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 2 Lemon Juice

  • 2 oz 2 Gold Fassionola

  • 2 oz 2 White Rum

  • 2 oz 2 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 2 Lemon Juice

  • 2 oz 2 Green Fassionola

  • 2 oz 2 White Rum

  • 2 oz 2 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 2 Lemon Juice

  • 2 oz 2 Red Fassionola

  • 2 oz 2 White Rum

  • 2 oz 2 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 2 Angostura Bitters

  • 1 oz 1 Falernum

  • 2 oz 2 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.

Recipe Video

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 3/4 Lime Juice

  • 3/4 oz 3/4 Grapefruit Juice

  • 3/4 oz 3/4 Honey Syrup

  • 1 oz 1 White Rum

  • 1 oz 1 Black Rum

  • 1 oz 1 Aged Rum

  • 1 oz 1 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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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 1 Lemon Juice

  • 1.5 oz 1.5 Pineapple Juice

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Simple Syrup

  • 2/3 oz 2/3 Coffee Liqueur

  • 1 oz 1 White Rum

  • 1.5 oz 1.5 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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Q.B. Cooler – Classic Recipe & History

Q.B. Cooler
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Q.B. Cooler

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

1

servings
Calories

256

kcal
ABV

27%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make an Q.B. Cooler

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Lime Juice

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Orange Juice

  • 2 dashes 2 Angostura Bitters

  • 2 dashes 2 Absinthe

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Passion Fruit Syrup

  • 2 oz 2 Black Rum

  • 1 oz 1 White 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:
  • Mint bouquet

Notes

Featured Video

What Does Q.B Mean?

If you are a former Air Force, you probably already know the answer to this, but the Q.B. in the Q.B. Cooler stands for Quiet Birdmen. Donn Beach served in the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) from 1942 to 1945. The Quite Birdmen is an invite-only club of former military aviators formed at the end of WWI in France. Originally a drinking club named The American Flying Club, they eventually earned the name Quite Birdmen as a joke since they were often loud and drunk. As a former Lieutenant Colonel of the Army Air Forces, it seems fitting to name a drink after the Air Forces drinking club. (Originally, aerial warfare was a part of the Army as the Army Air Corps till 1941, then Army Air Forces in 1942, It wouldn’t become a separate branch till 1947 when the US Air Force was formed)

Did The Q.B Cooler Inspire the Mai Tai?

There is a typical story that Donn Beach’s Q.B. Cooler inspired Victor Bergeron (Trader Vic) and made the Mai Tai in an attempt to imitate it. But I don’t buy that. 1). The Mai Tai and Q.B. Cooler are almost entirely different drinks. It doesn’t help that there are countless recipes for the two, but the more or less agreed-upon canon recipes are very different from each other. If Victor Bergeron was trying to copy the Q.B. Cooler, he completely missed the mark. 2). Victor Bergeron did not hide when Donn Beach inspired him. He was public about how Don the Beachcomber inspired him to open a tiki bar. Also, he cited the cocktails he did try and mimic from Donn as cocktails inspired by and originally from Don the Beachcomber. Why would he suddenly act differently with this one drink? 3). I gather this story was started by a bartender of Donn’s and not Donn himself. Donn did not hide his frustration with others trying to copy his work, and he did not sue Victor Bergeron for copying his Q.B Cooler. Victor sued him. This leads to my final point. 4). Victor Bergeron and Donn Beach went to court to argue who’s Mai Tai was the original. Victor sold a pre-made “Original” Mai Tai mixer, and in the 1970s, Donn Beach began selling a pre-made “Original” Mai Tai mixer. The two went to court to argue who invented the original. Victor Bergeron won, and Donn removed “Original” from the label. I believe if Victor Bergeron tried to copy the Q.B. Cooler, he would have just made a drink called the Q.B Cooler and credited Donn Beach with having invented it.

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 nondescriptive labels like Donn’s spice mix #1, #2, #3, 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 an original recipe, just the best guess. 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.

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Bahama Mama – Classic Recipe

Bahama Mama
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Bahama Mama

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

1

servings
Calories

278

kcal
ABV

12%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make a Bahama Mama.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz 1 Lemon Juice

  • 4 oz 4 Pineapple Juice

  • 1/3 oz 1/3 Coffee Liqueur

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Coconut Liqueur

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 151

  • 1 oz 1 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.

Notes

Featured Video

The History Of The Bahama Mama.

The Bahama Mama is not just a cocktail that gets you thrown out of an Applebees for disorderly conduct. It’s a unique and tasty Caribbean cocktail. The only person who claims to have invented the Bahama Mama was Caribbean bartender Oswald Greenslade in his 2012 Cocktail book “One More Cocktail: A Guide to Making Bahamian Cocktails” Oswald Greenslade’s website says he didn’t start his bartending career until 1961. Still, the Bahama Mama was already a known drink by the 1950s. So chances are he didn’t invent it, but this may still be the closest we have to an early 1950s Caribbean recipe.

Bahama Mama Variations.

There are as many Bahama Mama variations as there are Bahama Mamas. Some look like tequila sunrises; some are grapefruit-based, orange-based, passion fruit, etc. They come in all colors. There is nothing to say this is the definitive recipe, but Oswald Greenslade is the only one I can find who claims to have the authentic recipe/ inventing it. There is probably no singular original recipe, and there may never have been.

