This is just weird. His book is stuffed with bizarre mixtures of brandy, beer and sherry, yet he says this recipe is never seen:
"How many people, I wonder, are aware that
Champagne and Guinness' Stout
make one of the best combinations possible? You may search the wide wide world for a cookery book which will give this information ; but the mixture is both grateful and strengthening, and is, moreover, far to be preferred to what is Known as
Rich Man's Shandy Gaff;
which is a mixture of champagne and ale. The old Irishman said that the "blackgyard" should never be placed atop of the " gintleman," intending to convey the advice that ale should not be placed on the top of champagne. But the "black draught" indicated just above is well worth attention. It should be drunk out of a pewter tankard, and is specially recommended as a between-the-acts refresher fot the amateur actor."
"Cakes and Ale" by Edward Spencer, 1913, page 225.
Surely everyone knows what Black Velvet is?
Ron, that's true now, but 1913 was a scant 50 years after the drink was invented (in London clubs when Prince Albert, the Consort, died. The men tipped in stout to their Champagne as a sign of mourning). The drink was probably known in restricted circles for a long time so it makes sense published evidence was slow to come.
ReplyDeleteThank you for printing also that statement about an ale-and-Champagne mix. In some 40 years of reading extensively on potables, I have never come across that.
There has been disagreement at high levels about the quality of Black Velvet as a drink. George Saintsbury thought it provided no real utility since he said you can't taste the beer (although that may have been the clubmen's point). This is true if you use a dryish stout but I always use a rich one, and sometimes add a little more than 50-50 stout to balance it better. You need to taste some black malty stuff in the blend to get it right.
Michael Jackson thought the drink did a disservice to two fine drinks. I like it well-enough, when well made again.
Gary