Invented in the World War 2 Era in Cario Egypt by Joe Scialom, The Suffering Bastard was a concoction made for the front line British soldiers to—you guessed it—cure their suffering.  Joe worked at the Long Bar at the Shepard’s Hotel in Cairo at the time—and the Bastard was something for military folk to pound back before heading back to base. 

At the time that Nazis invaded North Africa in 1941, the British were losing the war. Having been pushed out of Lybia, and only 150 miles from Cairo, the Long Bar at the Shepard’s Hotel served as refuge for British forces under the stress of the front lines. With the Nazi’s closing in, Erwin Rommel (The Nazi General) claimed that he would be “drinking champagne in the master suite at Shepheard’s soon”. Scialom received a telegram from the British front lines asking for 8 Gallons of the cocktail to be brought straight to the front lines for their soldier to dig in against the Nazi’s. Joe did his thing, filled every container he could and had it taxi’d to the British Soldiers.

The British won in the Battle of El Alamain (just outside of Cairo), spoiling Hitler’s plans to take the Suez Canal and tap into the Arab Uprising against the British-held Palestine, and head north into Russia. Perhaps Scialom’s drink—The Suffering Bastard—proved to be the fuel for the British in what was considered the beginning of the end for the Nazi Germany.

INGREDIENTS

1 oz         Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve
1 oz         Beefeater Gin
1 oz         Roasted Pineapple Syrup
1 oz         Fresh Lime Juice
2 oz         House Ginger Beer
4 dashes     Peychauds Bitters

METHOD

Add ingredients to Chambar Ale Glass.
Add half crushed ice & stir.
Top with Crushed ice.
4 dashes of Peychauds to crown.
Garnish with mint sprig.

NOTES:
Our variation on the classic Suffering Bastard is with Roasted Pineapple Syrup. The classic uses Ginger Ale and no syrup.