Eye-Opener

The Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain, 1869

1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar

1½ oz. rum

2 dashes of curaçao

2 dashes of apricot brandy

1 egg yolk (optional)

Chill a coupe in the freezer.

Place the sugar, rum, curaçao, and apricot brandy in a cocktail shaker and muddle.

Add ice and the egg yolk, shake vigorously, and strain into the chilled coupe.

The Frenchman began to back away, suspicious of the ominous vigor of the last order—began to back away, shrugging his shoulders and spreading his hands apologetically. The General followed him up and gained a complete victory. The uneducated foreigner could not even furnish a Santa Cruz Punch, an Eye-Opener, a Stone-Fence, or an Earthquake. It was plain that he was a wicked impostor.

It’s pretty obvious that our frustrated visitors aren’t going to get anything that they want, as Twain rattles off a list of drinks denied to them. Among these names is one called an Eye-Opener, which stands out and makes you wonder just what goes into it (do you really want to know?). The Eye-Opener is eye-opening, to say the least, being a mixture of rum, orange and apricot liqueurs, and an egg yolk. Bear in mind that should you choose to add this ingredient, there are health concerns about consuming raw eggs in any drink. Should you think it not worth the risk, it’s also possible to make a perfectly satisfying mixed drink without the egg.