• About
  • Newsletter
  • Links
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Paper and Salt

~ Paper and Salt attempts to recreate and reinterpret dishes that iconic authors discuss in their letters, diaries and fiction. Part food and recipe blog, part historical discussion, part literary fangirl-ing.

Paper and Salt

Tag Archives: strawberries

The Cocktail Hour: Oscar Wilde

28 Monday May 2012

Posted by paperandsalt in 19th century, Drinks

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

champagne, cocktail, cognac, oscar wilde, strawberries

If I’m having a drink on a typical day, I’ll probably spring for a martini. On a tough one, give me a bourbon on the rocks. But when I’m feeling fancy, it’s always Champagne. Oscar Wilde must have been feeling fancy all the time.

It’s not a big surprise that one of the most famous dandies of literature had a serious Champagne fetish. But the lengths to which Wilde went to get his fix takes bubbly worship to a whole new level. At the best of times, there were elaborate champagne dinners … and pre-dinners and post-dinners; Wilde ordered his staff to serve champagne “at intervals” throughout the day. And at the worst of times – after being imprisoned for charges of indecency and sodomy – Wilde made the most of things by ordering cases of his favorite vintage, an 1874 Perrier-Jouët, straight to his cell. It even came up in the courtroom, according to the transcripts of his trial:

Mr. Oscar Wilde: Yes; iced champagne is a favourite drink of mine–strongly against my doctor’s orders.
Mr. Edward Carson, QC: Never mind your doctor’s orders, sir!
Mr. Oscar Wilde: I never do

Wilde’s taste for Champagne has become so legendary that it threatens to outstrip the truth. In a famous anecdote, Wilde was elegant until the very end, ordering champagne to his deathbed and sighing, “Alas, I am dying beyond my means.” But other accounts are a little less romantic – turns out, he may have just been thinking about his hospital bill.

* * *

Continue reading →

Follow on Twitter

  • Article: "Under the Corset: The Hidden Accomplishments of Early Crocheters" 5 months ago
  • "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of ... a… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 5 months ago
  • @EmmaLeaWrites Hi Emma! I work on original content at Scribd and wanted to ask about audio versions of the Young Bi… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 8 months ago

Follow Paper and Salt

  • RSS - Posts

Archives

  • September 2018
  • May 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • September 2017
  • June 2017
  • August 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012

Categories

  • 18th century
  • 19th century
  • 20th century
  • 21st century
  • Breads and Pastries
  • Desserts
  • Drinks
  • Entrees
  • Fish
  • General
  • Meats
  • Pasta
  • sandwiches
  • Sides
  • Soups and Salads
  • Uncategorized

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy