Piña Colada (Trader Vic’s) – Recipe & History

Pina Colada (Trader Vic's Recipe)
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Piña Colada (1972 Trader Vic Recipe)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

How to make a 1972 Trader Vic Pina Colada

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Gold Rum

  • 3 oz Pineapple Juice

Directions

  • Technique: Blended
  • Combine all ingredients into a blender with a single scoop of ice cubes.
  • Blend on low for 10 seconds or till the ice is mostly pulverized.
  • Now blend on high for 5-10 seconds to completely crush the ice and turn the drink into a slushy texture.
  • Pour into a glass.
  • Garnish:
  • Pineapple slice

Featured Video

What Does Trader Vic’s 1972 Piña Colada Taste Like?

This Trader Vic Piña Colada is great, and the texture and taste wise is very similar to the Piña Colada with cream of coconut. While it may not have the coconut syrup, it’s a fantastic Pineapple cocktail. It’s a pineapple and rum slushy. How bad can that be? My only advice is to use pineapple juice in the tin cans. The Dole tin can of pineapple juice is above and beyond the best-tasting pineapple juice. Fresh homemade pineapple juice is not as good as the Dole tin can pineapple juice.

The Origins Of The Piña Colada.

The famous origin story for the Piña Colada states it was invented in Puerto Rico in the 1950s or 1960s. Three bartenders claim to have invented it. Ramon Marrero in 1952, Ricardo Garcia a couple of years later, and Ramon Mingot in 1963. Chances are they all made some variation of the same drink. Perhaps just using different amounts of each ingredient. It’s only three ingredients. I’m willing to bet they were not the first to mix rum with coconut and pineapple. The Piña Colada is the official cocktail of Puerto Rico and the national Piña Colada Day is July 10th in the United States.

The oldest reference to the Pina Colada I can find is from a 1964 menu from Senor Pico in Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. Not every menu has it, though. Some of the earlier Senor Pico Menus do not have the Pina Colada, so it must have been added to the menu around then. Senor Pico was a concept restaurant by Victor Bergeron and part of the trader Vic’s tiki empire. Victor Bergeron wanted to experiment with a Mexican/Southern Californian-themed restaurant. The menu describes the pina colada as a mix of coconut milk, pineapple juice, and rum.

Interestingly the 1972 Trader Vic’s Cocktail Guide has a different pina colada recipe. His 1972 book does not have coconut milk in it, and before this book, I am not able to find a pina colada recipe. His 1947 edition does not have a Piña Colada, and I could not find any 1950s or 1960s reference to it other than his 1964 Senor Pico restaurant menu, but no exact recipe is given. Victor Bergeron’s 1972 recipe is:

  • 2 oz (60 mLs) Gold Rum
  • 3 oz (90 mLs) Pineapple Juice
  • Blend with shaved ice and pour over ice in a tall glass with a straw.

The word Piña Colada is translated to “strained pineapple.” I always found it a weird name since it’s only referring to the pineapple juice in the cocktail. But That name makes sense for this recipe since it does not have any coconut. In 1978 Warren Zevon released his hit song “Werewolves of London.” One of the lyrics is, “I saw a werewolf drinkin’ a piña colada at Trader Vic’s. His hair was perfect.” The exact piña colada Warren references would have been the pineapple and rum only recipe. A year later, in 1979, the song “Escape” by Rupert Holmes was released. The main chorus from that song is “If you like piña coladas, And gettin’ caught in the rain”. I remember seeing an interview with Rupert Holmes when I was a child where he stated he didn’t like piña colada because he did not like the taste of coconut. So the version Rupert Holmes is referring to is the coconut and pineapple version. The first printed piña colada with coconut I could find is from the 1980 book “Manual Del Bar” by The Barmen Association of Argentina. The recipe from that book is:

  • 50 gramos de ron (1.5 oz rum)
  • 25 gramos de leche de coco (almost 1 oz coconut milk)
  • 75 gramos de jugo de ananá (2.5 oz pineapple juice)

Most cocktail recipes I am familiar with that use cream of coconut are from South America. It is much less common in North American or European cocktails. Also, I found the overwhelming majority of piña colada recipes are from 1980 to 1987. As if that was its spike in popularity after those songs came out. Every one of those 1980s recipes is a combination of rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream/milk. Trader Vic’s recipe is the only one without coconut.

Perhaps it was invented in Puerto Rico, but the first reference I can find to it is from Trader Vic. His recipe also matches the cocktail’s odd name and makes sense. Victor Bergeron was pretty good about citing a recipe that wasn’t his own. Not for every drink, usually just the popular ones, but the Piña Colada is famous enough. He would mention Donn Beach for any recipes in his book inspired by Donn or if he learned of a cocktail while on some particular island. His Piña Colada recipe does not have a citation, so either he left it out or invented it. This reminds me of the Margarita. Most believe it is a Mexican cocktail, but the first record is from the British 1937 Cafe Royal Cocktail Book, and it is not referred to as a Mexican cocktail until 1953. It could also be that these are two unrelated recipes with the same name. Who knows.

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Hurricane (Gold Fassionola) – Recipe & History

Gold Fassionola Hurricane
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Hurricane (Gold Fassionola)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

How to make a Gold Hurricane.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Lemon Juice

  • 2 oz Gold Fassionola

  • 2 oz White Rum

  • 2 oz Black Rum

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Garnish:
  • Orange slice

Featured Video

What Does The Gold Hurricane Taste Like?

This might be my favorite of the three fassionola hurricanes, along with the Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane. Passion fruit is a beautiful flavor and blends well with the other rums and citrus in the hurricane. While the Green and red hurricanes have more complex flavors, there is something refreshing and delightful about the simple gold hurricane.

The History Of The Hurricane.

The hurricane was invented in the 1940s during World War 2 at Pat O’Brians in New Orleans. The story goes that the folks who controlled the import of European spirits jacked the prices way up and set conditions that for each bottle of European spirits purchased, a certain amount of the more plentiful but less desirable Caribbean rums had to be bought too.

With tons of unused rum about, the owner of Pat O’Brians decided to mix a drink using as much of it as possible. The result is this massive and boozy drink with a lot of juice and sweetener to hide the whopping 120 mLs (4 oz) of rum. This will get you drunk, which is the best way to experience New Orleans.

Now while the origins of the hurricane are pretty much agreed upon, the original hurricane recipe is widely disputed. Jeff Beachbum Berry states in “Beach Bum Berry’s Remixed” that the original recipe is 2 oz lemon juice, 2 oz passion fruit syrup, and 4 oz black rum. At the same time, a very reputable source, even Jeff’s recipe, is disputed. Other well-researched authors state it was not 4 oz of dark rum but 2 oz of both dark and light rums (I can’t remember the source, but I remember reading it). Even Jeff Berry says the original used fassionola instead of passion fruit syrup. Long story short. No one can agree upon a single original recipe, and it doesn’t appear that it was written down. The creator Pat O’Brians gives one recipe, Jeff Berry gives another, and then adds modifications. Who knows. If you have some information I don’t have, please send me an email or comment, letting me know.

The History Of Jonathan English Fassionola

Fassionola was a line of tropical syrups made by the San Diego-based Jonathan English company. Jonathan English made Gold, Red, and Green fassionola syrup, each with a unique flavor. The gold was primarily passion fruit flavored, the red was fruit punch, and the green was mainly lime and guava. It is widely rumored that the Jonathan English company went out of business, and it was, but before the company went entirely out of business, it was bought by a new owner. I learned this from a Reddit post. The new owner still makes the classic Jonathan English red, green and gold fassionolas. There is an eBay seller who ships these original fassionolas, but it seems distribution is limited to the San Diego area.

It’s not uncommon to find individuals who want fassionola to make their own. I’ve made my own, and it turns out pretty good. Again considering there is no definitive recipe for fassionola, make something fun and tropical. I built my recipes knowing that red is supposed to be fruit punch, gold is passion fruit, and green is lime and guava.

Why Is It Called A Hurricane?

The name for the hurricane comes from the hurricane lantern, which the traditional serving glass for this drink looks like. Personally speaking, this glass looks like a standard indoor kerosene lamp. The Hurricane lamp is a cold or hot blast lantern that redirects air through tubing along the sides so high winds do not extinguish the flame. Therefore, a standard indoor kerosene lamp doesn’t have to worry about high winds and does not have this tubing. This cocktail instead uses the iconic tapered top design the kerosene lamp uses to prevent air from entering the light from the top. Not that anyone cares about the science or design of dead flame lamps, so I will end it there. I suppose ordering kerosene was not as cool sounding as ordering a hurricane.

