Episode 59 - Cocktails From the 100 Acre Wood or Now We Are Drunk

Have you seen the new Christopher Robin film that Disney released this summer?  No?  What’s wrong with you?  Don’t you want to fall in love with Ewan McGregor all over again?  Don’t you need more Hayley Atwell in your life?  Honestly.  It’s like we don’t even know you anymore.  There is never enough Hayley Atwell.  NEVER!  Oh well, let’s patch up our differences over a couple of drinks.  Drinks, in fact, that give a slight nod to those lovable denizens of the 100 Acre Wood.

First up is an old old drink from the Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock.  This book was first published in 1930.  The drink is called the Pooh-Bah!  The recipe calls for equal parts of gin, rum and Swedish Punsch so we chose 3/4 of an ounce as the magic number.

Pooh-Bah Cocktail
-from the Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, 1930

3/4 oz gin 3/4 oz light rum 3/4 oz Swedish punsch 1/4 oz apricot brandy
Shake well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

You’ve heard us describe drinks as “grown up” before.  This is one of those.  Lots of flavour here and nicely balanced but not a big crowd pleaser.  This is a thinkin’ drink.  One to sip and try to figure out all the flavours.  Certainly there’s rum and the Swedish Punsch adds to that flavour profile.  The apricot is there and the gin runs in last place.  It’s really a tasty drink, and it will transport your taste buds right back to 1930.

Just the sort of drink to get you stuck in someone's front door. Silly old Gin.

Next up is the Tiger Shark found in Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari 10th Anniversary Expanded Edition.  The Beachbum says that this is an unpublished recipe from the personal notebook of former China Trader bartender Tony Ramos.  The wonderful thing about Tigger’s, is Tigger’s are wonderful things and so is this drink.  Really wonderful.  Go grab your blender and we’ll wait right here.

Tiger Shark
-As served at the China Trader, circa 1950’s from Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari 10th Anniversary Expanded Edition, from the personal notebook of former China Trader bartender Tony Ramos.

1/2 ounce gold Puerto Rican rum
1/2 ounce white Puerto Rican rum
1/2 ounce 151-proof Demerara rum
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 ounce sugar syrup
1/2 a cup of crushed ice

Put everything in a blender saving the ice for last.  Blend at high speed for no more than 5 seconds.  Strain into a glass.

Tiki drinks are good.  It’s a proven fact.  They’re fun and boozy and sweet and sour and you always want 5 of them.  Do yourself a favour and go make one right now.  Then sit down and watch the Pooh cartoon where he rolls himself in mud and hangs from a balloon in order to make the bees think he’s a little black rain cloud!

Then go watch anything with Hayley Atwell in it.  Bring back Agent Carter!

Their tops are made out of citrus, their bottoms are made out of rum!

See you next time!  Until then, watch this.  Then watch more Hayley Atwell!