In an “iron flip dog,” eggs, sugar, cream, spices, molasses, and even pumpkin are scalded in a mug using a hot fireplace poker. Any number of alcohols is then added. Few mixed drinks have the lineage of a flip. It was first mentioned in England in 1685, and Ishmael expounds upon its virtues in Moby Dick. When eggs were added, the flip was called a “Yard of Flannel,” alluding to the flannel-like surface caused by the cooked eggs. The heated flip has all but vanished, and the drink has literally taken a polar flip, since it is now served as a chilled cocktail. The iron pokers were also known as loggerheads; the expression “at loggerheads,” used for being in a heated dispute, derives from the heated discussions born of a surfeit of flips.
Hot pokers are not common bar tools anymore, so a true flip would be best sampled at home.
A flip should be frothy; it is therefore important to shake it vigorously.
Variation:
Hot Brandy Flip: Beat brandy, egg, and sugar in a mug. Fill with hot milk, and garnish with nutmeg.
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