It has been the week of the bad back.  Painkillers haven’t touched it.  Alternation of the application of a frozen slab of parsnip soup with a hot water bottle has had no impact.  The only thing that helps with the constant pain is BOOZE.  Luckily there is a new house cocktail – Astor’s Painless Anaesthetic – entirely appropriate don’t you think?

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I have a new osteopath.  I like her very much.  My main takeaway from my first visit regarding back care over the next few days was her saying this: “Alcohol, yes.  Housework, no.”  Bring on the Painless Anaesthetics!

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Mary Astor’s Astor Painless Anaesthetic – from the Stork Club Bar Book (1946)

3 oz gin

1 oz French vermouth

1 oz Italian vermouth

1 oz cognac

Shake well with ice cubes and dash of orange bitters, twist of lemon peel and just a touch of sugar.

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I bought my lovely Bitter Union bitters from my much loved Prohibition Wines in Muswell Hill.  We had a long chat about movie star cocktails and Mr and Mrs Prohibition are going to design a cocktail specially for Silver Screen Suppers.  It will be called the Gloria Swanson Swansong.  Can’t wait!

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MAN THE ASTOR PAINLESS ANAESTHETICS DO THE TRICK!  I would say those proportions are for one person in a lot of pain, or for two pain-free folks who just fancy a nice refresher.  Thanks Mary!

Mary Astor-1938

Mary Astor-1938

From the spine of the book: “Indexed and packaged to bemuse the palate and alarm the senses, The Stork Club Bar Book (in its peculiar way) belongs with the pharmacopoeia.  It’s purely medicinal.”

What shall I have next?!  I am drawn towards the Binnie Barnes Schnorkel – just for the name…

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