ENDANGERED COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH-BIRD OF PARADISE GIN FIZZ

by PINK LADY
This winter has surely been a long one. As we shake off its chill, it feels like the perfect time to reach for something light, floral, fruity, and beautiful — such as the Bird of Paradise Gin Fizz.

This drink was discovered at The Strangers Club in Colón, Panama, by professional bon vivant Charles H. Baker Jr. He published the recipe in his 1939 collection, The Gentleman’s Companion: Being an Exotic Drinking Book or Around the World with Jigger, Beaker and Flask. This book is an absolute treasure for cocktail fans, especially those who, like myself, are fascinated by all things vintage. I purchased a modern reprint some twenty years ago and have loved it ever since. So, when my niece’s young friend discovered a second edition copy while we were shopping in Provincetown several years ago, I nearly knocked her down to take it for myself. She was happy to let me have the book — no violence necessary.

Baker identifies this drink as a variation of a New Orleans Fizz that swaps raspberry syrup in place of sugar. In the second edition of his book, he suggests using blackberry liqueur as an option for “better sweetening still.” He discovered the drink during his travels at the famous Strangers Club in Colón, Panama.

The Strangers Club was one of two main social clubs in Panama in the early 1920s, frequented by American residents and Panamanians in the early days of the Panama Canal. Famous guests like Amelia Earhart and the Queen of England are said to have visited the establishment, which operated until the 1970s. In 2017, a modern Strangers Club was opened in Panama City by the renowned team behind the New York cocktail bar Employees Only.

Back in Massachusetts, we can dream of warmer days and tropical climates by mixing up one of these at home. And since it contains egg white, it would make a fun and colorful addition to any Easter festivities!

BIRD OF PARADISE GIN FIZZ
Adapted from The Gentleman’s Companion by Charles H. Baker, Jr. “A colorful, eye-filling experience we found in signing our names to the Book at the Stranger Club, Colón, Panama”

2 ounces of Gin
1 ounce of Raspberry Syrup
1 ounce of Lime
1 Egg White
1 ounce of Heavy Cream
2 dashes of Orange Flower Water
GLASS Highball or wine goblet

Add gin, raspberry syrup, lime, egg white, and heavy cream (add cream last) to a shaker with plenty of ice and “Shake hard and long.” Turn contents, including ice, into a glass and top with 1 ounce soda water. “Serve immediately,” per Baker, “since no fizz gains virtue even from brief neglect.”

Regarding garnish, Baker writes: “Float on a red rose petal, or any scarlet small tropical blossom, like bougainvillea, as a final garnish.

Cin-cin!