Lemon Drop - Cocktail #1

Lemon Drop, oil on panel, 15 in. x 10 in.  SOLD

Birth date:  Early 1970’s

Origin:  Henry Africa’s – San Francisco

Norman Hobday and his staff at Henry Africa’s created the Lemon Drop along with several other concoctions attempting to draw female customers with very sweet drinks that disguised the taste of alcohol. Mr. Hobday would wear military costumes in the bar and introduce himself to patrons as Corporal Henry Africa.

Corporal Henry Africa

Recipe:

• 1 oz. – Citron Vodka
• 1 oz. – Triple Sec
• 1 oz. – Lemonade
• 1 oz. – Simple sugar
• Lemon twist

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

*This recipe was submitted by two local women who perfected the Lemon Drop while decorating Christmas cookies. (The cookies didn't turn out as well as the cocktails.)

And so it begins...(again)

Warming up with a martini

In the summer of 2011, I started a daily painting project entitled the 99 Bottles of Beer Project.  It was both a fascinating and exhausting journey for me and far more successful than I had anticipated. If you missed it, you can see the entire collection of paintings at 99bottlesofbeerproject.com.  After a much needed break, I’m back, refreshed, re-energized and ready to take on a new project.  My current muse? Cocktails!

I find something quite beautiful in the precision, patience, and care required to mix and present every cocktail in its own unique light. The variety is endless, so I've narrowed down my list to thirty-three.  Some of them are well known classics, while others are more obscure. This is not a set list, just a starting point. I am always interested in suggestions and more than willing to take commissions if you do not find your favorite on the list. See the “List” page for the details.

Each Cocktail will be depicted in its appropriate glass, with surrounding elements that allude to the specific drink.  Some references will be more obvious than others. Every cocktail portrait that I paint will be rendered in oil paint on panel measuring 15 inches high by 10 inches wide. All paintings will be framed and for sale. If you would like to purchase a painting go to the “Purchasing Info” page for all the details.

I will release one Cocktail painting a week, every Monday at 10:00 a.m. (CST). The project will conclude in November, with an exhibition of all the work to follow in early December (TBA).