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Zombie – Grog Log Recipe

Zombie
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Quick Step-by-Step Zombie Recipe Video

Zombie

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

1

servings
Calories

414

kcal
ABV

27%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make a Zombie.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz 1 Lime Juice

  • 2/3 oz 2/3 Pineapple Juice

  • 2/3 oz 2/3 Papaya Juice

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Simple Syrup

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Apple Brandy

  • 1 oz 1 Black Rum

  • 2 oz 2 Gold Rum

  • 1 oz 1 White Rum

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 151

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker except the 151.
  • Add a scoop of crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake for 10 seconds.
  • Pour the whole shaker into the serving glass. Ice and all.
  • Top with 151.
  • Garnish:
  • Maraschino cherry, pineapple, mint

Recipe Video

Notes

The History Of The Zombie Cocktail.

On the menu, it seems from day one, or at least very soon after, the Zombie is one of Donn Beach’s most famous tiki cocktails. The Zombie was so strong that it would put someone into a blackout drunk automaton state. The Zombie proved to be so renowned it was probably one of Donn’s most copied cocktails. Even though Donn tried to keep the recipe a secret, even from his bartenders, Zombies started popping up at other tiki bars all over the USA. The Aku Aku at the Sahara Casino in Las Vegas, La Mariana Sailing Club in Honolulu, The Tonga Room in San Francisco, and Even Trader Vic’s had a Zombie on the menu (but he did credit Donn for inventing it). The Zombie gained the slogan of being often imitated but never duplicated. As with all Donn Beach cocktails, there is no definitive recipe because he never published them and kept them secret from everyone, even the staff. You couldn’t do anything like that today with allergies and such. You don’t want to be known as the bar that withheld information that ended up killing somebody. Donn is also believed to have changed the Zombie recipe several times to improve it and stay ahead of the competition.

I also find it very cool that he went with this name as Night of the Living Dead didn’t debut till 1968, starting the American zombie craze. Zombies are also traditionally Haitian folklore and not Polynesian. This shows that Tiki was a mish-mash of exotic island Hollywood imagery and not something born of actually Polynesian tradition.

From just looking at the Don the Beachcomber menus, nothing is exciting. It just has the zombie listed as a cocktail with a little voodoo man next to it on some versions. If you wish to google it yourself and check it out, the primary menu years you can find online are 1934, 1941, and 1954, and there is a separate 1960s drink menu.

What Does The Zombie Cocktail Taste Like?

This drink will knock you on your ass. It goes down like a tropical Long Island Ice Tea, and I won’t lie, I had just one of these (the one in the picture), and I had a hard time walking straight. In 1934 Don the Beachcomber sold these for $2.00 and had a limit of 2, and even that seems a bit generous. This cocktail is perfect and very successful at having just enough juice and sweetener not to make the volume of booze overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still very alcohol forward, and you feel it, but it toes the line that even a non-old fashion drinker would like it—something the Long Island does not do.

Zombie Cocktail Variations.

There are as many zombie variations as there are bartenders, and that’s fine, considering there is no definitive known recipe. The recipe I have provided here is the Jeff “Beachbum” Berry recipe, as it is regarded as the most accurate and probably the closest to one of Donn Beach’s Zombies. Again, Donn was thought to have changed the recipe several times, so this may be an amalgamation of several versions.

The Most Important Ingredient.

The essential ingredient in the Zombie is the 151. Surprising right? It’s only a half-ounce float on top, but the 151 you use will make or break this cocktail. I personally like Lemon Hart’s 151. It’s the original and surprisingly flavorful for being such a high proof. Donn Beach was said to hunt for this particular brand because it was just that good, and I agree with that. Other lighter 151s add booze (Granted, this cocktail doesn’t need more), but the Lemon Hart ads booze and flavor. If you do not find this particular brand, I would try using a navy strength (57% ABV) rum that is a bit darker in color instead. For an excellent article on 151 and its history, check out this link to The Lone Canner. The Lone Canner also has a great article on the proof system, its history, and technical details here.

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Navy Grog – Victor Bergeron’s Recipe

Navy Grog | Victor Bergeron Recipe
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Navy Grog – Victor Bergeron’s Recipe

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

1

servings
Calories

339

kcal
ABV

25%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make the Navy Grog.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz 1 Lime Juice

  • 1 oz 1 Grapefruit Juice

  • 1 oz 1 Allspice Dram

  • 1 oz 1 White Rum

  • 1 oz 1 Black Rum

  • 1 oz 1 Anejo 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:
  • Squeezed lime hull, mint

Notes

Featured Video

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

If you pick up Trader Vic’s cocktail book, the recipe will call for 3 ounces of Vic’s Navy Grog Mix. This was to sell his Trader Vic branded mixers that no longer exist. Still, fortunately for us, Victor Bergeron never really kept his Navy Grog mix recipe a secret. Vic’s Navy Grog was equal parts lime juice, grapefruit juice, and Allspice Dram. Knowing that and the rest of the recipe printed in the book, we can perfectly recreate the Trader Vic’s Navy Grog cocktail.

The Most Important Ingredient.

The allspice dram sets the Victor Bergeron version apart from the Donn Beach recipe, and I feel this is the better version. While the honey in Donn’s adds more sweetness, the allspice liqueur adds nice cinnamon and clove spice. So try the two. They are nearly identical and see which one you prefer.

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