Coconut Collins – Refreshing Recipe

Coconut Collins
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Coconut Collins

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

1

servings
Calories

200

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

How to make a Coconut Collins.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz 1 Lime Juice

  • 1 oz 1 Cream of Coconut

  • 2 oz 2 White Rum

  • 4 oz 4 Soda Water

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients, except for the soda, into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake the shaker for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Top the drink off with soda.
  • Garnish:
  • Squeezed lime hull

Featured Video

A Fantastic Coconut Collins Cocktail.

The coconut collins is a fantastic cocktail that tastes similar to the Coco Loco. Adding soda water in the coconut collins instead of coconut water like in the coco loco gives this drink a lighter, bubbly, and more refreshing taste. A quick look online will show other coconut collins recipes, but I tried to model this recipe using the traditional collins cocktail structure, and it works well.

The History Of The Collins Cocktail.

While probably not invented by Harry Johnson, his 1882 Bartenders Manual is the oldest printed book I could find to mention the Collins cocktail. The oldest concrete evidence of this cocktail is the Harry Johnson one. It seems both the John Collins and Tom Collins are invented around the same time, and the Bartenders Manual gives a pretty definitive recipe for both the John and Tom Collins. His John Collins recipe calls for genever (dry gin doesn’t start to get mixed into cocktails till the end of the 1800s/early 1900s), and his recipe for the Tom Collins calls for Old Tom gin. Harry Johnson’s collins recipes and names are clearly defined, but unlike Harry Johnson, Jerry Thomas’s 1887 Bartenders Guide does not follow his recipes. The Bartender’s Guide doesn’t even mention the John Collins but instead uses the name Tom Collins for every variation of the collins. It has three different recipes for Tom Collins. A Tom Collins whiskey, a Tom Collins brandy, and a Tom Collins genever. It doesn’t mention the Tom Collins with Old Tom gin and calls the one made with genever a Tom Collins.

To further complicate this, in 1885, a British cocktail book called “The New guide for the hotel, bar, restaurant, butler, and chef” by Bacchus and Cordon Bleu has a recipe for what they call a Fred Collins. Their Fred Collins Recipe is a Whiskey Collins with orange liqueur instead of simple syrup. Their Collins section states, “I should be glad if our caterers would agree what it is to be perpetually named. One Barkeeper calls it a John Collins – another Tom Collins. Harry and Fred are all members of the same family.” They then say they prefer the Fred Collins name, thus credence to Jerry Thomas’s version of the Collins in that the name is more a style than a specific drink. Hell, there was a Harry Collins we have never seen. The Savoy Cocktail Book does the same thing and has both a Dry Gin and Whiskey Tom Collins. Although The Savoy does say that a Tom Collins made with genever is instead called a John Collins.

While Harry Johnson uses the names as specific cocktails, the Bartenders guide and others seemed to use the collins as a cocktail structure more than a particular recipe. Like the Rickey, Daisy, or Fizz, the collins describe a structure of 2 parts base spirit, 1 part citrus, 1 part sweetener, and 4 or 5 parts carbonated beverage. Harry Johnson’s influence has been permanent, and the collins is ultimately both. It is a specific cocktail that Harry Johnson pushed and a cocktail archetype like others believed. Looking at its influence as an archetype, many popular cocktails are structurally collins that you would not think of as a Collins. The Mojito, French 75, Paloma, etc., are just fun variations on the Collins form.

Recipe Resources

The link below does not contain the coconut collins recipe, but the classic John collins this cocktail is modeled off.

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Texas Iced Tea – Original Recipe & History

Texas Iced Tea
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Texas Iced Tea

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

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make a Texas Iced Tea.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Sweet and Sour Mix

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Orange Liqueur

  • 2/3 oz 2/3 Vodka

  • 2/3 oz 2/3 White Rum

  • 2/3 oz 2/3 Dry Gin

  • 2/3 oz 2/3 Silver Tequila

  • 2/3 oz 2/3 Rye Whiskey

  • 1.5 oz 1.5 Coca-Cola

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients, except for the soda, into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake the shaker for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Top the drink off with soda.
  • Garnish:
  • Lemon wheel

Featured Video

What Does The Texas Iced Tea Taste Like?

