As the fall comes on us, it is rather fashionable to switch from white spirits to brown. Manhattans seem more appropriate to the season than martinis. But sometimes, I seek a spirit-forward cocktail that doesn't pack quite the punch of a straight-up manhattan. It's time for a Deshler! It's a lovely cocktail, primarily of rye, tempered with Dubonnet, Cointreau and Peychaud's Bitters: A perfect October Tippler.
So who was the pugilist in whose honor this libation was named? The mighty fellow you see pictured above originally hailed from the great garden state. He was a lightweight who amassed a rather evenly-balanced record of 27 wins, 25 losses and 24 draws over 15 years around the time of the First Great War. His boxing earned him no lasting fame, but Hugo Ensslin’s secured his legacy when he included the drink named for him in his seminal Recipes for Mixed Drinks (1917).
Friday we will be happy to mix you up a Deshler for the benign tariff of $9. We will pass hors d'oeuvres from 6 PM and the most tasteful cocktail enthusiasts of The Garden State will be in attendance, as is their custom. We hope you can join us.
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