Suffering Bastard

The suffering bastard is the name for two different mixed drinks, one being more of a standard cocktail associated with World War II and the other being more of an exotic drink associated with Tiki bars. As is the case with many cocktails, there are multiple recipe variations and historical origins have been argued and changed over time. Two of the earliest recipe versions have very different ingredients. One from bartender Joe Scialom (1942) calls for brandy and gin, while another from Tiki pioneer Victor J. Bergeron (AKA Trader Vic) primarily uses rum along with "secret ingredients" and is known for being garnished with a cucumber. According to Jeff Berry and others, a suffering bastard cocktail was created at the Shepheard's Hotel in Cairo. Bartender Joe Scialom was looking to make a hangover drink for allied troops and according to the story made one as a "cure" for the suffering soldiers who complained about the poor quality of liquor in the area. Both the drink and the hotel played a role in WWII. When the war was going well for the Axis, German General Rommel allegedly said "I'll be drinking champagne in the master suite at Shepheard's soon." The allies did well, however, and the drink was supposedly so popular with the troops that a telegram was sent asking for several gallons to be made and brought to the front lines.

Source: Wikipedia