History of Mazagran
History of Mazagran.
Far, very far from Gdańsk lies Algeria, which is located on the Mediterranean Sea in the northern part of Africa. An extraordinary country. In 1830, France, wishing to expand its colonial possessions, attacked the country and began its occupation, which lasted until 1834, when Algeria was granted the status of a colony, and in 1848 it was recognized as an integral part of French territory. In the meantime, an important event took place. Despite the above-mentioned legal arrangements, Algeria was still unsettled, and French troops had to face Arab troops who did not want to submit to French authority. As a result of many military actions, in 1840 there was an attack on the fortress in Mazagran, defended by a small number of French troops. It was a hot February, and the attacks of the outnumbered troops of the Caliph of Mascara lasted without a break for 4 long days. Exhausted French soldiers strengthened themselves and energized themselves with a mixture of coffee, water, sugar and cognac. This is how, according to many, Mazagran was born. The defense of the fortress ended in French triumph, and in 1841 the painting The Defense of Mazagran was created, commissioned by King Louis-Philippe.
After returning to their homeland, soldiers began to order this type of drink in cafes, which was served with a slice of lemon and a straw. Over time, Mazagran perfectly matched the tastes of French restaurant and café patrons.
And we know that good things had to come to the Vistula River. But when exactly?
Well, it is difficult to determine when the first Mazagran was served in Warsaw. It is certain that already in the 1860s, the very concept of Mazagran was known to Warsaw residents who read the press. Well, in 1864, "Kurjer paryzki" was published in Gazeta Narodowa, where Mazagran appeared in the text and was described as follows - "it is cold black coffee, served in a glass of a separate shape, indispensably accompanied by a carafe of water." The author of the letters does not mention alcohol. In 1872, the weekly Opiekun Domowy mentioned a French scribbling with cognac.
The first mention of Mazagrana in a confectionery shop appears in 1883. This drink was served at Lours in Warsaw. And there's nothing to be surprised about here. One of the most popular confectioneries in Warsaw at that time did not disdain new tastes, and the confectioneries themselves were bustling with life until late at night, and the summer gardens were full of guests.
At that time, mazagran was drank through pipes, most of which were glass. Straw straws and tubes made of... pasta were also used.
Five years later, Krakow's inhabitants were already drinking Mazagran. It was available, among others, in Adam Roszkowski's Warsaw confectionery on the Main Market Square. And in Paris, Wokulski himself recalled his Warsaw over a glass of Mazagran. In Lviv in 1891, in a confectionery shop under the company K. Kruszyński, Mazagran went hand in hand with ice cream, iced coffee and other cooling drinks. This is how Mazagran conquered Warsaw, Lviv and Krakow, which defended themselves against the heat with cold glasses full of Mazagran.
Recipe from "How to Cook: A Practical Cookbook (...)" by M. Disslow from 1938 - "It is a drink made of black coffee. Add rum, cognac or liqueur and ice to well-sweetened black coffee. This drink is usually drunk for "straw"
