Shanghai Buck

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                               Shanghai Buck

I am always excited when I hear about a classic cocktail for the first time.  I fancy myself not necessarily as an “expert” on classic cocktails, but I definitely read as much as I can about them, and have a pretty extensive cocktail book collection.  I can honestly say that I had never even heard about this one, so when a good friend of mine posted a picture of it recently, I got right to work researching it.  

The cocktail is called “Shanghai Buck”, but in reading up on it I went down a different rabbit hole as well, all about Charles H. Baker, Jr.   He was a legend in cocktail history, and basically globe-trotted around the globe in search of the world’s best cocktails.  

In 1926, after the death of a relative, he inherited a large amount of money and booked himself a cruise around the world.  Of course, the United States was deep in Prohibition during this time and in 1930 he became a publicist for the Hamburg American Cruise Line.  This allowed him the opportunity to fund his traveling and subsequent cocktail research in every port.  

He wrote two books, the first in 1939 called “The Gentleman’s Companion” and the second in 1951 called “The South American Gentleman’s Companion”.  If you are a book nerd like me, you must get your hands on at least the first one.  His books were unique because in addition to recipes, he also told stories about the cocktails and their origins.  He is credited with writing about many of the now-classic cocktails, and likely the most famous is “Remember the Maine”, a twist on a Manhattan made with Rye Whiskey, Cherry Heering, Sweet Vermouth and Absinthe.  (Try this one with a rich aged rum, you won’t be disappointed.)

This article, though, is not about Mr. Baker, but about the Shanghai Buck.  Apparently, in 1910, a bar called the “British Shanghai Club” was famous for this drink and was the largest Bacardi account in the world at the time because of it.  It was also the longest bar in the world, measuring over 100 feet long and almost 40 feet deep.  According to Charles H. Baker, Jr., the cocktail was made with golden rum, ginger beer, fresh lime juice and a dash of grenadine.  Essentially it is Dark and Stormy!  What I love about this cocktail is that it is a good base for creative bartenders to have a lot of fun.   You can use any rum, and depending on which one you choose, the outcome will be vastly different.  Homemade grenadine is traditionally made with pomegranate juice, but that too can be tweaked.   I spent an afternoon making different versions and this one was by far my personal favorite….. We will call it a “modern classic”.  The fresh ginger was a nice addition and the two rums added rich flavors of baking spices, molasses and banana.  

                      Cris’s Shanghai Buck

  • 1.5 oz. Angostura 7 Year Rum
  • .5 oz. Smith and Cross Rum
  • .5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
  • 1 oz. Ginger Grenadine* (recipe below)

Add the above ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well.  Strain over fresh ice and top with club soda.  Garnish with a lime twist and candied ginger.  

                           *Ginger Grenadine*

In a saucepan add 2 cups of pomegranate juice, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger, 1 cup of Demerara sugar and the peel of one orange.   Heat on medium-high for 10 minutes, stirring while the sugar dissolves.  Lower heat to medium-low and continue to reduce to a syrup for another 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, strain out the orange and ginger, and refrigerate for up to one week.   

Cris