skull & bones

1 1/2 oz 151 Proof Demerara Rum (Lemon Hart)
1/2 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum (Don Q Añejo)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Grenadine
6 drop Herbsaint or Pernod (St. George Absinthe)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
8 oz crushed ice

Blend all but the ice to mix, blend with ice for 5 seconds at high speed, and pour into a skull mug or a double old fashioned glass. Top with crushed ice. I garnished with a bouquet of chocolate mint sprigs.

After seeing the call for the Skull & Bones Challenge on Instagram, I set about to research the drink. Previously, I had written up Jason Alexander's take on the Skull & Bones which came across like a spiced version of the Shrunken Skull (see the Skull & Bones link for a bit of the history). After Jason had come up with that recipe, Beachbum Berry uncovered an 1960s recipe crafted by a Don the Beachcomber's bartender, namely Tony Ramos, and published in Berry's 10th Anniversary Sippin' Safari book. The combination reminded me of the Fiji Mermaid with the grenadine and passion fruit syrups and the Jet Pilot-esque 6 drops of Herbsaint and a dash of Angostura Bitters for spices. The duo of passion fruit and grenadine also pops up in drinks like the Pahoehoe and the Cobra's Fang. Once blended and served, the Skull & Bones' garnish offered up mint aromas over the fruity nose. Next, lime, berry, and tropical notes on the sip flipped into rum, cherry, passion fruit, and spice flavors on the swallow.