Whoa, Nellie

An excellent crop of cocktail books came available during the holiday season this year, offering great possibilities for elaborate experiments. After Thanksgiving I was dipping into one of the books — the wonderfully written and illustrated In the Land of Cocktails, by Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan — when I came across an odd sounding drink with a good pedigree.

The authors are the proprietors of the incomparable Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, and for this book they pulled together a great collection of drinks, including many local favorites like the Vieux Carré and the brandy milk punch, plus classics like the Papa Doble and French 75 (two variations).

I was intrigued by the Whoa, Nellie — not only for the name but the ingredient list and its provenance.

According to their write-up, it was concocted recently by Ted “Dr. Cocktail” Haigh on a visit to town, when he basically rifled through the fridge to see what he could find. He threw some things together, took a sip, and said “Whoa, Nellie!”

It’s an odd mix of ingredients, but it comes together with perfect balance and none of the seams showing. It’s got a distinctly pre-Prohibition taste profile — heavier on the bitters than the sweet — I’ve been making it for friends the past few weeks, none of whom have refused seconds.

Here’s the recipe. It deserves a broader audience.

Whoa, Nellie
1-1/4 oz Sazerac rye or other rye
3/4 oz dark rum, such as Myer’s
3/4 oz Cointreau
4 dashes Angostura bitters
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz simple syrup.

Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glass.