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Hurricane (Green Fassionola) – Recipe

Green Fassionola Hurricane
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Hurricane (Green Fassionola)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

How to make a Green Hurricane.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Lemon Juice

  • 2 oz Green Fassionola

  • 2 oz White Rum

  • 2 oz Black Rum

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Garnish:
  • Pineapple slice

Featured Video

What Does The Green Hurricane Taste Like?

The green hurricane is fantastic. It has lovely citrus and guava flavors that make it unique from the red or gold ones. That being said, this is not mentioned as a historical cocktail or one ever made before. This was entirely made for fun became. Many publications state the original was made with red or gold fassionola. Jonathan English had also made a green one, so I thought it would be fun to try a green hurricane. While not my favorite of the three fassionola hurricanes, The green one is still fun and unique.

The History Of The Hurricane.

The hurricane was invented in the 1940s during World War 2 at Pat O’Brians in New Orleans. The story goes that the folks who controlled the import of European spirits jacked the prices way up and set conditions that for each bottle of European spirits purchased, a certain amount of the more plentiful but less desirable Caribbean rums had to be bought too.

With tons of unused rum about, the owner of Pat O’Brians decided to mix a drink using as much of it as possible. The result is this massive and boozy drink with a lot of juice and sweetener to hide the whopping 120 mLs (4 oz) of rum. This will get you drunk, which is the best way to experience New Orleans.

Now while the origins of the hurricane are pretty much agreed upon, the original hurricane recipe is widely disputed. Jeff Beachbum Berry states in “Beach Bum Berry’s Remixed” that the original recipe is 2 oz lemon juice, 2 oz passion fruit syrup, and 4 oz black rum. At the same time, a very reputable source, even Jeff’s recipe, is disputed. Other well-researched authors state it was not 4 oz of dark rum but 2 oz of both dark and light rums (I can’t remember the source, but I remember reading it). Even Jeff Berry says the original used fassionola instead of passion fruit syrup. Long story short. No one can agree upon a single original recipe, and it doesn’t appear that it was written down. The creator Pat O’Brians gives one recipe, Jeff Berry gives another, and then adds modifications. Who knows. If you have some information I don’t have, please send me an email or comment, letting me know.

The History Of Jonathan English Fassionola

Fassionola was a line of tropical syrups made by the San Diego-based Jonathan English company. Jonathan English made Gold, Red, and Green fassionola syrup, each with a unique flavor. The gold was primarily passion fruit flavored, the red was fruit punch, and the green was mainly lime and guava. It is widely rumored that the Jonathan English company went out of business, and it was, but before the company went entirely out of business, it was bought by a new owner. I learned this from a Reddit post. The new owner still makes the classic Jonathan English red, green and gold fassionolas. There is an eBay seller who ships these original fassionolas, but it seems distribution is limited to the San Diego area.

It’s not uncommon to find individuals who want fassionola to make their own. I’ve made my own, and it turns out pretty good. Again considering there is no definitive recipe for fassionola, make something fun and tropical. I built my recipes knowing that red is supposed to be fruit punch, gold is passion fruit, and green is lime and guava.

Why Is It Called A Hurricane?

The name for the hurricane comes from the hurricane lantern, which the traditional serving glass for this drink looks like. Personally speaking, this glass looks like a standard indoor kerosene lamp. The Hurricane lamp is a cold or hot blast lantern that redirects air through tubing along the sides so high winds do not extinguish the flame. Therefore, a standard indoor kerosene lamp doesn’t have to worry about high winds and does not have this tubing. This cocktail instead uses the iconic tapered top design the kerosene lamp uses to prevent air from entering the light from the top. Not that anyone cares about the science or design of dead flame lamps, so I will end it there. I suppose ordering kerosene was not as cool sounding as ordering a hurricane.

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Hurricane (Red Fassionola) – Recipe & History

Red Fassionola Hurricane
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Hurricane (Red Fassionola)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

How to make a Red Hurricane.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Lemon Juice

  • 2 oz Red Fassionola

  • 2 oz White Rum

  • 2 oz Black Rum

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Garnish:
  • Maraschino cherries

Featured Video

What Does The Red Hurricane Taste Like?

The red fassionola hurricane is terrific, and maybe it’s the inner child in me, but I like its fruit punch flavor. My red fassionola recipe is cherry-heavy, so this cocktail has a strong cherry flavor. Still, I believe the classic Jonathan English red fassionola is not as cherry-forward as my recipe.

