If ever I marry and have a son...

January 2, 2012 8:45 AM

The most common references you will see about the Green Swizzle, are the recipe that incorporates creme de menthe, or the quote from "The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy". It has been said, many times, that the creme de menthe version is not the original recipe and that the original "has been lost in history" or that "it never existed". These two statements I do not agree with, and I've managed to dig up a number of articles that prove the Green Swizzle did exist, and that the original recipe may be right in front of our eyes.
posted by Wolfdog (13 comments total)

Glad that's settled, then.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 9:19 AM on January 2

I can't say that I am all that interested in 19th C rum drinks, but I admire the cut of this man's jib!
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:27 AM on January 2 [3 favorites]

I just threw out a bag of wormwood. Wish I had seen this beforehand. I could have made wormwood bitters.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:32 AM on January 2

I just threw out a bag of wormwood. Wish I had seen this beforehand. I could have made wormwood bitters.

Where do you get wormwood from? This seems like a thing I should try to do.

I keep meaning to throw a fancy-pants cocktail party but never get around to it; maybe it should be a meetup somewhere instead.
posted by spitefulcrow at 10:25 AM on January 2

C'mon... it tastes just like candy!
posted by markkraft at 10:48 AM on January 2

Oooh! It's like Ghost Hunters or In Search Of but for drunkards!
posted by KingEdRa at 10:53 AM on January 2 [1 favorite]

Anyone starting from the premise that Wodehouse points the way is starting from the place where I stand! Excellent post.
posted by OmieWise at 11:01 AM on January 2 [2 favorites]

"the simplest solution is the most likely solution"

I am a little freaked out by how often people go with this assumption.
posted by hermitosis at 11:23 AM on January 2

This was a delicious, delicious article. I'm realizing that I have at home all the ingredients needed to make a traditional Rum Swizzle except for the falernum. Hmm.

That is a silly wiki. Everyone knows the Dark'n'Stormy is the Bermuda national drink. Swizzle is too fussy.
posted by zomg at 12:25 PM on January 2

That looks really tasty.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:34 PM on January 2

I believe Bermuda is quite far from Barbados, zomg.
posted by kingv at 5:26 PM on January 2

What I find unsettling is that this post comes right behind one signed by HonoriaGlossop. Who, I'm sure, would disapprove of the Green Swizzle in any version.

WWPGWD?
posted by Skeptic at 1:18 AM on January 3

And let's not forget The May Queen.

Every two years, devotees of PGW meet for a convention that includes among its highlights the biennial cricket match The Green Swizzles v. The May Queens. Although we mostly drink champagne (because, as PGW wrote, "Until something better comes along, the best will have to do." I forget which character says that) we're fans of exotic cocktails. The next meeting will be in Chicago, in the autumn of 2013.
posted by phliar at 3:16 PM on January 3