Flaming drink

In the mid-1800s, a typical saloon would serve basic spirits, such as whiskey, brandy, or gin. For a sweet variation, a little sugar might be added.[2] For special occasions and depending on availability of the ingredients, various punches, toddies, egg nogs, grogs, or mulled wines might be provided, especially at social events. Somewhere between at least the 1600s and the 1860s, people began to light the alcohol on fire.

Jerry Thomas, the author of the first book with cocktail recipes

The first bartender's manual, written by Jerry Thomas and published in 1862, contains the recipe for the first flaming cocktail, the blue blazer.[3] The book, How to Mix Drinks, describes[4]^: 76–77 how to turn a hot toddy made with Scotch into a "blazing stream of liquid fire":[5]

197. Blue Blazer.
(Use two large silver-plated mugs, with handles.)

1 wine-glass of Scotch whisky.

1 do. Boiling water.

Put the whisky and the boiling water in one mug, ignite the liquid with fire, and while blazing mix both ingredients by pouring them four or five times from one mug to the other, as represented in the cut. If well done this will have the appearance of a continued stream of liquid fire.

Sweeten with one teaspoonful of pulverized white sugar, and serve in a small bar tumbler, with a piece of lemon peel.

The "blue blazer" does not have a very euphonious or classic name, but it tastes better to the palate than it sounds to the ear. A beholder gazing for the first time upon an experienced artist, compounding this beverage, would naturally come to the conclusion that it was a nectar for Pluto rather than Bacchus. The novice in mixing this beverage should be careful not to scald himself. To become proficient in throwing the liquid from one mug to the other, it will be necessary to practise for some time with cold water.[4]^: 76–77

The cocktail was prominently featured in Samuel Fuller's period journalism drama, Park Row (1952).

The skin of most citrus fruits, especially oranges and lemons, contains flammable volatile oils.[6] When a slice of peel is squeezed over a drink above a flame, such as from a match or a lighter, the resulting spray passes through the flame and is slightly caramelized and produces a sparkle effect.[9][10][11] Any change in flavor is subtle, but the act of setting a spray of orange oil is performance more than culinary enhancement. This technique can be done anytime a twist of citrus is called for in a drink recipe; however, drinks with stronger flavors are better for this than delicate ones. Since, after squeezing, the peel will be rubbed around the edge of the glass and then placed in the drink, it is best to use very clean fruits. Also, the fresher the fruit, the more oil there will be within the skin.[9]

Stroh rum soaked sugar cubes in orange shells

A lemon, lime, or small orange is cut in half, hollowed out, and then typically floated inside an ornate tiki bowl filled with mixed liquors and fruit juices (such as a scorpion bowl group cocktail), or simply placed inside a large brandy snifter. A small amount of overproof rum (45% ABV or greater) is then poured into the hollowed out shell and carefully set on fire.

Placing a sugar cube inside the shell helps in two ways. First, it acts as a wick to present a better flame, and secondly, it adds weight to the shell and helps to prevent it from tipping into the drink. The caramelized sugar cube is edible if it is not burned too badly.[12] A fruit shell with flaming sugar may also be placed on a drink for presentation or for delaying the lighting of flaming shots. A smaller fruit slice or peel may also be used instead of a citrus half, especially if the slice is meant to be bitten into after drinking the alcohol; small fireproof dishes may also be used.[2]

Absinth Stromu — the Bohemian ritual can also ignite the drink if flaming sugar drips in.

Absinthe is traditionally prepared following the French ritual, in which sugar cubes are slowly dissolved into the absinthe by the pouring or dripping of ice-cold water over the cubes; the mixture of the water with the hydrophobic botanical oils in absinthe causes it to become cloudy, or louche. While this traditional method of preparation involves no flame, absinthe is a highly flammable liquor and is thus suitable for use in flaming cocktails.

An alternative, Bohemian (Czech) ritual involves fire, but does not (directly) ignite the actual drink itself. Instead of slowly dissolving the sugar with cold water, the sugar cube is doused in absinthe and lit on fire. This results in caramelized sugar dripping into the absinthe, which considerably changes the flavor.[7] This fire ritual is a modern invention, originating in the 1990s and initially meant to distract from the fact that Czech absinthes of that era were often simply overproof vodkas with artificial coloring and flavoring. The pyrotechnic nature of the ritual has nevertheless resulted in a degree of enduring popularity even as the quality of such absinthes improved.[13][14]