The History Of The Hurricane.

The hurricane was invented in the 1940s during World War 2 at Pat O’Brians in New Orleans. The story goes that the folks who controlled the import of European spirits jacked the prices way up and set conditions that for each bottle of European spirits purchased, a certain amount of the more plentiful but less desirable Caribbean rums had to be bought too.

With tons of unused rum about, the owner of Pat O’Brians decided to mix a drink using as much of it as possible. The result is this massive and boozy drink with a lot of juice and sweetener to hide the whopping 120 mLs (4 oz) of rum. This will get you drunk, which is the best way to experience New Orleans.

Now while the origins of the hurricane are pretty much agreed upon, the original hurricane recipe is widely disputed. Jeff Beachbum Berry states in “Beach Bum Berry’s Remixed” that the original recipe is 2 oz lemon juice, 2 oz passion fruit syrup, and 4 oz black rum. At the same time, a very reputable source, even Jeff’s recipe, is disputed. Other well-researched authors state it was not 4 oz of dark rum but 2 oz of both dark and light rums (I can’t remember the source, but I remember reading it). Even Jeff Berry says the original used fassionola instead of passion fruit syrup. Long story short. No one can agree upon a single original recipe, and it doesn’t appear that it was written down. The creator Pat O’Brians gives one recipe, Jeff Berry gives another, and then adds modifications. Who knows. If you have some information I don’t have, please send me an email or comment, letting me know.

The History Of Jonathan English Fassionola

Fassionola was a line of tropical syrups made by the San Diego-based Jonathan English company. Jonathan English made Gold, Red, and Green fassionola syrup, each with a unique flavor. The gold was primarily passion fruit flavored, the red was fruit punch, and the green was mainly lime and guava. It is widely rumored that the Jonathan English company went out of business, and it was, but before the company went entirely out of business, it was bought by a new owner. I learned this from a Reddit post. The new owner still makes the classic Jonathan English red, green and gold fassionolas. There is an eBay seller who ships these original fassionolas, but it seems distribution is limited to the San Diego area.

It’s not uncommon to find individuals who want fassionola to make their own. I’ve made my own, and it turns out pretty good. Again considering there is no definitive recipe for fassionola, make something fun and tropical. I built my recipes knowing that red is supposed to be fruit punch, gold is passion fruit, and green is lime and guava.

Why Is It Called A Hurricane?

The name for the hurricane comes from the hurricane lantern, which the traditional serving glass for this drink looks like. Personally speaking, this glass looks like a standard indoor kerosene lamp. The Hurricane lamp is a cold or hot blast lantern that redirects air through tubing along the sides so high winds do not extinguish the flame. Therefore, a standard indoor kerosene lamp doesn’t have to worry about high winds and does not have this tubing. This cocktail instead uses the iconic tapered top design the kerosene lamp uses to prevent air from entering the light from the top. Not that anyone cares about the science or design of dead flame lamps, so I will end it there. I suppose ordering kerosene was not as cool sounding as ordering a hurricane.

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Corn ‘n Oil (Corn And Oil) – Classic Recipe & History

Corn'n Oil
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Corn & Oil

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Caribbean
Servings

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
ABV

30%

Total time

3

minutes

How to make a classic Corn ’n Oil.

Ingredients

  • 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

  • 1 oz Falernum

  • 2 oz Black or Aged Rum

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.

Featured Video

History Of The Corn And Oil.

The Corn and Oil (also known as corn ‘n oil, or Corning oil) is a rum cocktail from Barbados, with the earliest records I can find of it coming from the 1911 book “West Indian and Other Recipes” by Mrs. H Graham Yearwood. Mrs. Yearwood calls the Corning oil traditional Barbados cocktail consisting of either rum, sugar, and Angostura bitters or rum, falernum, and Angostura bitters. She states the actual name of the cocktail is Corning oil, but it is mainly known as the Corn ‘n Oil.

It appears the corn ‘n abbreviation is meant to replace the “corning” and not “corn and” and be more like the abbreviation in “I was walk’n and talk’n to my friends.” and not “I was walking ‘n talking to my friends” For those reading this not fully fluent in English this is a feature in the English language called elision and its when a final sound, often a vowel, is left out of speech to help speak faster. Other languages have it, too, but it is used heavily in English, especially in poetry, to maintain the meter or in literature to convey the local dialect.

