This was on the bar at every establishment in New York City during the holidays in the Gay Nineties.
Ingredients
For the batter:
12 fresh eggs, separated
3 pounds granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 ounces añejo rum
For the drink:
2 tablespoons of batter
1 1/2 ounces brandy
1/2 ounce añejo rum
3 or 4 ounces boiling water
Freshly grated nutmeg, for dusting
Preparation
For the batter:
Step 1
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until they are thin as water, adding the sugar while beating. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the spices and rum to the yolks. Mix in the stiff whites and stir until the mixture is the consistency of a light batter. (1 teaspoon of cream of tartar or 1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda will prevent the sugar from settling to the bottom of the batter.)
For the drink:
Step 2
Put the batter in the bottom of a ceramic mug, add the spirits and the boiling water and stir. Dust with nutmeg and serve.
Reprinted with permission from The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes by Dale DeGroff, © 2011 Clarkson Potter. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
