Hello, cocktail lovers and Agatha Christie readers. While this post might not be our usual “Dining With The Dame” feature for March, fret not! Instead, consider it a literary aperitif, a tasty prelude to the main course. Today’s recipe is a cocktail called “Malice in The Hollow.” This concoction is a playful riff on Hedda Hopper’s recipe titled “Malice in Hollywood,” which I found in the fantastic book “Recipes for Rebels” by a friend of the blog, Greg Swenson. Greg, being the good sport he is, I’m sure won’t mind a little tampering with Hedda’s, original recipe! The Hollow, a 1946 novel by Agatha Christie is our current Dining With The Dame read.
Hedda Hopper and Agatha Christie
Hedda Hopper, an American gossip columnist and actress, was born in 1885. This makes her a contemporary of Agatha Christie, who was five years younger. Intrigued by a possible connection between the two, I began to research. Perhaps, I thought, Hedda had starred in a film adaptation of one of Christie’s acclaimed novels. Sadly, this was not the case.
However, the Wikipedia article for the 1965 version of “Ten Little Indians” (also known as “And Then There Were None”) cites an article by Hedda Hopper. This tantalizing detail sparked my curiosity. Did their paths ever cross beyond this single reference? Calling all Agatha Christie and Hedda Hopper superfans! If you have any information about a deeper connection between these two ladies, please share it!
Now, let’s shift gears. “Malice in Hollywood” is a fitting description for Hedda Hopper’s career. She wielded her pen with a vitriolic touch, becoming one of the most feared figures in Hollywood. Furthermore, her staunch conservative views fueled her column during the McCarthy era, where she relentlessly denounced those with leftist leanings.
The Malice In Hollywood Cocktail
In Recipes for Rebels, Greg says that Hedda was said to have created the Malice in Hollywood Cocktail in the 1940’s. The OG recipe is below.
The Malice In The Hollow Cocktail
I am not fond of Bourbon so I have changed the ratios and added some lemon juice to balance out the sweetness of the Apricot Brandy.
Malice In The Hollow
A bourbon sour, based on Hedda Hopper’s Malice in Hollywood
Ingredients
2 parts Bourbon (ideally Jim Beam black)
2 parts Apricot Brandy
1 part lemon juice
Dried Apricot and Lemon peel to garnish
Instructions
Combine the bourbon, apricot brandy and lemon juice in a shaker
Shake over ice then strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with dried apricots and a twist of lemon
Next week’s post will be our Dining with The Dame for The Hollow, so there is still plenty of time to read it if you so desire!
Also, why not pop over to Amazon and buy a copy of Recipes For Rebels? It is a beautifully curated book of celebrity recipes which I am sure you will love!
Have a great week!
3 Comments on Malice In The Hollow
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This was a nice surprise! How fun! I haven’t had this cocktail in years…but I do have to mention that the Marie Brizard Apry was so superior to all the other apricot brandies that I tried (Marie Brizard was very difficult to find, especially when I was living in Greece, but definitely worth the effort to get.) All the others I tried were cloyingly sweet and syrupy. Your addition of lemon juice sounds great! I think Hedda would give you glowing reviews!
Here’s one connection between Hopper and Christie (lol)…in High School, I was cast as the murderer in our production of “Ten Little Indians.” I was a painfully shy kid, so the casting was probably meant to throw the audience off…. That was the beginning and end of my acting career.
Thanks for the mention. I fully enjoy reading all your postings on Retro Food for Modern Times!
Thanks Greg! I love that you were able to provide a missing link between Hedda and Agatha. I hope all is well with you. xx