TWO Airmail © by Mike Miley
On this date in 1911, Earle Lewis Ovington aeronautical engineer, aviator and inventor, and lab assistant to Thomas Edison. piloted the first official airmail flight in the United States. Piloting a Blériot XI , he carried a sack of mail from Garden City, New York to Mineola, New York. During the flight, Ovington circled his plane at 500 feet and then tossed the bag over the side of the cockpit. Unfortunately, the sack burst on impact, scattering the letters and postcards (including a letter to himself from the United States Postal Service designating him as “Official Air Mail Pilot #1).
Airmail Cocktail
recipe adapted from Imbibe Magazine, created by Thad Vogler for Beretta, San Francisco
- 1 1/2 oz. añejo rum
- 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
- 1 oz. honey syrup (1 part honey to 1 part water)
- 1 oz. prosecco
Glass: coupe
Garnish: eyedropper of Angostura bitters, mint leaf
Combine rum, lime juice, syrup and ice in shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain into glass and top with prosecco. Garnish by dragging mint leaf through bitters to create an attractive design, then laying mint leaf on top.
