A Final Dose of Cocktail History

Way back in January—remember the polar vortex, everyone?—I first met with Chef George Krause at Doe’s Eat Place Baton Rouge as he embarked on his “Cocktails through Time” series. Krause had an ambitious outlook: beginning at, well, the beginning of time, Krause curated bimonthly menus featuring the popular, influential concoctions throughout history.

To get patrons’ feet (and whistles) wet, Krause culled his inaugural menu from a not-so-narrow range of years: “Anywhere from the dawn of man to 1750.”

Thanks to Krause’s thorough research, I learned that we’ve got the British navy to thank for today’s rampant cocktail culture.

“Water, water, everywhere,/Nor any drop to drink,” wrote Samuel Taylor Coleridge in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” But it wasn't thirst that plagued these British mariners so much as scurvy. Taking stock of the ship’s provisions—potable water, citrus, and sugar, as well as spices and spirits acquired abroad—the seafarers thwarted their vitamin C deficiencies by combining the lot and serving it up as punch.

From the sloshing punches of yore, Krause’s cocktail tour cruised through the revolutionary inclusion of ice, the dark days of Prohibition, and the disappearance of the gentleman drinker, with many stops in between.

And now, staring glumly into the bottom of bone-dry glasses, we’ve reached our destination. Rather, we’ve run out of years.

Starting September 8, “Cocktails through Time” hits the 21st century, covering the last fourteen years of cocktail craftsmanship. But even after three centuries of fancy, new drinks, we’re not without innovative spirits (in more ways than one).

Krause set about condensing recent “history” for his final doses of cocktail lore. After considering the endless trends and twists popping up in the country’s bistros and dive bars, Krause identified sixteen that had garnered nationwide attention. “Of those sixteen,” said Krause, “I fit thirteen into five drinks.”

Homemade bitters, smoky flavor, low-proof—three different trends that Krause squeezes into his Grilled Pineapple cocktail (one of the drinks on the September 8—21 menu) which nails the sweet, refreshing smack of pineapple without being too syrupy. Krause’s homemade applewood bitters are evocative and smoky, and I will eagerly participate in any caper aimed at stealing the recipe.

For the final two weeks of his series (September 22—October 6), Krause has his sights set upon one year: 2014. He’s outfitting the menu with his own signature drinks, invented and mastered throughout his bartending career. (He claims he got his start at the wizened age of thirteen, as the year 1999 rolled over into 2000.)

And while we’re mourning the end of Krause’s insightful cocktail lectures (and the accompanying libations), it’s no small comfort to realize that Krause, his well-stocked ingredient cabinet, and his diligent devotion to the craft of cocktails aren’t going anywhere. Find the master at 3723 Government Street and ask for a history lesson to complement your drink. (225) 387-5331 or doeseatplacebatonrouge.com.