Exhibit #95: Ode to Spring...and some birds.

Bird of Paradise Fizz $13
A double pour of Old Tom gin, lime juice, cream, raspberry syrup, egg white, orange flower water, tall. Noted by globetrotter Charles H. Baker, Jr. from visits to the Strangers’ Club in Colon, Panama. A variation on the Ramos Gin Fizz with raspberry syrup replacing the sugar, but lemon juice omitted…and more booze. #66 in the fizz countdown.

Crow’s Peck $9
2 parts each dry gin and Swedish punsch to 1 part each crème de violette and Van der Hum (a South African tangerine liqueur), with a few dashes of peach bitters, up.

Eider Duck $10
Equal parts cognac, Grand Marnier, kirschwasser (dry cherry eau de vie), and lemon juice, up.

Île de France Special $7
A Champagne Cocktail variation: champagne and sugar cube with a little cognac and a dash or two of yellow Chartreuse. Another recipe collected by Baker, of this one he writes, “picker uppers have to be even better than putter downers the night before.” The name refers not to the région Parisienne, but to the ship, the first passenger oceanliner to be built after the first World War. Perhaps more notably, it was the first to be decorated entirely in Art Deco style. Its dining room was the largest of any ship, spanning three decks, with a grand staircase for its entrance. This drink was a favorite on board and was particularly employed as a hangover cure. Pictured: the SS Île de France's second-class salon. For more background and a few more stunning interior shots, go here: http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/192455

Mexican Eagle $8
Nice tequila (Casa Noble reposado), dark Jamaican rum, and dry vermouth, up, in a 2:1:1 ratio. Crazy? Yes. That’s what we do here, lots of crazy.

Nymph Cocktail $8
Equal parts rye whiskey, Lillet blanc, and apricot liqueur with a dash of Angostura, up.

Sunray $9
Equal parts Buffalo Trace bourbon, Grand Marnier, Lillet blanc, and orange juice, up.