On this day in 1886 Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson first published the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The premise of the story has become a metaphor for a dual personality, representing the extreme capacities for good and evil in the same individual. According to his family, Stevenson awoke after a dream his wife had assumed was a nightmare by his disturbing cries, and he proceed to write the first draft in a matter of days.
The book, first categorized as a “penny dreadful,” was initially sold for one schilling in the U.K. and for one penny in the U.S. It became an instant bestseller, and a stage version of the story was first performed in Boston a year later. With the on-stage lighting and horror effects so convincing that the London newspapers named the lead actor and producer, Richard Mansfield, as a possible suspect in the recent Jack the Ripper murders, Mansfield shut down the popular London theatre production after only 10 weeks. Since 1886, at least 120 stage and film adaptations of the story have thrilled audiences around the world. Many other fictional characters owe their existence to Stevenson’s villain, including Marvel’s Hulk.
Music Du Jour: The soundtrack from the Jekyll & Hyde musical
Films Du Jour:
The first silent film (and first horror film reportedly) that appeared in 1908 is long gone, as film was difficult to preserve back then. Luckily there were many versions to follow. Here are just a few:
- Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913)
- Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
- Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)
- Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
- Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1954)
- Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1990)
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2002)
- League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
- Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (2004)
- Van Helsing (2004)
- Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2008)
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1917)
- The Mummy (1917)
- Jekyll and Hyde (2020) Masterpiece Theatre series
- Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2021) animated
Miscellaneous:
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Laminate Hardcover Collectable Edition
- Jekyll and Hyde rings so people know which you’re feeling like today
- The Jekyll & Hyde Club of NYC
- Jekyll’s Miracle Elixir T Shirt
Snacks du Jour: J&H cookies and J&H Hard Cider Whiskey Potion & Apple Pie Truffle Antidote
Cocktail Du Jour – Jekyll & Hyde: Into Darkness Cocktail
Recipe from Singapore Cocktail Festival:
- 5 oz Hendrix Lunar Gin
- 5 oz Yuzu Marmalade
- 5 oz Bianco Vermouth
- 1 turn of cracked black pepper
- 1 dash Orange Bitters
Chill a coupe or Nick and Nora glass in the refrigerator. Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a single dark red rose petal. Fill an oral syringe with 10 ml black sesame infused Suze* and serve on its side next to glass.
*To make infused Suze, pour 1 cup of Suze into a half-pint mason jar. Add 1 tablespoon of black sesame seeds. Screw on lid to seal for at least 12 hours. Shake occasionally.
Mocktail Du Jour – Jekyll & Hyde: Into Darkness Mocktail
- 5 oz Monday Zero Alcohol Gin
- 5 oz Yuzu Marmalade
- 5 oz white grape juice
- 1 turn of cracked black pepper
- 1 dash Orange Bitters
Chill a coupe or Nick and Nora glass in the refrigerator. Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a single dark red rose petal. Fill an oral syringe with 10 ml black sesame infused Lyre’s aperitif dry* and serve on its side next to glass. Combine infusion with drink slowly to your taste.
*To make infusion, pour 1 cup of Lyre’s aperitif dry into a half-pint mason jar. Add 1 tablespoon of black sesame seeds. Screw on lid to seal for at least 12 hours. Shake occasionally, strain into syringe.
Beer Du Jour
Odd Side Hoppin’ Mad American IPA
Wine Du Jour
Mad Duck Zinfandel
Use freshly squeezed citrus in your cocktails and mocktails when called for – It makes such a difference! Here’s a reliable and inexpensive juicer.
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Photo credit: “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)” by Susanlenox is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.
