For this flip, I took post-Civil War technique and style and applied it to pre-Civil War ingredients. As we saw with our At Loggerheads a few years back, flips in the eighteenth century were ale-based and served hot. But the Gilded Age brought ice and shakers into the equation and, though beer-based versions did exist (especially with porter), fortified wine as well as spirits took over as the most common base. I love the flavor of this drink, the walnut adds this really pleasant bitterness to the whole thing; it kind of tastes like melted pumpkin ice cream with walnuts on top.

I wanted to do a fizz for this month (I do so love a fizz!), but all the combos I tried fell flat! Instead, I decided to eliminate the soda element and incorporate a whole egg instead of just egg white, making it a classic nineteenth-century flip. The resulting cocktail, with smoky, spiced, and tropical flavors is an excellent dessert drink befitting any cold-weather gathering.

The flip began as a sailors’ drink and swiftly infiltrated the taverns of England and “British America.” There, it became a hot drink ー a mixture of ale, spirit, egg, sugar and spices, and sometimes other ingredients. Flips were warmed and frothed by submerging a hot iron poker, called a flip-dog or loggerhead, that had been heated in the tavern hearth. If you’re “at loggerheads” with someone, try offering them a mug of this ー ‘tis hard to stay angry with such a comfort in hand.

I love flips. From sailor’s drink to tavern classic, this drink morphed into one of the antebellum nineteenth century’s favorite cocktails. And on a beautiful sunny spring day that’s still quite cold, this tropical flip brings the comforting taste of brûléed custard to your golden hour or, fittingly, your dessert course.