Rick Turner on the Income Tax Cocktail
It is time to raise a glass to a taxing American tradition: April 15th. (No, I have not been drinking!)
I’m talking about an elixir called the Income Tax cocktail. Naturally, this is the time of year it always surfaces…for better or for worse. It’s actually a good drink, so it’s unfortunate that this cocktail’s history and origin have been blurred over time.
Ever heard of a Bronx cocktail? The Income Tax cocktail is so closely related to the Bronx Cocktail that these two afternoon refreshments can be bundled, bowed, and hand delivered in one neat little article. It’s a two-for-one.
To know the Income Tax, you have to know the Bronx. Around the turn of the 20th Century, the most popular drink at the Old Waldorf Astoria Hotel was a drink called the Duplex –until one patron challenged bartender Johnny Solon to create something new. That drink became known as the Bronx, which eventually morphed into the Income Tax. Here’s the recipe for both:
The Bronx
1 ½ oz. gin
¾ oz. sweet vermouth
¾ oz. dry vermouth
Juice of ¼ wedge of fresh orange
Combine all components in a mixing tin and give it a shake and strain in a cocktail glass.
To make it an Income Tax Cocktail, add two dashes of Angostura Bitters to the shaker. Garnish these babies with an orange twist or an orange wheel.
Whether this time of year makes you cry with misery or joy, these two libations make great company.
Rick Turner is a Certified Specialist in Spirits (Society of Wine Educators) and a Certified Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers). He writes about cocktails for EscapeHatchDallas. In his spare time, Turner is the general manager of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Dallas.
