ohana joe

1 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/3 oz St. George Coffee Liqueur (Borghetti)
1/2 oz Rich Demerara Syrup (1:1)
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Build in a Collins or Pilsner glass, fill with crushed ice, swizzle to mix and chill, top with crushed ice, and garnish with 3 coffee beans.

Two Mondays ago, I was scanning Kindred Cocktails and spotted the Ohana Joe by Jeff Cleveland then of the Tonga Hut in Palm Springs, California. I was able to trace it back to a 2016 post on Critiki (that I was able to read through the Wayback Machine). While at Jeff's home, blogger Humuhumu Trott mentioned that her favorite drink was the Mai Kai's Black Magic, and this is what he served her. Humuhumu explained, "It was so new, it didn't yet have a name. Jeff asked me to help name it, and together we came up with Ohana Joe: a nod to the coffee in the drink, and to the feeling of warm welcome Jeff's had from the tiki 'ohana, and to the historic Palm Springs tiki bar Aloha Jhoe's." Once assembled, the Ohana Joe ushered in coffee and pineapple aromas. Next, roast and lime notes on the sip transformed into burly rum, coffee, and pineapple flavors on the swallow. While I expected a Mr. Bali Hai, I ended up with something a bit more complex given the overproof and pineapple rums, the lower pineapple juice quotient, and the lime instead of lemon juice.

jack & bone

1 1/2 oz Jamaican Dark Rum (1 oz Coruba + 1/2 oz Smith & Cross)
1/2 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lime wedge (lime wheel). Two Thursdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spotted the Jack & Bone by Oska Whitehart at Melbourne's The Everleigh circa 2016 in the book's Daiquiri section. It reminded me of the Artichoke Hold minus the elderflower liqueur and the Navy Dock Daiquiri with orgeat instead of nutty Maraschino liqueur, so I was game to give it a whirl. In the glass, the Jack & Bone welcomed the nose with a lime, caramel, and pineapple-tinged rum funk aroma. Next, a creamy lime and caramel sip developed into funky rum, herbal, and almond flavors on the swallow.

fay wray

3/4 oz Rhum Barbancourt 4 Star (8 Year) (*)
3/4 oz Dudognon Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Giffard Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Rhum Clement Rhum Agricole (Rhum JM 100° Blanc)
1/4 oz Rich Demerara Syrup 2:1 (1:1)
1 small Lime Wedge

Squeeze lime wedge and drop into the shaker tin. Add the rest of the ingredients, whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint bouquet and a dried banana (plantain) slice.
(*) Yes, there is no 4 Star, only 3 and 5 Star, but my guess is that they meant 4 Year/3 Star. Two Tuesdays ago, I spotted a reference to the Fay Wray on Reddit, and I tracked the recipe back to Punch. My only gripe with this drink created by Matthew Belanger at Donna in Brooklyn is that, given the name, there was no Wray & Nephew Rum in the mix, and it could very well stand in for the funk accent here generated by the rhum agricole. Fay Wray is best known for portraying Ann Darrow in the original King Kong movie, and the recipe joins the other banana-laden movie-themed King Kong on the blog (the King Kong closer to the movie's 1933 release date features Benedictine and noyaux though). Once assembled, the Fay Wray gave forth a mint aroma over rum and caramel ones. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip fell into Cognac, funky rum, and banana flavors on the swallow.

wayward mariner

1 1/2 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Don's Spices #2 (1/4 oz each Vanilla Syrup + Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice (large cube), and garnish with a mint sprig and a pineapple wedge (mint only). Two Fridays ago, I returned to the Kindred Cocktails database to make the Wayward Mariner by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles in 2015. The serving style was vague, and since it was late and I was more in the mood for something a bit more somber, I went with a big ice cube serving instead of crushed or cubed ice. Overall, the combination reminded me of the Crooked Kilt that the Accomplice Bar served me at a pop-up last Fall where they split the Scotch with sherry in NoMad's creation to work better with the pineapple and lime. Moreover, the combination of pineapple syrup with Don's Spices #2 was one that I utilized in a Jet Pilot riff, the Nuku Hiva. Here, the Wayward Mariner set off with a mint, peat smoke, lime, and allspice aroma. Next, lime and grape notes on the sip sailed into smoky Scotch, nutty sherry, pineapple, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

scarab

3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with candied ginger on a pick. Two Tuesdays ago, I fired up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app, and the Scarab by Chris Hughes and Jon Nutter at Attaboy in Manhattan circa 2022 caught my attention. The Scarab is another part of the insect series of equal parts spirit, amaro, ginger syrup, and citrus that includes the mezcal-Campari Mosquito, applejack-Nardini Yellow Jacket, and mezcal-Braulio Dragon Fly. Moreover, I first experienced Smith & Cross paired with Fernet in my Bartender on Acid that was later served as a punch of the day at Drink in Boston back in 2010, so I was curious to see it in this format. Once shaken and strained, the Scarab opened up with a ginger, rum funk, and menthol aroma. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip delved into ginger, rum funk, gentian, bitter herbal, and minty-menthol flavors on the swallow.

