Let’s raise a glass to Brit author Graham Greene in honor of his birthday, October 2. Had the author not died not died a decade ago, he would be 107. Somehow, he managed to live nearly a century despite being “louche to drugged-out distraction” according to The Nation.
As I’ve previously cited re: writers with drinks named after them:
Among his poisons was the eponymously-named martini, the “Graham Greene,” a variation on the traditional gin and dry vermouth that calls for a dash of créme de cassis. Order this concoction anywhere but Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and you’ll likely raise an eyebrow more than a glass. Apparently, the author invented in a hotel bar while a foreign correspondent in 1950s-era Vietnam (wherefrom his inspiration for The Quiet American). SF Chron confederate Gary Regan tried to recreate a version of Greene’s namesake drink and was “sorely disappointed.”
Cheers to you, GG.