The Texas Iced taste resembles the standard Long Island Iced Tea. It’s a bit boozier, but it’s not bad. The kind of whiskey used will make all the difference. Irish whiskey is fun because it adds a nice smokey flavor to it. Scotch differs depending on the manufacture and region, but softer, milder scotch is a miss. It just gets lost. Any smoother whiskeys, regardless of style, are pointless in this cocktail. Bourbon is toasted caramel flavors, but it too is a bit weak in the Texas Iced Tea. The best whiskey for a drink like this is rye.

The recipe I have provided uses Robert “Rosebud” Butt’s original Long Island recipe with the addition of 1 oz of rye whiskey. I don’t know if the original 1980s T.G.I. Friday’s recipe used rye, but I figured rye would be the best way for the whiskey to make a noticeable difference in such a sizeable boozy drink. Bourbon’s softer, sweeter flavor is a bit lost in the Texas Iced Tea, but rye’s more robust spicier flavor is more noticeable.

The History Of The Texas Iced Tea

The Texas Iced Tea was invented by T.G.I. Fridays in 1980 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its parent company Carlson. T.G.I. Fridays is often mistaken for inventing the Long Island Iced Tea, and while they didn’t, It is still one of the most popular drinks they sell. Although T.G.I. Fridays did create several popular variations. They made four variations: the Sparkling Iced Tea, the Long Beach Iced Tea, the Caribbean Iced Tea, and the Texas Iced Tea. The Sparkling Iced Tea replaced the Coca-Cola with champagne. The Long Beach Iced Tea replaced Coca-Cola with cranberry juice. The Caribbean Iced Tea used blue-orange liqueur instead of clear to give the drink a light green color and left out the Coke. And the Texas Ice Tea added an additional ounce of whiskey.

I understand this is supposed to be a vintage cocktail resource, and while T.G.I. Fridays is not seen as a high-end bar today, it once was. The first T.G.I. Fridays was opened in 1965 by Alan Stillman. Stillman lived on 63rd Street between First and York in New York and, while surrounded by single attractive working women, had a hard time meeting any. Alan liked to go out after work, and believe it or not, many bars in the 1960s still had policies that no women could enter unless they were with a man. Hell, women couldn’t have bank accounts until the 1960s, and it wasn’t the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 that women could get an account without a father or husband to manage it. But back to cocktails. Obviously, not every bar was like this, and some areas were more progressive than others, but there was still a culture of bars being too rough for single vulnerable women. Some high-end bars excluded single women, fearing their presence would distract business-minded men from making deals. Even though prohibition had helped lessen the stigma of women publicly drinking, it still took activists like Betty Friedan and others to fully break down these barriers. Alan Stillman also helped break down these barriers when he opened T.G.I. Fridays, one of the United States’ first singles bar. The original intent of T.G.I Fridays was to offer a welcoming environment that felt like home where single women and men could meet. Women didn’t need to come with a man to enter. They served high-end drinks and well-made American food. Stillman may have been looking to meet women, but he inadvertently helped bring down some of the social barriers American women faced.

Recipe Resources

Texas Iced Tea Article

Original Long Island Iced Tea Recipe

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Tokyo Iced Tea – Recipe & History

Tokyo Iced Tea
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Tokyo Iced Tea

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

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make a Tokyo Iced Tea.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz 1 Lime Juice

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Dry Gin

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 White Rum

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Vodka

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Silver Tequila

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Melon Liqueur

  • 2 oz 2 Lemon-Lime Soda

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients, except for the soda, into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake the shaker for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Top the drink off with soda.
  • Garnish:
  • Lemon wheel

Featured Video

What Does The Tokyo Iced Tea Taste Like?

The Tokyo Iced Tea taste like a melon-flavored adios. It’s boozy, but the sweetness is not overpowering. Using Midori instead of orange liqueur gives the drink a nice light melon flavor instead of the adios’s citrus-forward flavor. Highbrow cocktail drinkers may turn their noses up to a drink like the Tokyo Iced Tea, but it’s pretty good and worth a try if you like long Island’s or Adios cocktails.

The History Of The Tokyo Iced Tea.