kingston neck tai

(a) 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
(b) 1 1/2 oz oz Aged Jamaican Rum (Coruba) (*)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Orange Liqueur (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)

Stir ingredients in set A with ice. Shake ingredients in set B with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass. Add crushed ice, and layer the stirred set A on top. Fill with crushed ice and garnish with a spent lime shell (or orange twist) and mint sprigs.
(*) A lighter Jamaican rum like Appleton Signature might make the layers more visually distinct than the dark rum I opted for. Two Mondays ago, I became inspired by Three Dots & A Dash's Negroni + Saturn that layered a rum-based Kingston Negroni over a gin-based Saturn; however, I wanted to keep the spirit class the same like I did in my Negroni on Saturn (but layered opposed to a mashup). Therefore, I conceived of a Kingston Negroni over a Mai Tai to keep Jamaican rum as the central thread tying the two parts together. For a name, I cleaned up the idea of Kingston Neg-Tai into the Kingston Neck Tai. My original plan earlier in the day was to do an orange twist to tie in the garnish from the Kingston Negroni aspect along with a mint bouquet, but I forgot that once the drink making process got started and I ended up garnishing with the classic spent half lime shell. Once prepared, the Kingston Neck Tai surrounded the nose with a mint, lime, and rum funk aroma. Next, using a straw, a creamy lime and orange sip progressed into funky rum and orange flavors on the swallow. As the rum Negroni entered the scene, the gained caramel notes on top of the creamy lime ones with additional funky rum and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

pisco! pisco!

1 1/2 oz Pisco (Macchu Pisco)
1/3 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2 wheel Cucumber

Muddle cucumber in the syrup, add the rest of the ingredients, shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cucumber wheel. Two Sundays ago, I went to the index of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book to search for cucumber drinks, and I found the Pisco! Pisco! by Bianca Wendt at Bar Que Sera in Sawtell, Australia. I was drawn in for pisco and Suze have worked well in Backbar's Frightened Tiger, and gentian liqueur and cucumber have paired well in the Little Oaxacan. In chatting with Bianca on Instagram, I discovered that she was the manager at Michael Madrusan's The Everleigh from 2018-2020, and now is at a small beachtown around three hundred of miles north of Sydney. Once shaken and strained, the Pisco! Pisco! came across with a vegetal aroma with bright cucumber balanced by bassy gentian. Next, lime with a cucumber freshness on the sip swapped into pisco, floral, and gentian-herbal flavors on the swallow. I commented to Bianca that, "I really liked the interplay of cucumber and Suze, and my pisco choice supported the earthy and floral aspects."

skylarking

1 oz Rhum JM Gold Rhum Agricole (Clement VSOP)
1 oz Rhum JM Blanc Rhum Agricole (100°)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Don's Spices (3/8 oz Vanilla Syrup + 3/8 oz Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
1/4 oz Hibiscus Syrup
3 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Absinthe (8 drop St. George)

Build in a Pearl Diver glass (Collins), fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs and an orchid (ornamental pea blossoms). Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the Papaya Club at the Conrad in Orlando where I had found the Yellow Cloud, and I picked another of Paul McGee's creations, the Skylarking. That source provided the description, "This swizzle embodies all of the flavors found all around the Caribbean. Two rums made from fresh cane juice provide the backbone for this classic swizzle recipe with lots of warming spice and floral notes." I then found a photo on Scott French's Instagram in May 2025 that confimed the glassware and included the garnishes, although that drink was way more red in hue than mine. Given Paul's names many of his drinks after musical references such as the Music that Stays on for Extra Days, my guess is that he dubbed this after the 1986 album by the British indie rock group XTC. Once prepared, the Skylarking soared to the nose with mint over red fruit, floral, and grassy aromas. Next, lime and red fruit notes on the sip opened up into grassy rum, allspice, vanilla, clove, and anise flavors on the swallow.

