Tony: Tell me about how the Russian Spring Punch came into being?
Dick: Oh, that was an early invention of mine. There was a party and all the guests were bringing Champagne, so I made a cocktail base of vodka, lemon, sugar and cassis on ice, and when the guests arrived, we just topped up the mix with their bubbly. Putting it basically, it was vodka cassis Collins topped with champers, lethal.
Tony: Sounds like it would have been a good party. I have come across this drink in many guises, both in bars and on paper, often featuring additional ingredients, for example puree or muddled fruit, and with the proportions changed. This inevitably creates a totally different drink. To my way of thinking, this cocktail is very classical in its proportions.
Dick: Vodka, soured, sweetened, flavoured then lengthened. It should also have balance. It is meant to be dry.
Tony: I think that one of the misunderstandings of this drink is that people think that it is a sweet drink - which it is not - so accusations of it being so mean that the point is missed; the understanding of how the ingredients work together and balance perfectly. The ingredients are all complementary, and don't overpower each other. If, for example, a shot of cassis were added instead of 15ml, it would upset the balance of the drink. Not only that, but it would also indicate that the bartender has not fully understood the drink.
Dick: If a cocktail or mixed drink is going to get around and become well known, it has to be simple, or at least, memorable. Being a traditionally trained bartender, I know the differences between Slings, Collins, and Fizzes. I was taught how to combine spirit, citrus and sweetener so that it tastes nice. Proportions seem obvious to me. I don't get why someone would adjust this drink so it becomes unpalatable. I guess there are a lot of variables: quality of Champagne, freshness of lemon juice, strength of cassis. Maybe bartenders are lazy, and just want to make the drink fast rather than well.
Tony: For the record, what is the recipe?
Dick: The recipe for the Russian Spring Punch is as follows;
25ml of good vodka
25ml fresh lemon juice
3 barspoons of cassis, depending on strength and sweetness
2 bar spoons of sugar syrup
Stir (or shake) the ingredients and top with decent dry Champagne - it can be flat. Quell any excess fizzing by pouring 25mls vodka over drink. Garnish with a lemon slice and a blackberry.
Tony: I like the idea of using flat Champagne. There is nothing worse than throwing booze away.
Dick: The secret in making a drink like this that has, in some ways, stood the test of time, is to trust the original recipe. You always have to try and achieve perfection in bartending, it doesn't just happen; you have to make the effort.
Tony: If you make a Manhattan that doesn't taste right you wouldn't say that a Manhattan is a bad drink, it is just a case of figuring out what went wrong when you were making it, be it a matter of method or of incorrect proportions. The resulting drink is really down to the level of effort made by the bartender to find the original recipe which made the drink work in the first place, where possible obtained directly from the source.