Many sources I looked at guessed that the Tokyo Iced Tea was an invention at TGI Friday, but I could not find anything backing that up. Even those publications said they had no proof and that it was only a guess that TGI Fridays invented the Tokyo Iced Tea since they were famous for selling long Island variations in the 1980s. Although the Tokyo Iced Tea resembles the Adios Motherfucker more than the Long Island Iced Tea. The earliest reference to the Tokyo Iced Tea I could find comes from the 2002 book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Asian Cooking.” The Recipe in that book is slightly different from the common one today as it uses raspberry liqueur instead of melon liqueur. The melon liqueur version we are used to today first appeared in the 2007 book “10,000 Drinks”. I also don’t believe there is anything Japanese or Asian about this cocktail. Searching for the cocktail in Japanese on google returned zero hits. The Long Island Iced Tea is well known in Japan, but not a single Japanese drink blog or cocktail website produced a single hit for Tokyo Iced Tea or anything resembling it.

Recipe Resources

Tokyo Iced Tea Article

Original Long Island Iced Tea Recipe

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Caribbean Iced Tea – Original Recipe & History

Caribbean iced tea
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Caribbean Iced Tea

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

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make a Caribbean Iced Tea.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Sweet and Sour Mix

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Blue Orange Liqueur

  • 1 oz 1 Vodka

  • 1 oz 1 White Rum

  • 1 oz 1 Dry Gin

  • 1 oz 1 Silver Tequila

  • 1.5 oz 1.5 Lemon Lime Soda

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients, except for the soda, into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake the shaker for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Top the drink off with soda.
  • Garnish:
  • Lemon wheel

Featured Video

What Does The Caribbean Iced Tea Taste Like?

Like the other Long Island Iced Tea variations, the Caribbean Iced Tea tastes similar but is a bit brighter and more citrusy. It lacks the earthy flavors cola gives to the typical Long Island. The cola flavor in a long island is mild, but removing it means the orange liqueur and sweet and sour are the primary flavors in a Caribbean Iced Tea. If you like booze but want something a bit brighter and citrusy, then the Caribbean Iced Tea is a pretty one to try.

The History Of The Caribbean Iced Tea

The Caribbean Iced Tea was invented by T.G.I. Fridays in 1980 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its parent company Carlson. T.G.I. Fridays is often mistaken for inventing the Long Island Iced Tea, and while they didn’t, It is still one of the most popular drinks they sell. Although T.G.I. Fridays did create several popular variations. They made four variations: the Sparkling Iced Tea, the Long Beach Iced Tea, the Caribbean Iced Tea, and the Texas Iced Tea. The Sparkling Iced Tea replaced the Coca-Cola with champagne. The Long Beach Iced Tea replaced Coca-Cola with cranberry juice. The Caribbean Iced Tea used blue-orange liqueur instead of clear to give the drink a light green color and left out the Coke. And the Texas Ice Tea added an additional ounce of whiskey. Not that I can prove this, but I have a feeling the Caribbean Iced Tea eventually evolves into the Adios Motherfucker. The Caribbean iced tea can firmly be dated to 1980, but the adios started to appear in the late 90s and early 2000s. The two share the same ingredients, and while some of the volumes are different, the two drinks are almost mirrored images of each other.

I understand this is supposed to be a vintage cocktail resource, and while T.G.I. Fridays is not seen as a high-end bar today, it once was. The first T.G.I. Fridays was opened in 1965 by Alan Stillman. Stillman lived on 63rd Street between First and York in New York and, while surrounded by single attractive working women, had a hard time meeting any. Alan liked to go out after work, and believe it or not, many bars in the 1960s still had policies that no women could enter unless they were with a man. Hell, women couldn’t have bank accounts until the 1960s, and it wasn’t the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 that women could get an account without a father or husband to manage it. But back to cocktails. Obviously, not every bar was like this, and some areas were more progressive than others, but there was still a culture of bars being too rough for single vulnerable women. Some high-end bars excluded single women, fearing their presence would distract business-minded men from making deals. Even though prohibition had helped lessen the stigma of women publicly drinking, it still took activists like Betty Friedan and others to fully break down these barriers. Alan Stillman also helped break down these barriers when he opened T.G.I. Fridays, one of the United States’ first singles bar. The original intent of T.G.I Fridays was to offer a welcoming environment that felt like home where single women and men could meet. Women didn’t need to come with a man to enter. They served high-end drinks and well-made American food. Stillman may have been looking to meet women, but he inadvertently helped bring down some of the social barriers American women faced.

Recipe Resources

Caribbean Iced Tea Article

Original Long Island Iced Tea Recipe

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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 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.

Recipe Resources

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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.

Recipe Resources

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Navy Grog – Donn Beach Recipe & History

Navy Grog Donn Beach
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Navy Grog – Donn Beach Recipe

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
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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