Suffering Bastard
A spiced long drink of gin, cognac, lime and a ginger bite: the hangover's friend since 1940s Cairo.
Ingredients
- Gin30 ml
- Cognac30 ml
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed15 ml
- Aromatic bitters (Angostura)e.g. Angostura2 dashes
- Ginger beertop up
- Mint, to garnish (optional)1 sprig
- Orange, to garnish (optional)1 slice
Method
- Fill a shaker with ice and add the gin, cognac, fresh lime juice and Angostura bitters.
- Shake hard for 10–15 seconds, until well chilled.
- Pour everything, ice included, unstrained into a Collins or highball glass.
- Top up with ginger beer.
- Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and an orange slice, and give it a light stir with a bar spoon.
Joe Scialom, Shepheard's Hotel, Cairo
About this drink
The Suffering Bastard was created by bartender Joe Scialom at Shepheard's Hotel in Cairo during the Second World War, as a cure for Allied officers' hangovers after nights of dubious spirits. Pairing gin with cognac was unusual at the time, but the bite of ginger beer and the acidity of lime made the drink both reviving and soothing. It soon became a classic far beyond the bars of the desert.
