Mighty Toy Cannon: The Beverage that Refreshes!

On the occasion of the first anniversary of my life as a blogger, an erstwhile follower used her espionage skills and vast rolodex to find the recipe for my namesake beverage, the “Mighty Toy Cannon.” Thank you Ms. Laura.

As I wrote in my inaugural post just one year ago, I seized upon the "Mighty Toy Cannon" sobriquet after reading an Oregonian article by Sara Perry. To accompany her interview with the bartender at El Gaucho, Ms. Perry printed the recipe for one of his favorite drinks: The Mighty Toy Cannon. Liking the way that name rang and sang, I promptly added it to a growing list of potential band names.* Shortly thereafter, I adopted it as my blog alias and the rest is minor history.

Legions of followers have subsequently asked for the recipe. (Really just one, and he's forgotten by now). Alas, I could neither remember it nor find it in the Oregonian's online archive. Thanks to Ms. Laura's diligent digging and Ms. Perry's impeccable record-keeping, I now have the secret of this magical elixir that shares my name.

If you have refined tastes, a pre-depression pocketbook, and a powerful thirst, you might try the official recipe during this hot July weekend. For the more impoverished of our brethren, I've provided a less costly substitute.

Mighty Toy Cannon (Elite Edition)

Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Powdered sugar for sprinkling
1/2 ounce gin, preferably Bombay Sapphire
1/2 ounce Chambord (see Note)
Champagne, preferably brut, or Prosecco, chilled (see Note)
Long lemon zest for garnish

Rinse the inside of a champagne flute or stemmed glass with fresh lemon juice. Sprinkle the inside with powdered sugar. Add the gin, followed by the Chambord. Top with champagne and garnish with the lemon zest. Voila!

Note: Chambord is a French liqueur made from raspberries and cognac. Prosecco is the sparkling wine made predominately from an Italian white grape grown in the northern Vento region.

Mighty Toy Cannon (Great Depression II Edition)

Splash of lemon juice (use plastic lemon rather than a bottle if serving guests)
Sugar packet (from coffee shop or gas station)
½ ounce gin (whatever brand falls to hand)
Sham-bord (see Note)
2 more ounces gin
Lemon-Lime Soda, preferably 7-Up or Sprite. Tonic will do in a pinch.

Rinse out water glass and swish a little lemon juice around to disinfect. Vigorously shake the sugar packet before dumping the contents in the glass. Add ½ ounce of gin. Muddle the Sham-Bord slurry and set aside. Add the rest of the gin. Top up with 7-Up. Better add some ice too. Add gin to taste. Kazaam!

Note: Sham-bord is a tablespoon of raspberry jam (Smuckers preferred, but generic is fine) muddled with an ounce of vodka.

Here are a few other substitutes to consider during these hard times:

Depression Bloody Mary = V8 juice and flat beer
Depression Mimosa = Tang and beer
Depression Champagne: Beer and lemon-lime soda. (This might be a good time to use the Sham-Bord slurry).

* The newest addition to my band name list comes courtesy of a phrase recently used by the estimable Mead Hunter: Ink, Angst & Entropy (a trio).

Further News: The Mighty Toy Cannon is now moonlighting as a short-form improviser at the Twitter Lounge. Think of it as MTC-Lite: All the erudition and wit you've learned to tolerate, packaged in 140 characters or less. If you Tweet, please follow @mightytoycannon. Be sure to tell me that I sent you.