Days That End in Y

Having not grown up in Boston, there is plenty of local history that I don’t know. One such factoid, which I only recently learned is the story behind the Ward 8 cocktail, which I’ve chosen to write up for the second edition of the Carnival of Drinking. It’s a rarely ordered drink, but the recipe appears in nearly every cocktail book, which is likely due to its history. Chances are you won’t be able to order one outside of Boston, though, without the bartender giving you a funny look. Heck, you might not even be able to order one in Boston itself.

Anyway, the version I made uses a recipe I learned in school. As you can see, though, I don’t have a Collins glass, so I cheated and used a pint glass instead. Basically, the drink is a John Collins or whiskey sour with grenadine:

• 1 oz. blended whiskey
• Dash grenadine
• Lemon mix filled to 1″ from rim
• Shake
• Top with club soda
• Garnish with flag

The history goes something like this: the drink was created at Locke-Ober in the Business District to celebrate the election of Martin M. Lomasney to the state legislature in 1898. He was known as “The Czar of Ward Eight” or “The Boston Mahatma” and was a major power in Boston politics for fifty years. Interestingly, the drink was created before he was elected, but if rumor is right, the election was virtually guaranteed due to some “suggesting” on the part of his cronies. Ironically, Lomasney was a prohibitionist, but the cocktail survived those years nonetheless and was an oft-ordered cocktail after its repeal. Here are some sources with varying stories and recipes.

Anyway, the above is what I’m 90% certain of being true. However, there are a number of discrepancies when it comes to the Ward Eight. Perhaps if I were writing a dissertation, this would be more thoroughly researched. However, I’m not getting graded, and this is merely drink for thought:

1. Many recipes call for this not to be served in a Collins glass but in a cocktail glass. Basically, the whiskey becomes more concentrated. For example, here is the recipe from Complete Home Bartender’s Guide:
   • 2 oz bourbon
   • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
   • 1/2 oz fresh orange juice
   • dash grenadine
   • dash gomme syrup

   As far as I’m concerned, this is wrong. I think the bartender at Locke-Ober would heartily disagree.

2. The next discrepancy is the type of whiskey. The recipe I learned calls for blended. This is likely wrong, as the type of whiskey they drank at the time was rye whiskey. However, the distinction is oftentimes lost these days. It’s almost certainly not bourbon as in the second recipe, and it’s certainly not Scotch.
3. The last discrepancy is the whole story itself! In the book I cited later, the blurb about the cocktail says that it was “named after an old Irish area in New York known for its corruption. This is also the drink of the Scottish Guards.” First of all, the drink was actually named after an old Irish area in Boston, i.e. Ward 8. Second, I can find no evidence that this was the drink of the Scottish Guards. The myth appears to be perpetrated online as well.

In the end, the story I told may or may not be true, but it’s an interesting tale. Cocktail culture is oftentimes shrouded in myth and mystery. After all, how much can you really recall after a few drinks?

On a sidenote: if you’re still interested in participating in the Carnival of Drinking #2, it’s not too late! The theme is “something local”. Submit your entry today by 10:00 PM ET! If you’re a little late, then please email Jeff at The Bottom Shelf directly.

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