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The myth and mystery of The Bentley Cocktail

The other day, we were trying to find ways to delight a visiting relative who requested a cocktail made with apple brandy (don't ask), and after poring through Mr. Boston and The Playboy Bartender's Guide we were fortunate enough to come across a recipe. This particular concoction piqued our interest not just because it was a means to get rid of that bottle of Calvados that had been malingering on our bar cart, drawing fruit flies and quizzical scorn, since it was gifted to us at the launch of the Peugeot 407 in 2004. It was because of the automotive connection. (Duh.) The cocktail is called The Bentley, and it has a sexy, if probably apocryphal, origin story. According to the legend, the Bentley Boys – rich, Jazz Age, car-loving, British playboy racers – invented the drink after their first of five Le Mans victories, in 1924. Canadian-born WWI hero and Olympic swordsman John Duff and local English Bentley test driver and Bentley 3-Liter Super Sport owner Frank Clement were the only British team and vehicle in this second-ever endurance race, surrounded by more than three dozen French drivers and cars (and a couple of Germans). But despite typical British maladies ­– broken shocks, seized lug nuts, and a dysfunctional gearshift – and a slew of fires, punctures, and chassis-snapping wrecks amongst the field, they persevered. Arriving at their celebratory party at their club near their adjoining apartments in London's exclusive Mayfair neighborhood, they discovered that all of the alcohol had been consumed, with the exception of Calvados and Dubonnet. Mixing these together in equal parts, and adding some bitters, they allegedly invented a drink to settle their affluent nerves. Like most folkloric explanations for the existence of some gross cocktails – the wisecrack-inspired Tom Collins, the whole-cloth-concocted Seelbach – the tale seemed as compelling to us as it was ridiculous. Fortunately, among our friends are many with mastery in mixology, so we decided to put the mystery (and recipe) to them. "To be honest, I'd never even heard of the cocktail," said Tokyo-based international beverage expert Nick Coldicott, the most skeptical of our potation pundits. "And that story smells fishy to me. It seems unlikely that a party venue would have enough of a booze collection to have Calvados and Dubonnet, but not enough whisky or gin or champagne to see the party out.

2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S

Bentley still appeals to those with an appreciation for strong, Old World traditionalism. Cars wearing the storied Flying B have been discussed in wood-paneled drawing rooms by men wearing earthy tweeds and corduroy through clouds of fragrant cigar and pipe smoke, for decades. It is a company that has spent nearly 100 years building cost-no-object autombiles, for rich drivers who require a tremendous way to waft above the Sturm und Drang of mortal motoring.
The Bentley Continental GT, while unmistakably a party to that legacy of wooly privilege, has always seemed better suited to the nouveau riche than the landed gentry. The Mulsanne and the Continental Flying Spur still carry forward the brand's heritage of unfathomably fast, gargantuan sedans, while the GT has been busy inveigling an entirely new class of buyer with its lottery-win good looks.
A microsecond version of that analysis was all I had time for as I careened around another heroic left-hand sweeper in this Ice (white) 2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S. For a car with roots in rainy England and German-engineering genes, the V8 S felt remarkably at home while crushing the desert-strewn distance between San Diego and Palm Springs - almost the epicenter of the New World's Golden West.

Bentley targets audiophiles with custom Continental at CES

Bentley brought a unique version of its Continental GT V8 S to CES this year, packing a unique sound system crafted by the audio trendsetters at Monster. And with it, Bentley's Mulliner customization department outfitted the luxury status symbol in singular style. The Monster by Mulliner features 16 speakers and 3,400 watts of aural stimulation for an in-car audio system not offered for production. In addition to the surround sound system, Mulliner decked the Conti out in Onyx black with red accents and gloss black wheels hiding red brake calipers. The interior features a custom 3D laser-etched dashboard panel and piano black trim as well as specific embroidery and tread plates. It even has a pair of 24-karat gold wireless headphones housed in a special compartment inside. The result is a decidedly different take on the ubiquitous luxury car than the stone veneer panels that Mulliner most recently announced. Bentley suggests in the statement below that the Monster by Mulliner will be offered as a limited edition, "designed to appeal to young professional athletes and musicians." It's certainly not for the timid, but we wouldn't be surprised to see them popping up in music videos and the parking lots outside stadiums in the near future. Related Video: BENTLEY AND MONSTER DEBUT "MONSTER BY MULLINER" CONTINENTAL GT V8 S FEATURING PURE MONSTER SOUND AT CES 2016 IN LAS VEGAS - Handcrafted by Bentley's Mulliner Division and inspired by Monster - Spectacular limited production vehicle designed to appeal to young professional athletes and musicians (Crewe / Las Vegas, NV, January 6 2016) Monster, the world leader in high-performance audio, has teamed up with Bentley Motors' bespoke coach-building division, Mulliner, to create a stunning and uniquely Monster-inspired "Monster by Mulliner," which makes its debut at CES 2016. The show-stopping Bentley Continental GT V8 S, which reflects Monster's attitude of "Always Lead, Never Follow," is designed to appeal to the target market of young professionals and movers and shakers in sports and music. The "Monster by Mulliner" Continental GT V8 S is a bespoke vehicle that will inspire those who want a ride with a bold look and incredible audio performance designed by Monster. Monster's latest innovations in audio technology bring the power of today's music into this Bentley's luxurious cabin.