interplay of the Maraschino and Chartreuse from the Last Word further deepened by the spicy, aromatic notes of the rye. A wonderful drink indeed, and while it’s hard to find fault with the original Last Word for my money the Final Ward is even tastier and definitely qualifies at a superior twist…