BARTENDER'S BEST

Bartender’s Best By Charlie Wohlrab

If you were a fan of HBO’s “Mad Men,” chances are you can remember Don Draper sipping a blue cocktail on Waikiki Beach. That drink was probably a Blue Hawaii cocktail, a drink created at a hotel bar in Hawaii. Apparently, a representative of Bols Liquor wanted a drink to feature their Blue Curacao, and the Blue Hawaii was created. Incidentally, cocktail history has the drink created before the movie of the same name was released.

There’s nothing like sipping a tropical cocktail on a beach in Hawaii or on any beach for that matter, as the warm sun beats overhead and the noise of the crashing waves serves as a background. And if you’re a lover of colorful cocktails and don’t have the luxury of traveling to an exotic island during this pandemic, you can rest assured that you create a Blue Hawaii Cocktail and a Blue Hawaiian Cocktail at home.

Blue Hawaii Cocktail

• ¾ ounce light rum • ¾ ounce vodka • ½ ounce Blue Curacao • 3 ounces pineapple juice • 1 ounce sweet and sour mix

• 1 pineapple wedge and 1 cherry for garnish Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker glass with ice, add the ingredients and shake. Pour into a Hurricane Glass (including ice) and garnish with the pineapple wedge and cherry. If you want to go over the top and impress, get some cocktail umbrellas to add the finishing touch.

This recipe will make a 12 ounce cocktail (including ice). If you want to use a Hurricane Glass, which is how you typically see it served, you have to make adjustments. The typical Hurricane Glass is 14.5 to 16 ounces so this drink will look “short.” You could increase the recipe, but that would add more alcohol to the drink. I try to keep cocktails at 1 and ½ to 2 ounces of liquor. Roughly, 1 and ½ ounces of distilled spirits alcohol equivalent is 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer. This is especially important in fruity, sweet drinks as you can’t taste the liquor.

So, how to use that “Souvenir Glass” in the back of the shelf you picked up on vacation? Begin with crushed ice, make the cocktail as above but half fill the large glass with crushed ice before adding the cocktail from the shaker glass. Alternatively, you could use a 12 ounce glass, but how often do you get to use that “Souvenir Glass?” And, if you add the pineapple wedge, cherry and cocktail umbrella, you have a fantastic presentation.

Sweet and Sour mix is easy enough to make. Just combine:

• ½ cup lime juice • ½ cup lemon juice • ½ cup sugar • ½ cup water

Purists might insist on fresh lemon and fresh lime juice but that is rather tedious (and messy), so I use the bottled kind. Once you have them in your bar ‘fridge you will find them quite handy (and easy).

Blue Hawaiian Cocktail

The exact history of this cocktail is unknown, but it was probably created in the late ‘50s early 60s when Americans were fascinated with all things Polynesian. Another theory is that perhaps Bols Liquor wanted another blue cocktail for its Blue Curacao. • 1 ounce light rum • 1 ounce Blue Curacao • 2 ounces pineapple juice • 1 ounce Cream of Coconut

Directions

Put some ice in a blender, add the ingredients and blend away at a high speed. The amount of ice is a personal choice; the more ice, the thicker the cocktail. Warning: this drink can definitely give you a case of “Brain Freeze.” Garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry and top with a cocktail umbrella.

The Cream of Coconut may be a little difficult to find but it’s well worth the effort. Some of the larger liquor stores carry it and it is essential to make a Pina Colada, which is simply a Blue Hawaiian sans the Blue Curacao. On a recent trip to the grocery store I found small cans of pineapple coconut juice which I used in place of the pineapple juice with a nice result. We are in a pandemic and you might not find the small cans of pineapple juice so adjustments must be made.

Be Safe. Stay Home. Enjoy a Cocktail!

Charlie Wohlrab is a mixologist whose motto, “Drinking. . .more than a hobby” has been topmost in his mind since he first started tending bar while getting his Pharmacy degree. Now retired, when he’s not restoring his older home in New Jersey, he’s made it his goal to elevate the experience of having a daily cocktail from something mundane to something more exciting. He is now Harrisburg Magazine’s official bartender in residence.

My recipes are like my opinions,” says Wohlrab. “They continue to be refined as I try new products and work with old standbys.” Currently working on a book about cocktails, Wolhrab welcomes comments from his readers. He can be contacted at jgoodwin@harrisburgmagazine.com. 7