Youth Elixir

Historical Perspective

Escoffier believed that his dishes should be accompanied by ordinary drinkable wines, rather than exceptional, exclusive wines, which he thought only got in the way of the taste buds. Escoffier was not much of a drinker as he did not wish to dull his palate and was known for not being particularly fond of cocktails. Punch Marquise and Punch à la Romaine are two of his liquid creations, but his best-known recipe is for a drink that he called Youth Elixir. Escoffier would usually end his working day around 2 a.m. and prepare this Youth Elixir (that included a raw egg, hot milk and a splash of champagne) for himself as a nightcap, the routine being part of his day-to-day bedtime ritual. Escoffier’s Youth Elixir was never intended for his celebrity clientele, nor his co-workers. This Youth Elixir was his little treat that he kept to himself. The frothy concoction was, however, described in his memoirs. The recipe for Escoffier’s Youth Elixir is very similar to today’s average recipe for Egg Nog, the champagne probably being the ‘odd one out.’ Escoffier beat the yolk of one fresh egg with several spoonfuls of sugar, and it mixed with a pony of champagne and a glass of hot milk.