Mrs. Yearwood does not give an exact recipe for the corn ‘n oil, just that it’s made of Rum, bitters, and either falernum or sugar. To that point, there most likely isn’t a single recipe. Most regional drinks like Corn’n Oil have countless variations, and every family has its recipe. Many recipes include lime juice, and the addition of lime juice is excellent, but since Mrs. Yearwood did not mention it in her recipe, I will not add it to mine.

Oddly enough, beyond Mrs. Yearwood’s 1911 mention of the cocktail and its recipe, I couldn’t find any other reference to the cocktail till the early 2000s. Trader Vic never mentions it. It’s not even in any published books by Beachbum Berry. Not even Cocktail books from the Caribbean mention it. At least that I could find.

What Does The Corn ‘n Oil Taste Like?

The corn ‘n oil reminds me of a Caribbean Manhattan. It’s got the standard angostura bitters, but instead of whiskey, it’s rum, and instead of sweet vermouth, it’s falernum. There are no definitive proportions to follow, so you can make it more or less sweet depending on your taste. Thinking of it as a Caribbean Manhattan, I choose to make it with the same volumes I would like a Manhattan. There is also no definitive way to mix the corn ‘n oil, so I decided to shake and dirty pour in a way that would be refreshing on a hot tropical day.

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Navy Grog – Donn Beach Recipe & History

Navy Grog Donn Beach
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Navy Grog – Donn Beach Recipe

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Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

296

kcal
ABV

21%

Total time

3

minutes

Make A Classic Navy Grog Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 3/4 oz Lime Juice

  • 3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice

  • 3/4 oz Honey Syrup

  • 1 oz White Rum

  • 1 oz Black Rum

  • 1 oz Aged Rum

  • 1 oz Soda Water

Directions

  • Technique: Saxe Soda Shake
  • Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker except for the soda water.
  • Add one medium or two small ice cubes to the cocktail shaker and shake until the ice fully melts.
  • Without a strainer, pour the chilled and aerated drink into a glass.
  • Place a straw with a cone of ice around it in the glass and top with soda water.

Featured Video

Donn Beach Navy Grog Recipe Vs Victor Bergeron’s Recipe.

Donn Beach and Victor Bergeron’s Navy Grog recipes are similar and practically the same drink. The only difference between the two recipes is that Donn Beach uses honey instead of allspice dram and has an ounce of soda water added. The Biggest difference is the ice. Donn Beach’s recipe calls for a shaved ice cone around the straw. Victor Bergeron’s recipe call for shaking the cocktail with shaved or crushed ice and then pouring the entire contents of the shaker, ice and all, into the glass.

Shaken With Shaved Ice Vs Ice Cone.

While both cocktails are shaken with ice, the Trader Vic version does a dirty pour and includes the ice, while the Donn Beach version strains out the shaken ice and uses an ice cone in the glass. Keep in mind the ice cone is only used in Donn Beach’s navy grog cocktail. No other cocktail uses it, so I wouldn’t spend any money on a dedicated ice cone maker. The navy grog wasn’t the only tiki cocktail to use ice uniquely. Fun decorative ice was regularly used in the classic tiki scene—ice cones, ice caves, dirty pours, ice frill, etc. I think the trader Vic dirty pour is more practical and makes more sense, but the ice cone does have a following.

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Tortuga – Classic Recipe & History

Tortuga
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Tortuga

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

325

kcal
ABV

23%

Total time

3

minutes

Make a Classic Tortuga Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice

  • 1 oz Lemon Juice

  • 1.5 oz Orange Juice

  • 1 tsp Grenadine

  • 1 tsp Creme de Cacao

  • 1 tsp Orange Liqueur

  • 1 oz Sweet Vermouth

  • 1.25 oz 151

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Garnish:
  • Mint bouquet

Featured Video

What Does The Tortuga Taste Like?

This is a strangely good cocktail. I had concerns when I first read the ingredients, but they somehow worked. Orange and chocolate are the most prominent flavors of this cocktail, and orange and chocolate go very well together. The sweet vermouth balances out the heavy citrus flavors, and somehow it all comes together to make a delicious cocktail.

The History Of The Tortuga.

The Tortuga first appears in Trader Vic’s original 1947 edition of his bartender’s guide, where it is called a Tortuga Punch in the index and just a Tortuga on the recipe page. The recipe in the 1947 edition is the same as the recipe in the 1972 edition. If you are looking for an unusual tiki cocktail, try making a Tortuga. I taste great, and it perfectly represents the tiki design by blending exotic spices and flavors with hard alcohol and juices.

