boozing with the stars

Peter Gravina was a New York broadcaster and music publicist back in the days before that meant hanging out on Twitter all day and filling bloggers' inboxes with press releases. His work brought him close to many stars of the Met. In 1964 he put his contacts to good use when he compiled The Bel Canto Cookbook, a collection of recipes and anecdotes.

From the Aperitifs chapter, here are the favourite tipples of some of the then-biggest names in opera:

• Roberta Peters Cherry Vodka Cocktail (1oz cherry vodka, 1oz sugar syrup, 1oz dry sherry, 2 tsp cognac, 2 tbsp lemon juice, crushed sweet cherries to garnish)
• George London Moscow Mule (2oz vodka, 1/2 lime, 1 split ginger beer)
• Birgit Nilsson "You Americans sip vodka by itself and you taste it all evening. We like to wash it down with ice cold beer"
• Jennie Tourel Zobrowka (Polish buffalo grass vodka) ice cold with lemon peel
• Lauritz Melchior "Aquavit with a nice glass of beer" or Bloody Viking (Aquavit, 4oz tomato juice, dash lemon juice, dash Worcestershire sauce, dash celery salt)
• Nicola Moscona Ouzo
• Victoria de Los Angeles Very dry fino sherry or white port
• Régine Crespin St Raphael or a single glass of champagne
• Zinka Milanov Slivovitz
• Leontyne Price Bourbon Sour Mash Cocktail (juice 1/2 lemon, 1/2 tsp sugar, 2oz Jack Daniels, slice of orange or a cherry)
• Giorgio Tozzi Scotch on the rocks
• Robert Merrill Scotch with water and a lemon twist
• Salvatore Baccaloni Scotch Old-fashioned
• Laurel Hurley Gin and tonic or Boissière strawberry vermouth or Half-and-half Vermouth Aperitif (1 1/2oz Italian sweet vermouth, 1 1/2oz French dry vermouth, lemon twist)
• Risë Stevens "Weak watered down martini"
• Shirley Verrett Americano Highball (2oz Italian sweet vermouth, 1oz Campari, soda, lemon twist)
• Patrice Munsel Vermouth Sour (2 1/2oz Italian sweet vermouth, half a lime)
• Fernando Corena Cardinale Cocktail (equal parts dry vermouth and gin, dash of Campari)
• Giovanni Martinelli Negroni Cocktail (3 parts gin, 2 parts sweet vermouth, 1 part Campari, soda, slice of orange)
• Gabriela Tucci Campari Soda