Today in 1873, Washington Irving was born in New York City. It was the same week the American Revolution ended, and Irving was named after the hero of the day, George Washington.

Of course, Irving went on to write The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, among other short stories, as well as works of nonfiction.

Sleepy Hollow is an actual town in New York, as well as a terrible Johnny Depp movie, and inspiration for many horrible Halloween cocktail variations. But there's also a classic cocktail with the name, which I found in the 1956 Esquire Drink Book. It's made with gin and apricot brandy, making it a drink much better suited to spring, and therefore perfect for celebrating the author's birthday. There are a lot of horrible apricot brandies out there, but there are some very good ones (here's a great Serious Eats article about which ones to seek out). The apricot flavor in this is very light, and it's actually quite a dry drink.

Happy birthday, Mr. Irving, and cheers!

Sleepy Hollow Cocktail

From: Esquire Drink Book, 1956

Makes: 1 drink

2.5 oz. gin

1 oz. lemon juice

1/4 oz. apricot brandy

1/4 oz. simple syrup

1 sprig fresh mint

1. Muddle mint in mixing glass.

2. Add other ingredients and shake well with ice.

3. Strain into chilled glass.

See also:

Cocktail Nerdom: Happy Birthday John Steinbeck + A Recipe for the Jack Rose Cocktail

Cocktail Nerdom: Prohibition, Those Who Flouted It + Eric Alperin's Scofflaw Cocktail Recipe

Want more Squid Ink? Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.    

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.