BARBARY COAST
The Barbary Coast: San Francisco's Decadent Cocktail
The Barbary Coast cocktail appeared in bartending manuals from the 1920s and 1930s, named after the notorious entertainment district in San Francisco that existed from the 1850s through 1917.
The Barbary Coast neighborhood was known for its saloons, gambling halls, and dance halls before it was shut down during World War I, according to Difford's Guide.
The cocktail combines equal parts Scotch, gin, and crème de cacao with cream, creating a rich, dessert-like drink. This unusual combination pairs whisky and gin with chocolate liqueur and dairy, producing a sweet, indulgent profile unlike most spirit-forward cocktails of the era, as noted in Kindred Cocktails.
The Barbary Coast represents the creative experimentation of 1920s bartending when Prohibition-era bartenders working abroad created elaborate, complex drinks. The cocktail's richness suggests it was designed as an after-dinner drink or dessert cocktail.
The drink remained relatively obscure throughout cocktail history, occasionally appearing as a historical curiosity on vintage cocktail menus.
RECIPE:
3/4 oz Scotch whisky
3/4 oz gin
3/4 oz white crème de cacao
3/4 oz heavy cream
Method:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously until well-chilled and frothy.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.