Horse's Neck
Earning its name from the long strip of coiled lemon peel that peeks from a tall highball glass, Horse’s Neck cocktail is made with brandy and golden and fizzy ginger ale. The cocktail has a rich history of being drunk with and without alcohol; although it was said to have been made without alcohol initially, since the 1890s. Typically using brandy, sometimes whisky or bourbon is also used and it’s then called Horse’s Neck With A Kick.
While the Horse's Neck cocktail likely originated in America, it found immense popularity with the British Royal Navy in the 20th century. The crisp, refreshing drink quickly became the tipple of choice for naval officers, even surpassing the Pink Gin at Cockers P's—the navy's name for cocktail parties. Guests at these parties were always offered the choice of a Horse’s Neck or a Gin and Tonic. It became a popular fixture at these parties post-World War II, readily replacing Pink Gin.
Famed author Ian Fleming had referenced the drink in his 1966 James Bond novel Octopussy, disparagingly describing it as a drunkard's beverage via a character, Major Smythe, with a peculiar resemblance to himself. However, the Horse's Neck found its way to the big screen with The Yangtze Incident: The True Story of HMS Amethyst; this was one of the earliest mentions, where it was paired with herring sandwiches. This drink also appears alongside Fred Astaire in Top Hat, Humphrey Bogart in A Lonely Place, and the George Formby film No Limit (1935).
That being said, we would also like to mention that this drink had something to do with the era of silent black-and-white films. To name the famous star, the comical Charlie Chaplin. The Horse's Neck cocktail makes a brief but memorable appearance in his 1914 silent film, Caught in a Cabaret. In an early scene, Chaplin's character struggles hilariously to hydrate a thirsty dachshund from a spring on a scorching day. While doing so he falls into a bush, loses the dog and gets into a tussle with a boy who was only returning his dog. Meanwhile, the female lead Mabel Normand, playing a high society debutante, is seen ordering this refreshing Horse's Neck cocktail before going for her afternoon stroll with her beau. The man turns out to be a robber and in a good turn of events, Charlie roughhouses him and earns the favour of the lady.
While this silent film appearance lasts barely a minute, it captured the Horse's Neck at the height of its cultural cachet. What began as a simple mix of brandy, ginger ale and lemon peel had gained enough renown to be ordered by name on the silver screen. Just a decade later, the cocktail would spread through the British Royal Navy. Its crisp flavours came to symbolize refinement and sophistication in the early decades of the 1900s.
Ingredients
Method
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Fill up a highball glass with ice cubes.
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Pour Cognac and ginger ale directly into the glass.
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Stir gently.
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The Angostura bitter is optional, but you can add a dash.
Pro Tip: This step is important otherwise it's just a plain cocktail. Garnish this drink with the rind of one lemon spiral. Cut it in such a manner that an inch or two sticks out of the glass. The other end needs to touch the bottom of the glass. Use your hands to make the spiral, the warmth will help.
