I love fizzes (she says without a trace of ironic obviousness, as she composes a new post on Fizzy!Cocktail). The very word — and the pleasing onomatopoetic-ness of it — brings a quick smile and the anticipation of laughter and giddy celebration.
Fizzes fascinate me psychologically too. Because in my enormously simplistic zozzled universe, a fizz is basically a sour in a good mood. Its effervescence (literally) the result of the addition of charged water — ie: Seltzer. Which is another great sounding word, by the way.
Ingredients:
In a mixing glass, muddle lemon and sugar. Add shaved ice and whisky. Shake. Strain into Fizz Glass. Fill with charged water.
Notes:
Caulkins does not specify what type of whisky to use here. The Scottish spelling of the spirit is not a directive; he maintains it throughout the Mixing Master regardless of whether he is speaking in generalities, like in today’s recipe, or when dealing in specifics with others — “Rye Whisky, “Irish Whisky”, “Scotch Whisky” etc.
I used bourbon whisky. . . and since this is not an ad for a distillery, I’ll just say I prefer the one made with red winter wheat, as opposed to the ones that use rye.
Caulkins may not have cared which whisky was used, but he was particular about how much shaved ice should go in. A handwritten notation at the top of the Fizz recipe page tells us that “2/3 glass full” is his optimum amount (his mixing glass held 20 oz).
Additionally, he tells us that a Fizz Glass held between 8 and 10 oz. After shaking and straining into my own 8 oz glass, I found that it took around 3 oz of seltzer to fill it — so a bit less than half the total volume. Presumably that amount will vary depending on the vigorous-ness of your cocktail shaking style (and how blotto you intend to make your guests…)
For me, this was just the right balance – it tasted like a slightly naughty fizzy lemonade. Sparkling and tart, with a warm after glow from the bourbon.
Finally, a side note about seltzer. If you make this drink, I’d advise against substituting club soda for seltzer. A lifetime of drinking homemade chocolate ice cream sodas has taught me that the two are not interchangeable. Club Soda has minerals added, which affect its flavor, while Seltzer is just pure carbonated water. Get the real stuff! It’s readily available, and will make you and your fizz very happy indeed.