mai fernet has a first name

1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz White Rum (2/3 oz Hamilton White 'Stache + 1/3 oz Wray & Nephew)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint bouquet (chocolate mint). Two Mondays ago, an intriguing drink appeared on my Instagram feed called Mai Fernet Has a First Name. It was created by Jason Dolley as a Mai Tai riff that is part of his "Will it Fernet?" series where he replaces a key ingredient with Fernet Branca. The Fernet-orange liqueur aspect reminded me of the century's old Alcazer where I learned how well the two pair, and Fernet-orgeat have paired well together in a number of cocktails including the Smoke Break. For a white rum, my mind went to Wray & Nephew for this recipe reminded me of the Bikini Atoll, but since Jason utilized the more mild Planteray Three Star Rum blend, I split the base for I did not want the funky Jamaican rum to take too big of a role. Once prepared, my senses were greeted with a mint, caramel, orange, and menthol aroma. Next, a creamy lime, caramel, and orange sip was displaced by funky rum, minty menthol, earthy, and orange flavors on the swallow. Overall, I was surprised at how Fernet seemed to subdue the orgeat's presence in the mix, but I was generally pleased at how Fernet worked in this combination.

mojave punch

1 oz Dark Jamaican Rum such as Coruba (Coruba)
1 oz Silver Puerto Rican-style Rum (Hamilton White 'Stache)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice (3/4+ oz) (*)
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Juice
3/4 oz Hibiscus Syrup (**)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a pilsner (collins) glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a paper umbrella skewering a cherry.
(*) Even at a heavy 3/4 oz, the drink was still a bit sweet so perhaps 1 oz would be a good lime juice amount. Over perhaps 1/2 oz lime juice + 1/2 oz lemon juice to keep the acidity where I want it but with the remainder as a more neutral citrus juice.
(**) I did a hibiscus tea bag in 4 oz boiling water for 5 minutes. After removing the tea bag, I added an equal weight of sugar and stirred to dissolve. Two Fridays ago, I returned to the 2015 set of online recipe flashcards from the Tonga Hut in Los Angeles where I had found the Bermuda Dunes and selected the Mojave Punch. I was able to find photos of the drink at the Tonga Hut in blogs from 2017 and 2022 and multiple photos on Yelp. The recipe came across like a gussied up Hurricane with extra juices (the original Hurricane had fassionola syrup which some recipes include hibiscus); however, it also read a bit sweet so I upped the lime juice a bit (but perhaps not as much as I should have (see note above)). Once prepared, the Mojave Punch proffered a cherry, passion fruit, and floral bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel, lime, and orange notes on the sip shifted into funky rum, pineapple, passion fruit, and red berry-herbal flavors on the swallow. If you made a batch of hibiscus syrup, I recommend using some of the remainder on Aaron Butler's Koki'o Punch, Brick & Mortar's Velvet Rope, and my Red Skies at Night from Loyal Nine.

mephisto's mai tai

1 oz Planteray OFTD Overproof Rum (perhaps sub a Demerara 151°)
1/2 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch (or other smoky Scotch)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato (or other Rabarbaro like Zucca)
1 oz Lime
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao (or other Orange Liqueur)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass or ceramic mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs and a spent lime shell. As I was writing up the blog post for the Mai Tai 3000 and realizing that I had never had a Mai Tai riff with smoky Scotch in it before, I became inspired to create a recipe to take the concept a step further. I took the smoky and burly OFTD-Laphroaig-Sfumato combination that worked well in my Brimstone Colada and kept everything else in line with a classic Mai Tai build. For a name, I dubbed the creation after the devil from the Faust tale, Mephistopheles, for a little alliteration and then shortened it to his nickname. Once prepared, the garnishes in Mephisto's Mai Tai offered up mint and lime aromas over the drink's peat smoke and smoky herbal ones. Next, lime, roast, and orange notes on the sip collected the swallow of funky rum, smoky Scotch, bitter herbal, and nutty flavors with a bright lime and smoke finish.

