On this day in 1913, Ambrose Bierce disappeared. He just strolled on out of a Chihuahua Mexico hotel with the idea of getting a closer look at the Mexican Revolution, and vanished forever. To this day no one knows what happened to him. At the time, Ambrose was one of America’s leading writers, a fearless journalist, a decorated soldier, an implacable cynic, a professional adventurer and, need I say, a champion drinker. If you haven’t read The Devil’s Dictionary, you need to get right on that. Top quote: from the Devil’s Dictionary, here’s Bierce’s definition of brandy: “A cordial composed of one part thunder-and-lightning, one part remorse, two parts bloody murder, one part death-hell-and-the grave and four parts clarified Satan. Dose: a headful all the time. Brandy is said by Dr. Johnson to be the drink of heroes. Only a hero will venture to drink it.” Today’s recommended drink: With that kind of write-up, how can it be anything but a headful of brandy? Now, if you’re not the sort of person who has a bottle of brandy just laying around the house, awaiting an occasion, you can substitute a Brutal Hammer, which is half red wine, half vodka. You can throw in some ice cubes if you’re feeling ironical. There’s a rich history behind that drink, and we’ll get into that at a later date.
