IBA
Suffering Bastard – IBA
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.9% ABV ∙
The Suffering Bastard is an IBA highball built from brandy, London dry gin, lime juice, and ginger beer, shaken and topped in a Collins glass. Sharp lime tartness cuts through a warming double-spirit base, while the fizzy ginger top adds a spicy, effervescent snap to a long, bracing finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the ingredients with ice: Brandy 30 mlLondon dry gin 30 mlLime juice 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
- Pour into the collins glass or in the original bastard mug
- Top up with Ginger beer
- Garnish with a mint sprig and an orange slice (opt.)
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before building the drink so the ginger beer doesn't lose its carbonation against warm glass.
- Top with the ginger beer after the shaken base is poured, and stir just once or twice — it should never go into the shaker.
History
The Suffering Bastard is generally credited to bartender Joe Scialom at the Long Bar of Shepheard's Hotel in Cairo in 1942, created as a hangover remedy during the North Africa campaign of World War II, when British and Allied troops in the city feared Erwin Rommel's advancing Afrika Korps. According to one account, Scialom made the drink for himself after a rough night and originally called it the "Suffering bar-steward," a name British soldiers mangled through mispronunciation into "Suffering Bastard."
Sources diverge on the drink's identity beyond this Cairo origin. Scialom's original used brandy and gin with lime juice, bitters, and ginger beer, and by 1950 the drink had reportedly become one of Egypt's best-known cocktails. A separate, rum-based version associated with tiki pioneer Victor J. Bergeron (Trader Vic's) circulated under the same name, leading to two distinct recipe lineages sharing the title. The brandy-and-gin version, close to Scialom's original, is the one recognized on the IBA's official cocktail list.
FAQ
What does IBA mean in cocktails?
IBA stands for the International Bartenders Association, a global organization that maintains an official list of recognized classic and contemporary cocktail recipes. A drink labeled IBA, like the Suffering Bastard, appears on that official list with a standardized recipe used as a reference by bartenders worldwide.
What is in a Suffering Bastard?
Brandy, London dry gin, lime juice, and a dash of Angostura bitters shaken together, then topped with ginger beer. It is served in a Collins glass and garnished with a mint sprig and an orange slice.
