Episode 79: Like Watching Varnish Dry – Japalac Cocktail

Monster in a Glass

Do you like cocktails that are named after a 19th century varnish? Then step right up to the bar and order a Japalac Cocktail. That’s right folks, nothing says quenching your thirst like old lacquer!
This recipe shows up first and only in Albert Stevens Crockett’s Old Waldorf Bar Days (1931). It was another creation of Johnnie Solon, of Bronx Cocktail fame. Was Johnnie famous for anything other than creating the Bronx Cocktail? Well, Crockett will tell you he was also known for a Mint Julep that took 30 minutes to make! This episode explores why a cocktail named after varnish wasn’t picked up by other bartenders at the time, historically sexist advertising methods, and what actually may have been going on at the Waldorf Bar with Mr. Johnnie Solon.
Juice of ¼ orange
¾ ounce dry vermouth
¾ ounce rye whiskey
1 teaspoon raspberry syrup
Combine in an iced cocktail shaker, and shake and strain into a small cocktail glass