The Nostalgia section is back on The Bancroft’s cocktail menu.  One of the new cocktails on the list is the Don’t Give Up the Ship.

This drink’s name refers to the dying command of James Lawrence, the captain of the USS Chesapeake, during the War of 1812. He sailed his ship into Boston Harbor to attack a British vessel; while he was outgunned and lost the confrontation, his words, “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” became a battle cry for the American fleet.

Inspired by the book: Cocktail Guide and Ladies’ Companion by Crosby Gaige, this cocktail is bright and clean featuring several ingredients that give a nod to days gone by.

• Bombay Dry Gin – a classic London style – juniper and lemon forward. Dry refers to the fact it is not sweetened as Old Tom gins were;
• Dubonnet – a fortified aperitif wine created by Parisian chemist/wine merchant Joseph Dubonnet in 1846 to make quinine more palatable for soldiers battling malaria in North Africa. Quinine is blended with a proprietary blend of herbs, spices and wine to create a flavor of “Cherry, mint and walnut, with notes of lemon zest, cardamom and toffee with flavors of orange, nuts, chocolate and coffee; finishes fairly sweet, with lemon and herb notes;
• Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao – traditional French “triple sec” – three separate distillations of spices and the “sec” or bitter, peels of Curacao oranges blended with brandy and Ferrand Cognac;
• Fernet Branca – an Italian amaro and digestif created in 1845 made from 27 herbs and spices. Extremely aggressive with deep spice and menthol notes.