Post #743048 by AceExplorer on Fri, May 15, 2015 11:34 AM

That's not a novice question at all, that would bug me too...

I'm going to look in my "Trader Vic's Tiki Party!: Cocktails and Food to Share with Friends" book when I get home. It might shed some light on this mix, but I'm not very optimistic. The world of vintage cocktails is occasionally laced with dead or semi-dead-ends or archaic terminology, but the reward for digging is sometimes sweet success.

Difford's Guide shows that the "cranberry house mix" is interpreted by some as 4:1 cranberry to simple syrup. The "A History Of Drinking" site picks up on this and repeats it, possibly because there is little information available about the "cranberry house mix."

Someone else here on TC, however, may come along and post a whole treatise on the stuff. Until they do, take a look at this from Difford's and AHOD:

Nautilus
Recipe adapted from diffordsguide.com. Original recipe by Trader Vic Bergeron.
2 oz reposado tequila
2 oz cranberry juice
1 oz Freshly squeezed lime juice
½ oz simple syrup

Ace recommends: Always use a good tequila - no Cuervo crap. For example, Don Julio.)

Glass: Collins
Garnish: Mint sprig

Shake with ice and strain into an iced Collins glass. Garnish. Drink. Enjoy.