Blue Hawaiian

This week’s cocktail is another one of my personal favs, the Blue Hawaiian, not to be confused with the Blue Hawaii, and neither of which to be confused with the Elvis Presley movie. This is in my opinion the quintessential “kitschy” drink. After all, it’s blue, it’s got pineapple and coconut, and if I serve it, it’s got an umbrella. The taste is cool fruity and refreshing. There is no strong alcohol burn to work through. Like I said it’s one of my favorites, I love to drink it, I love to make it, but most of all I love to serve it. When you give someone one of these, they feel special. It’s a fantastic tropical vacation in a glass, and I get to be the tour guide. For me, that is what bar tending is all about.

As I mentioned before the Blue Hawaiian and the Blue Hawaii are 2 distinct different cocktails. The Blue Hawaii was created by Harry Yee head bartender of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki in 1957 when he was asked by a sales representative for Bols to create a drink to promote their new Blue Curacao. The drink also included pineapple, rum and vodka. While there is speculation that the Blue Hawaiian which uses coconut creme and no vodka is a variation on Harry Yee’s original Blue Hawaii, one is hard pressed to find evidence of this or to find an origin of the much celebrated coconutty concoction. For now, suffice to say, there are 2 different cocktails, they both have a rum base with pineapple and blue curacao. And the Blue Hawaiian is the best!

Ok, so lets get this big blue elephant out of the way shall we? What is blue curacao? Curacao is a liqueur flavored by the dried peel of the laraha fruit grown on the island of Curacao. Laraha is a cousin to the Valencia orange. But no, sad to say it is not “blue” in color. The coloring of blue curacao comes from just that...coloring. Curacao is essentially colorless, but you will often find Orange Curacao, and Blue Curacao sold in most liquor stores. And if you’re drinking something with the word “blue” in the title, it likely contains blue curacao.

Blue Hawaiian

1 1/2 Oz Spiced Rum

1 Oz  Coco Real

2 Oz Pineapple Juice

1 Oz Blue Curacao

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In mixing glass Add Rum, Coco Real, Juice & Blue Curacao

Add ice and shake till frosted, then shake some more

Strain into Mixer Glass with Ice

Garnish with Cherry / Pineapple spear with umbrella

2 Straws

Alrighty, let’s build the cocktail. In a mixing glass pour  1 ½ oz Spiced Rum. While most recipes for the Blue Hawaiian call for a light rum, I prefer to use the spiced rum as it gives more of that tropical exotic flavor. Now understand, besides the slight alcohol content of the blue curacao about 30%, there is no other alcohol in this cocktail. Okay, we got the spiced rum, now add 1 oz Blue Curacao.

The Cream of Coconut is the key ingredient as far as the flavor of this drink, and it’s important to use the right stuff. This is not coconut milk, or coconut water, or syrup. Nor do I recommend using coconut flavored rum. I do love coconut rum, but to use it here would add way too much booze to your drink, and you would lose the creamy texture that makes this cocktail so unique. The product I use is called Coco Re’al. It contains real coconut, not just coconut milk, and it comes in a nice easy squeeze bottle which makes measuring and pouring much easier than a canned coconut cream and it does not require refrigeration. So, to the mixing glass add 1 oz Cream of Coconut or Coco Re’al.

Finally, you want to top this off with 2 oz Pineapple Juice. Add your ice and shake it somethin serious. I say this because you really want to work the Coco Re’al into the cocktail. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with a cherry / pineapple spear....with an umbrella. My friends, it's vacation time!

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek

OK, this weekend's cocktail is gonna be a trip to the other side of the spectrum. This is definitely a party drink. This is one of my original creations and it's fun & tasty. I give you the Selma Hayek.

Lotta pictures with this one, because I want you to understand the inspiration of this beauty. This drink was inspired mostly by the character Carolina from Desperado & Once Upon a Time in Mexico as well as a touch of the Nurse from Across the Universe.

Carolina

First, let's talk about Carolina. This sensual beauty is no damsel in distress. yes, she may appear girly at first glance, but trust me she can hold her own. You see while she is all beauty on the surface, do not be fooled, get too close and she’ll stab you from across the room. Note: the garter belt of stabby things. 

Some exposition on the drink's creation. I was mixing & shaking for a Cinco de Mayo party. I wanted something besides the standard margarita and tequila shots. I wanted a drink that celebrated the tequila, tasted good, and wasn't just another tequila sunrise… And could be appreciated by those who said, “I've had bad experiences with tequila.”

Hello, Nurse

Quintuple?

Now we come to the Nurse, all red-lipped and uniformy. She appears in the movie Across the Universe during the song "Happiness is a Warm Gun" which takes place in a military medical ward. 

That's right, let this lovely siren nurse you back to health and appreciation of the spirit so often referred to as “to-kill-ya.” But be wary, too much and you may be seeing double or worse.

I think you get the picture(s), let's talk about the drink.

