Martin Foys understands that stories can be conveyed through various media. He reads stories from early medieval England for his job as the Nancy C. Hoefs Professor of English. He edits such stories while digitally preserving centuries of cultural expression as the director of the Old English Poetry in Facsimile project. And he tells stories through artfully crafted cocktails as cohost of The Gin Pennant, the in-home salon at which he and his wife, theater director and fellow English department faculty member Jen Plants, began hosting invitation-only cocktail-tasting parties in 2022. Named for the maritime flag flown to welcome people aboard for a drink, The Gin Pennant transforms their home into a vibrant space for music, conversation, and expertly crafted cocktails.
Foys’s passion for mixology was sparked by an experience at a London bar, where the bartender presented each drink as a narrative in which every detail — name, ingredients, presentation — was carefully chosen to contribute to the story. “It appealed so much to me in terms of my academic mind, this idea of these incredibly complex creations that you need to learn how all these parts work together,” Foys says. “That’s what you do as an academic, so it was a natural marriage.”
Since then, Foys has curated menus of more than 30 party-ready cocktails for The Gin Pennant, creatively blending historical inspirations with modern twists and original creations. Here, he demonstrates how to make the Badger Club, a UW-inspired variation of a classic cocktail.
Badger Club
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces London Dry gin
- ½ ounce grenadine
- 3–4 fresh raspberries
- ½ ounce lemon juice
- 1 egg white (or ¾–1 ounce liquid egg white or aquafaba)
Optional:
- Cranberry bitters (or water with red food coloring)
- 2–3 raspberries for garnish
- W stencil (Can be made at home by printing the W design on heavy paper and cutting it out using a precision blade.)
Instructions:
- Muddle: In a shaker tin, add the fresh raspberries and grenadine. Muddle well to release the raspberry juices.
- Dry shake: Add the lemon juice, gin, and egg white to the shaker. Dry shake (shake vigorously without ice) for 15–20 seconds to emulsify the egg white and create a frothy texture.
- Wet shake: Add ice to the shaker. Medium shake for 15 seconds.
- Strain: Double strain the cocktail into a glass to ensure a smooth pour and remove any remaining raspberry seeds or pulp.
- Garnish: If using, place a stencil over the top of the glass. With an atomizer or fine mist spray bottle, mist cranberry bitters over the stencil to create a decorative pattern on the frothy surface. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired.
