Jeff “Beachbum” Berry

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Imbibng Mr. Boston: Chapala Cocktail

Chapala is a town in Jalisco, Mexico (where tequila is created) on the shore of Mexico’s largest freshwater lake. The cocktail is a bit watery too.

I tend to avoid most orange juice based cocktails because the flavor and sweetness tend to overwhelm all of the other components.  However, that being said, if you use a reposado tequila as indicated in the recipe, the flavors are fairly well-balanced.

I opted to use Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s awesome Pearl Diver glass instead of the listed Hurricane glass for two reasons. 1) The amount of liquid is too small for a typical Hurricane, and 2) this glass just looks more stunning.

The cocktail itself is average, but I’d rather see it served up, rather than over crushed ice.  It dilutes rather quickly.

Oh, and finding orange blossoms in upstate New York is nigh impossible. So, good luck with that.

Chapala Cocktail
1.5oz reposado tequila
1.5oz orange juice
0.75oz lemon juice
0.25oz grenadine
Garnish: orange blossoms or an orange wedge

Shake and strain into hurricane glass. Fill glass with crushed ice. Garnish with orange blossoms, if using, and orange wedge.

 

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Imbibing Mr. Boston: The Beachbum Cocktail

IMG_1051-800There’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.