Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure

Episode 56 - Bourbon Planet

7/28/2018

Bourbon Planet? Of course! We circle the globe to bring you these wonderful cocktails and this episode is no exception. Both of them are drawn from the Trader Vic’s universe but one actually comes to us from Louisiana based Jeff “Beachbum” Berry via the Kahiki in Columbus, Ohio! Or vice versa.

First up is a Bourbon Squash. This recipe comes from the 1946 edition of “Trader Vic’s Book of Food and Drink”. In his description of the drink, Trader Vic calls it “a fancy-pants if there ever was one - the only bourbon drink I really enjoy.” He also says “This should be mixed and served in a 14-ounce mixing glass, for the reason that this glass tapers and permits proper stirring.”

Bourbon Squash
-from Trader Vic’s Book of Food and Drink, 1946.

1/2 orange
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 ounces bourbon whisky (Four Roses or P.M.)

Squeeze orange and lemon into glass, dropping in the shells; add sugar and dissolve in the juice. Pack with shaved ice, add whisky, and stir thoroughly. Serve with straws.

This drink tastes like 1946 (we think). It’s not fancy. It’s citrus and booze. It’s kind of dry. Kind of a mint julep but without the mint. In fact, we ended up adding some mint as garnish and we liked that better. Listen to the episode. You’ll hear.

We know it's not in the right glass. We had to share it around!

The Port Light is our next bourbon drink. If you google “Port Light Cocktail” You’ll get all sorts of different versions of this drink. YOU are encouraged to go out and try them all. WE chose this version that Beachbum Berry adapted from the Kahiki and published in his Grog Log as well as on his Total Tiki app.

Port Light
-by Sandro Conti of the Kahiki, Columbus, Ohio, circa 1961.
Adapted from Jeff Berry and Annene Kaye, “Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log”, 1998

1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce passion fruit syrup
1/4 ounce grenadine
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
8 ounces (1 cup) crushed ice

Put everything in a blender. Blend at high speed for 5 seconds. Pour unstrained into a tall glass, if necessary adding more ice to fill.

This is a more modern style drink. It’s got a little bit more sweet stuff in it and therefore is a bit more of a crowd pleaser. Almost classically proportioned (1 of sour, 2 of sweet, 3 of strong, 4 of week) this drink will satisfy that Tiki friend of yours who prefers bourbon to rum!