Salma Hayek

3 Oz Orange Juice

1 1/2 Oz Silver Tequila

1 Oz Rose's Lime

1 Oz Cranberry Juice

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Rim rocks glass with grenadine / sugar. Add ice.

Combine contents in shaker with Ice. Strain into glass.

It starts with the rim. To me the presentation and look of the drink is just as important as the taste, especially if that presentation helps enhance the taste. First, pour some grenadine into a saucer or small plate. Have a second saucer, or better yet a small bowl ready with sugar. If you use a bowl make sure the entire rim of a small rocks glass can fit.

Grenadine sugar rim

Now dip the glass into the grenadine so the rim is nicely lined inside & out. Then dip into the sugar and spin slowly. When done you should have a sexy sweet red sugar-rim. Groovy, put some ice in the glass, and set it aside. It's time to build the cocktail.

In a cocktail shaker half filled with ice pour 1 1/2 oz silver tequila. I recommend silver over gold in this instance. This is a light drink. Gold tequila is often colored and flavored with carmel which is part of why it works so well for most margaritas. In a fruity drink like this you want silver. Silver / Blanco / White is a pure spirit that's been aged less than 60 days, if aged at all. As for your Reposado? That is a fine sipping tequila. This is not the place for it.

In the same shaker add three ounces of orange juice and 1 ounce of Rose's Lime Juice. I happen to love Rose's. Some people feel it should never be used. I personally think it gets over used, but that does not mean it needs to be avoided altogether. It can be used as a great flavoring in a cocktail, but should never replace fresh lime juice when a recipe calls for it. Rounding off the mix, an ounce of cranberry juice. It's that slight tart amidst the citrus and sweetness and adds nice coloring.

Finally, shake it on up & strain into your rimmed glass and serve with a mischievous smile. Enjoy!

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From Dusk Till Dawn

Ok, so if your fondest memory of Salma Hayek is this and you want that crazy "devil water" experience I give the following variation and advise you to use a pint glass

4 Oz Orange Juice
2 1/2 Oz Silver Tequila
1 Oz Rose's Lime Juice
1 Oz Cranberry Juice
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Rim pint glass with grenadine / sugar. Add ice.

Combine contents in shaker with Ice. Strain into glass. 
Do a quick float of bloodthirsty red grenadine.

Call it a Santanico Pandemonium or Vampire Queen. 
But I take no responsibility for the undead feeling that will follow.

Whiskey Sour

Whiskey Sour

Well, here it is my friends, the Whiskey Sour. This particular cocktail certainly falls into that area I call the “gentleman drinks.” This is a sit down and enjoy some conversation, or even just reflect on life type of drink. There are no umbrellas, or tiki garnishes. In fact, it's all quite minimal. And I do believe that is it's beauty.

First, your base spirit, Whiskey, more specifically Bourbon. In this case, as with any of my drinks requiring Bourbon, Makers Mark. So smooth,it just has a taste of quality, warmth and richness.

Add some fresh squeezed lemon juice. Let me make one thing clear. Do not pop open a bottle of Sweet & Sour mix, do not squeeze one of those plastic dopplelemon wannabees. You are only cheating yourself. When it comes to a cocktail like this, take the time to do it right. You will be rewarding yourself, you will thank yourself, and you may even invite yourself back.

Add some sweetness. I use simple syrup. I make my own. There are varying degrees and ratios. Here's mine. 4 cups sugar, 2 cups water. Boil the water, stir in the sugar. Let it all dissolve, let it cool some and pour into a glass container. Let it cool on it's own. I used an empty glass triple sec mixer bottle at first. Then I went to goodwill and found some glass bottles of grooviness. You will find yourself using a lot of simple syrup in cocktails, so it's good to keep a bottle or two close.

Last, there is a garnish. A single maraschino cherry. Whilst you have been enjoying your drink this tasty treat has been soaking up all this bourbony-lemony goodness. And now like the prize at the bottom of a box of Lucky Charms it is your privilege, your reward, so enjoy it!

Whiskey Sour
2oz Bourbon
1oz lemon juice (1 lemon)
3/4 oz simple syrup
Cherry for garnish
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Pour the whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker then add some ice cubes.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with cherry.

I chose this drink because first of all, it is my favorite bourbon drink. Also, because this is the drink that sealed my love of preparing drinks for people. I will get more into the idea and motivations of why I love preparing cocktails later, but for now the tale. I was throwing a going away party for my folks and there were umbrellas in everything. Jimmy Buffett was playing, even a bit of the Elvis Blue Hawaii album. Ner the less, my friend Jan (pronounced Jon) walked over to my bar to say hello. I offered him a drink, and he declined saying these were not really his kind of drinks. I then told him I had just the drink for him. I made him up a Whiskey Sour. He took the first sip and gave one of those pleasant surprise looks followed by a “whoooo!” That's usually a good sign. He found a corner and some conversation, and proceeded to talk about..the drink. Soon I was making up a couple more as the reputation of my Whiskey Sour spread. After a bit my friend came back and said “You're my bartender.” I guess you could say, I really liked the ring of that. Till next week my friends.