The name Swizzle has been applied to variously compounded drinks, and while it is said the origin of the word is unknown it appears to be just another way of pronouncing Switchel, a drink made of mo­lasses and water, sometime with the addition of vinegar, gin, and rum. Also applied to strong drinks sweetened and flavored with bitters.

To make a Swizzle a swizzle-stick is necessary—a round wooden stick or dowel with swollen bottom end from which protrude five smaller sticks like the spokes of a wheel. The swizzle-stick is rotated rapidly between the palms to mix the drink thorough­ly. A Swizzle, according to legend, is a liquid insti­tution of Demerara, British Guiana, and became quite popular in the West Indies before it made its appear­ance in Old New Orleans. There were many refer­ences to the drink over a century ago, such as "The boys finished the evening with some fine grub, swizzle, and singing" (1813), and a British traveler, Lady Brassy, more intrigued with the way the drink was concocted with a swizzle-stick than with the drink itself, wrote in 1885: "I mean to take home some 'swizzle-sticks'. They are cut from some kind of creeper, close to a joint, where four or five shoots branch out at right angles, so as to produce a star-like circle. The whole is mixed with powdered ice, and stirred or 'swizzled' until it froths well."

As early as 1800 this same drink was known as Switchel, an Englishman noting that "the dauntless Yankees still drank their switchell," so that deriva­tion of swizzel from switchel seems plain.

"We were never 'groggy', 'intoxicated', 'swizzled', or 'tight', but once." 18A3.

Swizzle

1 wineglass rum 1 tablespoon "New Orleans" molasses

1 pony water

2-3 dashes Peychaud bitters

Mix in a barglass, swizzle with a swizzle-stick, add ice, swizzle again. Strain into a serving glass.

This is the summer swizzle; in the wintertime pip­ing hot water is added to the rum and molasses. Ro­tate with the swizzle-stick, and grate a little nutmeg on top. Serve the hot drink in the mixing glass.

Sangaree

½ teaspoon sugar

1 jigger port wine

nutmeg

Mix the sugar with the port wine before filling the mixing glass nearly full of fine ice. Stir vigorously, or put the mix­ture in a shaker. Strain into a thin glass and grate a little nutmeg on top.

While the original recipe for Sangaree calls for port wine, it is sometimes made with brandy, sherry, gin, or even ale. The drink is a tropical one and because of its color derives its name from the French sang, meaning "blood." We are also told the name "san­garee" fits any drink, so long as it's red, and made of wine and sweetened water, then spiced and iced. The drink is an old-fashioned one and was very pop­ular as a guest refreshment in old Creole days.

"At Nerule is made the best Arach or Nepa de Goa, with which the English on this Coast make that enervating Liquor called Paunch (which is Indostan for Five) from Five In­gredients." 1672.

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