The Suffering Bastard is the first in a trilogy of lime-and-ginger-beer cocktails invented by Joe Scialom. Scialom was a legendary barman, polyglot, and ur-mixologist who served drinks to the British Army at the Shepheard Hotel in Cairo as they defended the city again Rommel’s tank assault in 1942.
In response to a liquor shortage, Scialom invented the Bastard drinks, perhaps in an effort to use smaller shares of each spirit. Each uses lime juice and ginger beer, and an increasing number of liquors.
The Suffering Bastard is the gentlest of all three, with the largest measure of ginger beer. Add bourbon to get a Dying Bastard, and to that add light rum for a Dead Bastard.
