Scan barcode
buttontapper's review against another edition
5.0
I love Dorothy Parker. Her wit, her wisdom, her attitude, her style, and even her affinity for gin (despite my own preference for vodka). The original Girl New York – at least in my mind – Dorothy Parker has always been a guiding light when my own literary vision gets cloudy. Whether inventing her own terminology (“one-night stand” and “what the hell”), penning pithy poems that the world embraces as fact (“Men seldom make passes / At girls who wear glasses”), or cracking wise, she’s always been one of my favorite literary heroes. So when author and Dorothy Parker Society President Kevin C. Fitzpatrick announced his latest tribute to the lovely lady, I knew there could be nothing but fresh hell for anyone who stood between me and my DP.
Now, Dorothy Parker aficionados have surely all heard her famous cocktail quip:
I love a martini–
But two at the most.
Three, I’m under the table;
Four, I’m under the host.
But did you know that the divine Ms. Parker never actually wrote these lines? Perhaps they were overheard at the Algonquin Round Table, her preferred hangout, or whilst enjoying a cup of bathtub gin (a recipe for which is included in the book), but as Under the Table: A Dorothy Parker Cocktail Guide will inform you, this supposed ode to the martini often found on bar napkins is not amongst Ms. Parker’s published works.
That’s just one of the many boozy tidbits you’ll imbibe as you page through Kevin C. Fitzpatrick’s unique collection of Dorothy Parker facts and classic (plus a few modern) cocktail recipes. A delightful blend of hearsay and history, musings and mixology, there’s plenty to satisfy Dorothy’s fans, as well as lots of lore to inspire cocktail enthusiasts to become new ones.
In addition to the wonderful trivia and commentary on Dottie’s life, Fitzpatrick has also included such asides as “A Guide to Speakeasy Slang,” with gems like “giggle-water” and “flat tire.” And who can resist being described as “the bee’s knees” or “cat’s meow”?
Along with an original Dorothy Parker-inspired cocktail called The Acerbic Mrs. Parker, the book also contains recipes for drinks enjoyed by or created for her fellow Algonquin Round Table wits, such as Alexander Woolcott (not, in fact, the inspiration for the Brandy Alexander, despite his insistence to the contrary), Edna Ferber, and Franklin P. Adams. I was also pleased to discover a recipe for a drink called the Espionage – one of only two in the book that contain vodka as a main ingredient – that noted Ms. Parker’s FBI file was three inches thick, despite the fact that her only arrest was at a rally for Sacco and Vanzetti. After all, isn’t there something compelling about a woman who arouses such government curiosity, despite being on (generally) good behavior?
Another unique aspect to this volume is its bicoastal focus, following Dorothy’s New York upbringing and early career through to her days in Hollywood as a screenwriter, penning such scripts as the Oscar-nominated “Smash-Up.” Instead of concentrating solely on east coast cocktails and lore, readers can enjoy drinks and stories from across the country and even around the world, with concoctions like the Mint Julep and the Cuba Libre. Even Mrs. Parker’s frenemy, Ernest Hemingway, gets to bask a bit in her reflected glory with recipes for Death in the Afternoon and the Hemingway Daiquiri.
All in all, whether you’re a Dorothy Parker devotee or a craft cocktail connoisseur – or, hell, just a lush who loves spouting poetry – be sure to add this book to your Must Read pile. Then, consider your holiday gift list solved.
(Originally posted at Black Heart Magazine)
Now, Dorothy Parker aficionados have surely all heard her famous cocktail quip:
I love a martini–
But two at the most.
Three, I’m under the table;
Four, I’m under the host.
But did you know that the divine Ms. Parker never actually wrote these lines? Perhaps they were overheard at the Algonquin Round Table, her preferred hangout, or whilst enjoying a cup of bathtub gin (a recipe for which is included in the book), but as Under the Table: A Dorothy Parker Cocktail Guide will inform you, this supposed ode to the martini often found on bar napkins is not amongst Ms. Parker’s published works.
That’s just one of the many boozy tidbits you’ll imbibe as you page through Kevin C. Fitzpatrick’s unique collection of Dorothy Parker facts and classic (plus a few modern) cocktail recipes. A delightful blend of hearsay and history, musings and mixology, there’s plenty to satisfy Dorothy’s fans, as well as lots of lore to inspire cocktail enthusiasts to become new ones.
In addition to the wonderful trivia and commentary on Dottie’s life, Fitzpatrick has also included such asides as “A Guide to Speakeasy Slang,” with gems like “giggle-water” and “flat tire.” And who can resist being described as “the bee’s knees” or “cat’s meow”?
Along with an original Dorothy Parker-inspired cocktail called The Acerbic Mrs. Parker, the book also contains recipes for drinks enjoyed by or created for her fellow Algonquin Round Table wits, such as Alexander Woolcott (not, in fact, the inspiration for the Brandy Alexander, despite his insistence to the contrary), Edna Ferber, and Franklin P. Adams. I was also pleased to discover a recipe for a drink called the Espionage – one of only two in the book that contain vodka as a main ingredient – that noted Ms. Parker’s FBI file was three inches thick, despite the fact that her only arrest was at a rally for Sacco and Vanzetti. After all, isn’t there something compelling about a woman who arouses such government curiosity, despite being on (generally) good behavior?
Another unique aspect to this volume is its bicoastal focus, following Dorothy’s New York upbringing and early career through to her days in Hollywood as a screenwriter, penning such scripts as the Oscar-nominated “Smash-Up.” Instead of concentrating solely on east coast cocktails and lore, readers can enjoy drinks and stories from across the country and even around the world, with concoctions like the Mint Julep and the Cuba Libre. Even Mrs. Parker’s frenemy, Ernest Hemingway, gets to bask a bit in her reflected glory with recipes for Death in the Afternoon and the Hemingway Daiquiri.
All in all, whether you’re a Dorothy Parker devotee or a craft cocktail connoisseur – or, hell, just a lush who loves spouting poetry – be sure to add this book to your Must Read pile. Then, consider your holiday gift list solved.
(Originally posted at Black Heart Magazine)
peterseanesq's review
This is a short, enjoyable book that gives a brief introduction to Dorothy Parker and the Algonquin Round Table, and then segues into a selection containing recipes for popular drinks from the 1920s. Each drink is introduced with a story about the 1920s, including stories about Dorothy Parker. Since we are beginning a centenary of the 1920s, it is fun to read these stories about a time so long ago, but not so long ago.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RGLXFJPJ6WQQT?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RGLXFJPJ6WQQT?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp
More...