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Mr. Bali Hai | Classic Recipe & History

Mr Bali Hai
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Mr. Bali Hai

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Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

312

kcal
ABV

18%

Total time

3

minutes

Make The Classic Mr. Bali Hai

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Lemon Juice

  • 1.5 oz Pineapple Juice

  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

  • 2/3 oz Coffee Liqueur

  • 1 oz White Rum

  • 1.5 oz Black Rum

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Garnish:
  • Cherry, pineapple slice

Featured Video

The History Of The Mr. Bali Hai Cocktail.

If you go to the Bali Hai restaurant today and order a Mr. Bali Hai, you will not get this drink. The recipe has been changed over time, and this recipe is from the 2002 book “Intoxica” by Jeff Beachbum Berry. Tiki cocktails are not like old classic cocktails that every bar makes; many tiki recipes tend to be unique to each bar and get changed over time to adjust to the evolving trends and differentiate from competitors. The current Mr. Bali Hai is made with blackberry liqueur, whereas this one is made with coffee liqueur. Jeff Beachbum Berry cites this as the version he got during the 1980s when he first visited the restaurant, but he dates this recipe back to the 1970s. Mr. Bali Hai also comes with a super cool mug that can only be bought at that bar. The face looks like the giant wooden head hunter statue outside the entrance.

History Of The Bali Hai Restaurant.

The Bali Hai is a Tahitian-themed restaurant on Shelter Island in San Diego, CA. The Bali Hai on Shelter Island started as one of a tiki-themed bar chain locations called Christian’s Hut. Christian’s Hut opened in 1935 and was originally the makeshift bar under Clark Gable’s room. While filming the 1935 film “Mutiny on the Bounty,” Clark Gable played the character Fletcher Christian and the building (Bedroom above makeshift party bar below) became known as Christian’s Hut. After filming ended, the crew had the foresight to keep the building, move it to Newport Beach, and open a Tahitian-themed restaurant. I’m not sure how much of this was inspired by Don The Beachcomber, which opened in 1934 in Los Angeles, but part of the movie does take place in Tahiti, so that the Polynesian theme may have come from there. It could have been a bit of both. The restaurant and bar did well and eventually opened several other locations. One of those other locations was on Shelter Island in San Diego.

By the early 1950s, Christian Hut on Shelter Island started to fall on hard times. A new owner named Tom Ham stepped in, renamed the restaurant the Bali Hai, which in Indonesian means “Your own special island,” and was able to turn the restaurant around. The bar and restaurant are still open and worth visiting if you want to see one of the original and few surviving Polynesian-themed restaurants.

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Three Dots & a Dash – Classic Recipe & History

Three Dots And A Dash
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Three Dots and a Dash

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

280

kcal
ABV

22%

Total time

3

minutes

Make a Classic Three Dots and A Dash Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice

  • 1/2 oz Orange Juice

  • 1/2 oz Honey Syrup

  • 1/3 oz Allspice Dram

  • 2 dash Angostura Bitters

  • 1/2 oz Falernum

  • 1.5 oz Gold Rum

  • 1/2 oz Old Rum

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Garnish:
  • Three cherries and a pineapple slice

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Don The Beachcomber’s Forgotten Recipes

Immediately after the 21st amendment had repealed prohibition, Donn Beach opened Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood, California. Donn single-handedly created the first Tiki bar and, with it, tiki culture. But like most innovators, Donn was worried about others copying his Hollywood-style Polynesian-themed bar and profiting off his ideas. Donn would show up a few hours before the bar opened, mix large batches of his spice mixes and mixers, and give them non-descriptive spice mix #1, #2, #3 labels like Don or Donn’s Zombie Mix, Grog Mix, Gardenia mix. This was all done to hide the recipes. Donn never told the other bartenders or published a recipe, and while he did open other bars, his recipes never got out. Thus Donn’s original recipes died with him in 1989. So keep that in mind anytime you see a Don the Beachcomber cocktail; it is never the original recipe but another bartender’s best guess as to what it was. And some guesses are better than others. Tiki was a lawless free for all for a little over a decade with no continuity between drinks of the same name. There is still a lot of that today. How many Mai Tai recipes have you seen even though we know the original canon recipe for it?

