beachbum

This is a cocktail from Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s The Grog Log. Originally a faux-tropical shot served at Dorrians Red Hand Bar in NYC, it was called a Jamaican Dust.

I asked Jeff how the drink grew larger and changed its name. “The Jamaican Dust was a rum-pineapple-coffee liqueur shot that I just morphed into a taller drink; if memory serves, all I did was cut down the pineapple juice and coffee liqueur a bit, subbed gold Jamaican rum for the unspecified “dark rum” indicated, and shook it instead of using a blender.”

I can see why Jeff used the template for the Castaway. It works, is simple and honestly is one of those drinks that could easily have been served at just about any mid-century Tiki bar.

On a personal note, I opted to use Gosling’s Black Seal rum (from Bermuda) to add a richer character and cut into the sweetness of the pineapple a bit more. I think it works. Let me know what you think.

Castaway
1.5oz dark rum
0.75oz coffee liqueur
3oz pineapple juice
Garnish: Maraschino cherry speared to pineapple wedge

Shake with ice and strain into hurricane or highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with cherry-pineapple spear.

There’s nothing like a tiki drink to make you think about summer. As I write this, we’re nearing the end of February in Central New York. Still cold, still snow on the ground. This cocktail was just what my wife & I needed!

This drink is fairly typical of faux-tropical drinks, but I especially liked the addition of apricot brandy. It lent a tangy quality to the overall taste profile that worked especially well with the lime juice.

John Deragon (who worked with Jim Meehan to open PDT in NYC) created this drink as a tribute to Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Jeff has pretty much singlehandedly captured the entire history of tiki drinks through his many books, and he’s an exceptionally nice guy. So, go out and by his books already!

The Beachbum
1oz light rum
1oz dark rum
0.5oz apricot-flavored brandy
1oz pineapple juice
0.75oz lime juice
0.5oz orgeat
Garnish: Orange/cherry flag

Shake with ice and strain into ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with orange/cherry flag.