The Suffering Bastard: A Complete History & Classic Recipe

Conceived in the chaos of wartime Cairo and fueled by gin, brandy, lime, and fiery ginger beer, the Suffering Bastard is one of the most colorful cocktails ever mixed behind a bar. It is a drink with grit—born not for glamour, but for survival. The kind of survival that comes from soldiers begging a barman for something—anything—to cure the pounding hangovers of desert warfare. What emerged became a global tiki icon: refreshing, bracing, and full of peculiar charm. The Suffering Bastard is more than a tiki curiosity; it is an Egyptian-born classic with some of the most vivid origin stories in cocktail history.

I. Origins

Born in wartime Cairo, 1942

The Suffering Bastard was created at the Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo, one of the most luxurious hotels in the Middle East during the early 20th century. Its bartender, Joe Scialom, is widely credited as the inventor. The story, preserved through interviews and bar archives, is one of the most evocative in cocktail lore.

During WWII, Cairo was a strategic hub for Allied forces. Soldiers from Britain, Australia, and New Zealand crowded Shepheard’s bar, dealing with:

• Brutal desert heat

• Limited supplies of quality spirits

• Endless hangovers from questionable booze

Scialom, classically trained and deeply inventive, was asked by soldiers for a genuine hangover cure. His response:A highball of gin, brandy, lime, bitters, and ginger beer—cold, refreshing, and powerful enough to jolt even exhausted troops back to life.

The name “Suffering Bastard” reportedly comes from Scialom himself, who joked:“This’ll cure the suffering bastard.”

Part hangover cure, part morale booster

Though humorous in tone, the drink had a sincere purpose. Contemporary accounts describe officers sending crates of ginger beer to Shepheard’s specifically to ensure the cocktail remained in rotation.

In its earliest form, the drink was a functional remedy—hydrating, cooling, and sharp enough to cut through the fog of cheap wartime liquor.

II. Historical Evolution

From Cairo to the world

By the late 1940s and 1950s, the Suffering Bastard began appearing in American bar books, thanks in part to tiki culture’s fascination with exotic stories and international cocktail-esoterica. It perfectly fit the tiki ethos:

• A wild backstory

• Improvised ingredients

• Exotic setting

• Big personality

The rise of the tiki “family”

Trader Vic’s and other tiki institutions later created spin-offs:

• The Dying Bastard

• The Dead Bastard

• The Staggering Bastard

Each one upped the ante with more spirits, more intensity, or more absurdity. But the original Cairo version remained the most balanced and historically grounded.

Loss and rediscovery

After Shepheard’s was destroyed by fire in 1952 during political unrest, Scialom fled Egypt. His creation nearly vanished until cocktail historians revived it in the 2000s–2010s, restoring the original proportions and intent.

Today, the Suffering Bastard is recognized as:

• One of the few major cocktails born during WWII

• A rare Middle Eastern contribution to classic mixology

• A foundational recipe in tiki’s “international canon”

III. Ingredients & Technique

The original formula is deceptively simple

Historically, the Suffering Bastard uses:

• Gin (preferred spirit of British officers)

• Brandy (easy to find in Cairo at the time)

• Lime juice

• Angostura bitters

• Ginger beer (essential)

It’s a highball, not a tiki bowl—not overly sweet or theatrical.

Why two base spirits?

The dual-base structure came from necessity (wartime shortages) but has real mixological merit:

• Gin adds herbal sharpness

• Brandy adds warmth and fruitTogether they create a balanced, complex backbone that stands up to the bite of ginger beer.

Ginger beer as the defining element

Ginger beer offered:

• Heat

• Carbonation

• Refreshment

• Digestive support (key for a hangover cure)

Quality ginger beer is non-negotiable for a proper Suffering Bastard.

IV. Cultural Significance

A rare wartime cocktail with documented roots

Most classic cocktails came from bars, restaurants, hotels, or private clubs. The Suffering Bastard is unusual because it comes from:

• A war zone

• An international crossroads

• A hospitality space under strain

• A creative response to physical suffering

It symbolizes bartending as wartime medicine—a moment where hospitality met survival.

A Middle Eastern contribution to the global canon

Few classic cocktails originate from the Arab world. The Suffering Bastard is a proud exception, and its Cairo birthplace gives it a unique cultural footprint.

A bridge between classic highballs and tiki

The drink fits cleanly into both categories:

• Highball structure

• Tiki mythology

• Dual spirits

• Extraverted presentation

• Colorful storytelling

This dual identity made it a star of the midcentury exotic-drinks movement.

V. How to Make the Classic Version Today

Below is the historically accurate, Cairo-style recipe revived by cocktail historians.

Recipe — The Classic Suffering Bastard

Ingredients

• 1 oz (30 ml) gin

• 1 oz (30 ml) brandy

• 0.5 oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

• 4 oz (120 ml) ginger beer (chilled)

• Mint sprig (garnish)

• Optional: orange wheel (modern garnish)

Method

1. Add gin, brandy, lime juice, and Angostura to a shaker with ice.

2. Shake briefly to chill.

3. Pour unstrained into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.

4. Top with ginger beer.

5. Garnish with mint and (optionally) orange wheel.

Specs

• Glass: Highball or Collins

• Ice: Cubed or crushed (crushed for tiki aesthetic)

• Garnish: Mint sprig; optional orange wheel

• Style: Historical highball / wartime tiki hybrid

Technique Notes

• Do not add simple syrup—the drink is intentionally lean.

• Ginger beer must be vibrant; overly sweet brands flatten the drink.

• Use VS-quality brandy or American apple brandy for richness.

• A brief shake prevents over-dilution while integrating the bitters.

• Mint should be gently slapped, not muddled.

Variations & Lineage

• Dying Bastard: Adds bourbon.

• Dead Bastard: Adds rum and bourbon.

• Staggering Bastard: A chaotic, all-spirits version beloved by tiki historians.

• Craft Revival Bastard: Uses split-base brandy + overproof rum.

Service & Pairing Tip

• Excellent with spicy foods, grilled meats, or Middle Eastern mezze.

• One of the best summer highballs for outdoor gatherings.

• A perfect “session” tiki drink with historical pedigree.

VI. Modern Variations & Legacy

A modern classic in tiki bars

Today the Suffering Bastard appears on:

• Tiki menus

• Classic cocktail lists

• Bars specializing in global cocktail heritage

Its story is irresistible, and its flavor—herbal, spicy, carbonated, crisp—is timeless.

Why the Suffering Bastard endures

• Fantastic balance of heat, acid, and aromatics

• A rare cocktail with wartime documentation

• Fits both classic and tiki traditions

• Delightfully name-forward

• Accessible to new drinkers and experts alike

The Suffering Bastard may have been born as a hangover cure, but it lives on as one of the great refreshing, spiritous cocktails—an Egyptian-born icon that remains as compelling as the day Joe Scialom created it.