In the late 90s, a Tiki cocktail enthusiast named Jeff Berry came along with the intent of preserving the old recipes and Tiki culture and helping revitalize the public interest in it. Jeff interviewed old bartenders of Donn the Beachcombers and set out to recreate Donn’s secret recipes to the best of their knowledge. Gathering whatever information he could and testing recipes against people who remembered what the old drinks tasted like, he is credited with having saved recipes that would otherwise be lost to time. Remember that these are not Donn’s original recipe but Jeff’s best attempts at recreating them and that Jeff Beachbum Berry is probably the closest one to get it right.

The Meaning Of Three Dots and a Dash.

Donn Beach served in the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) from 1942 to 1945, and so several of his iconic cocktails reference the military. The name Three Dots and a Dash is morse code for “V”, which Donn Beach uses here for Victory. The garnish represents the name. The three dots are the maraschino cherries, and the dash is the wedge of pineapple. V for victory became a famous saying after Winston Churchill’s “V” hand gesture to the press to inform the public about the end of the fighting in Europe. May 8, 1945, became known as VE Day since the two letters telegraphed to Winston Churchill to inform him of “Victory in Europe.” The USA and Japan would continue fighting in the Pacific for five more months till the end of fighting in the pacific on September 2, 1945.

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Saturn – Original Recipe & History

Saturn
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Quick Step-By-Step Saturn Recipe Video

Saturn

5 from 1 vote Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

224

kcal
ABV

20%

Total time

3

minutes

Make a Classic Saturn Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz Lemon Juice

  • 1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup

  • 1/3 oz Falernum

  • 1/3 oz Orgeat

  • 1.5 oz Dry Gin

Directions

  • Technique: Blended
  • Combine all ingredients into a blender with a single scoop of ice cubes.
  • Blend on low for 10 seconds or till the ice is mostly pulverized. Now blend on high for 5-10 seconds to completely crush the ice and turn the drink into a slushy texture. Pour into a glass.
  • Garnish:
  • Long lemon peel circling a cherry

Recipe Video

The History Of The Saturn Cocktail.

The Saturn cocktail was invented by Filipino bartender Joseph “Po Po” Galsini as one of their entries for the 1967 IBA World Cocktail Competition. (In Filipino culture, it’s a term of endearment for older people to say a younger persons’ first name twice in some cutesy way. For example, someone named Tom would be called Tom Tom, Luna becomes Lu Lu, Mario becomes Mo Mo, etc.). Working as a school teacher in the Philippines, Joseph Galsini (I am not his senior and have no emotional connection to him, so I don’t feel right calling him Po Po) immigrated to the United States in 1928, where he began bartending in California. Joseph and his team eventually went on to win first place at the 1953 and 1954 IBA World Cocktail Competition. In 1967 one of the cocktails they entered was the Saturn, named after the Saturn V rocket also invented that same year. They didn’t win that year, but they still created a very memorable tiki-style cocktail with a fun garnish. The Saturn cocktail was rediscovered by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, who was able to save the recipe thanks to Bob Esmino, a fellow Filipino Bartender who got his start helping to open Don’s Beachcomber Cafe. Thanks to Bob Esmino remembering the recipe, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry was able to publish it in his 2010 book “Beachbum Berry Remix”. Sadly Joseph Galsini died in a car crash in 1982. Check out This lengthy article about Joseph on the Daily Beast by David Wondrich.

Is the Saturn Blended Or Shaken?

The most common way this drink is made is by shaking the ingredients, making for a delicious drink. But, according to Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, who got his recipe from Bob Esmino, who worked with Joseph Galsini, the original Saturn was blended. Both are great ways to make the Saturn, and it just comes down to texture.

How To Make The Saturn Garnish.

The Saturn is tasty, but it is the garnish that stands out about this cocktail. Joseph Galsini topped the Saturn off with a lemon peel circled around a maraschino cherry to resemble Saturn. The garnish is more aesthetic than functional, and damn, it looks good. The garnish is made by peeling the whole circumference of a lemon and pinning a cherry in the middle. I’m personally not the biggest fan of overly decorative garnishes and feel if a garnish does not contribute directly to the drink’s flavor, then it should be omitted. Still, I make an exception for this drink. Also, I am always a little disappointed if I order a Saturn at a bar or restaurant and don’t get the Saturn garnish. I don’t care whether it is blended or shaken; I just want to see that cute little cherry with a lemon peel around it.

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