Mark Twain
- 2 fluid ounces of blended Scotch whisky
- 1 fluid ounce of fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ fluid ounce (2 teaspoons) of demerara gum syrup or 2 teaspoons (8 grams) of demerara sugar
- 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
If using sugar rather than syrup, muddle with the lemon juice until dissolved. Shake all of the ingredients with ice and strain into a lowball glass with fresh cubed ice. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
Mark Twain wrote about a drink he made using Scotch, lemon juice, sugar and Angostura bitters, in a letter to his wife:
Livy my darling, I want you to be sure & remember to have, in the bathroom, when I arrive, a bottle of Scotch whisky, a lemon, some crushed sugar, & a bottle of Angostura bitters. Ever since I have been in London I have taken in a wine glass what is called a cock-tail (made with those ingredients) before breakfast, before dinner, & just before going to bed.