Garbo Gargle Cocktail (1933)

Four equal measures underneath

Orange juice and grenadine give the mixture its fruity, sweet side. Grenadine is a full main measure here, not just a dash to tint the liquid. Its taste deserves attention when choosing the bottle.

Dry French vermouth supplies wine and herbal flavor alongside the brandy. Sweet vermouth would add more sweetness to a drink already carrying syrup and port, so keep to the dry style.

Brandy remains the main spirit, but it shares equal volume with each of those three companions. That makes this a multi-bottle cocktail whose individual ingredients are still easy to identify. You don't need an expensive brandy simply because the name comes from a Hollywood booklet.

A dash of mint, not a mint garnish

Crème de menthe is the small accent. The listed dash adds a cool mint note to the fruit and wine.

Dashes vary with the bottle and its spout. Keep it small: an extra generous pour can quickly become easier to taste than the fruit and wine you measured much more carefully.

There is no sprig to muddle or mint bouquet to arrange. The liqueur supplies that flavor, leaving the port-colored surface clear.

A Hollywood name and a port finish

Hollywood Cocktails, the Buzza-Cardozo booklet used here in its 1933 third printing, gives Garbo Gargle in a compact entry. It supplies the equal main shares, mint dash and port finish, without a personal drinking account from Greta Garbo.

The name can still be enjoyed on a party menu. It doesn't need a claim that this was a film star's favorite drink to make the glass worth offering.

Our recipe uses measured quantities and fresh serving ice. The ice gives the topping a slightly irregular boundary; some port can slip between cubes or begin to color the liquid below. Let that happen naturally.

A crystal tumbler or old fashioned glass has enough room for the mixture and fresh cubes. The dark wine above the paler fruit base provides the decoration.