The Big Fellow

Posted by Faust Gertz on Wed 8 Aug 2007 at 8:00 AM

I recently had the good fortune to enjoy a drink at the Monarch Tavern in Fountain City, Wisconsin. I ordered ‘The Big Fellow’, which, as best as I can recall, was four dashes of Angostura bitters and equal parts (approximately 2 ounces) Michael Collins Blended Irish Whiskey, Club Soda, and 7-Up poured over ice in a rocks glass and stirred. It was quite a tasty and refreshing cocktail.

I wish that I had inquired into its origin. Usually recipes like this come from a spirit’s distributor, but that isn’t so in this case. The Sidney Frank Importing Company lists ‘The Big Fellow’ simply as Michael Collins Single Malt served neat. So I don’t know who created it or what their inspiration was. I suppose it is not too much different from a Mike or Michael Collins, which is a Tom Collins with Irish whiskey instead of gin. Yet, the blended whiskey and 7-Up combination reminded me more of a Seven and Seven, the club soda made me think of a Presbyterian, and the generous dashes of bitters were reminiscent of a Horse Feathers.

I will report back if I uncover anything interesting about The Big Fellow’s genealogy. In the meantime, I encourage imbibers to investigate as many Big Fellows as they can.

Tags: cocktail whiskey

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