I just read a scathing review of the new Broadway revival of Ragtime in The New Yorker. I know, Hilton Als. The music is saccharine, the characters are cardboard, it doesn't do anything near justice to E.L. Doctorow's novel, but... it's Ragtime! There's a whole song about burying your live newborn baby in your employer's backyard. It's pretty awesome. Anyway, Henry Ford is a secondary character in Ragtime so this cocktail reminded me of it. Another from Vintage Cocktails and Forgotten Spirits, it's basically a variation on a wet martini. It's a tidy, compact two ounces, and the addition of orange bitters and Benedictine add a slight spicy depth without distracting from the classic gin vermouth combination. Another spin is the use of Old Tom Gin, which is a bit sweeter than regular London Dry and was actually really popular in the 19th Century, before the dry stuff took over the market. I could honestly have several of these right now, but then I would start singing Ragtime and embarrass myself.
The Ford Cocktail (from Vintage Cocktails and Forgotten Spirits)
1 oz. Old Tom Gin (If you don't have any just add a teaspoon of simple syrup to your London Dry.)
1 oz. dry vermouth (I used Noilly Prat... refrigerated of course.)
3 dashes of Benedictine
3 dashes of orange bitters (I used Regan's.)
Shake.
