The Algonquin Cocktail.

In the years following World War I, a legendary group of New York City writers, critics, and theater-world eccentrics gathered almost daily at the Algonquin Hotel on West 44th Street – smack in the heart of the theater district. They were sharp-tongued, razor-witted, and masters of both clever banter and elaborate practical jokes. At first, they called themselves the “Vicious Circle,” a nod to their biting humor. But it wasn’t long before they became known by a name that would go down in literary history: the Algonquin Round Table, named for the spot they claimed in the hotel’s dining room.

From 1919 through the Roaring Twenties, this daily lunch bunch included such luminaries as Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Harpo Marx, George S. Kaufman, Harold Ross, and Alexander Woollcott.  Some were already famous; others would become famous.  Together, they shaped American humor, theater, and journalism and helped give birth to The New Yorker, founded in 1925 by Round Table regular Harold Ross. 
It was a hard-drinking crowd (even by Prohibition standards), though the bar was dry by law, not by spirit. Fittingly, the Algonquin has since named at least one cocktail in their honor, served in a classic, perfectly-proportioned coupe.  Here’s the recipe:

1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey 
3/4 ounce French vermouth
3/4 ounce unsweetened pineapple juice 

Combine all ingredients in a shaker half-filled with ice.  Shake (or stir) briskly until well chilled, about 20 to 30 seconds.  Strain into the coupe and serve. 

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