mai tai 3000

1 oz Empress 1908 Gin (Tree House Percy)
1/2 oz Rum Fire Overproof White Jamaican Rum
1/2 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/4 oz Demerara 151° Proof Rum (Diamond Reserve)
1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1 dash Kahuna Kevin Aromatic Bitters (DeGroff Pimento)
1 spritz Tahitian Vanilla (1 dash Savoy Society Orange Vanilla)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Mai Tai or double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs and a spent lime shell. Two Tuesdays prior, I opened up my collection of Kahuna Kevin's Tiki Cocktails books and spotted Kahuna Kevin's 2018 creation, the Mai Tai 3000, in the fourth volume. There, it had the subtitle of "Voted best non-traditional Mai Tai of the near dystopian future," and I was up to the challenge of combining 11 ingredients, 2 garnishes, and a few handfuls of freshly crushed ice to see this through. While I have tried gin in a Mai Tai riff before in the Catamaran and the Blanche DuBois, I have not tasted a Mai Tai riff with a smoky Scotch aspect to it. After an epic build session, the Mai Tai 3000 commanded a mint and lime aroma over caramel and smoke. Next, a creamy lime and orange sip was displaced by juniper, rum funk, pineapple, and maple flavors with an allspice and smoke finish.

malua

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Dry Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
8-10 leaf Mint

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass (ceramic mug), and garnish with a lime wheel and mint bouquet. Two Saturdays ago, I was in the mood for something tropical, so I looked to my notes from my online recipe flashcard research and selected the Mālua at the Skull & Crown Trading Co. in Honolulu. A 2022 Yelp review made reference to it in the text and included a drink photo as well. Overall, the combination of mint, peach, and lime took the drink into Missionary's Downfall territory but with a tequila (and no pineapple and honey) spin on it. Here, the Mālua opened up with lime and mint aromas from the garnishes over peach and tropical ones. Next, lime, orange, and passion fruit notes on the sip were washed away by agave, peach, orange, and mint flavors on the swallow.

sea air on sunday

1 1/2 oz Johnnie Walker Black Scotch (1 1/4 oz Famous Grouse + 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/4 oz Domaine de Canton (Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with candied ginger on a pick. Since I had half a lime left over from the night before, I looked through my collection sourced from online recipe flashcards and landed on the Sea Air on Sunday from The Butcher Chef in Toronto via a 2021 set. I was able to find a menu photo on GoogleMaps from around that time period, but most of the photos from that restaurant were of the food not drink. The recipe came across like a Penicillin with Amaro Montenegro and ginger liqueur for the honey and ginger syrups, respectively. Moreover, the concept made sense as a Penicillin riff for sea air has been romanticized historically as a cure-all during the 18th and 19th centuries. Indeed, Jane Austen wrote in Sanditon that sea air and bathing could cure "every disorder of the stomach, the lungs, or the blood." Once prepared, the Sea Air on Sunday misted the nose with a spray of ginger, peat smoke, and caramel orange aromas. Next, lime and a hint of caramel on the sip receded into smoky Scotch, clementine, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

no. 39

1 1/2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Pineapple Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Serving it in an old fashioned glass on crushed ice was recommended to provide a drier experience (here, served up). Two Tuesdays prior, I looked through the recipes from the Kindred Cocktails database that I had bookmarked and landed on the No. 39. The recipe was crafted by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles in 2013, and the name reminded me of the menu convention at the old Hungry Mother in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with drinks like No. 64 and No. 43. The recipe itself made me think of a lime and pineapple syrup riff on the lemon, simple syrup, and Angostura Bitters Champs Élysées though. Once prepared, the No. 39 donated a pineapple and herbaceous bouquet to the nose. Next, a lime-driven sip set up Cognac, herbaceous, and pineapple flavors on the swallow.

starward swizzle

2 oz Hamilton's Lost Voyage Rum (1 oz Hamilton's 86° Demerara River + 1/2 oz Monymusk Gold + 1/2 oz Smith & Cross)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash Pernod (12 drop Pernod Absinthe)

Build in a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice and garnish with a mint bouquet, dehydrated lime wheel (omit), and freshly grated nutmeg. Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a drink called the Starward Swizzle from Strongwater in Anaheim that I spotted in a set of online recipe flashcards. In researching the drink, I found a web-based set of recipes put out by the rum that included the spec verbatim. Since Lost Voyage Rum is described as a blend of rum from Guyana and Jamaica's Worthy Park, I tried my best to replicate the flavor profile with a trio of rums. Here, the rum, cinnamon, falernum, lime, bitters, and absinthe made me think of the Jet Pilot but with pineapple and Peychaud's instead of the classic's grapefruit and Angostura. In the glass, the Starward Swizzle emitted a woody spice, mint, and rum funk aroma. Next, pineapple and lime notes on the sip opened up into funky rums, pineapple, cinnamon, and anise flavors on the swallow.

song of the siren

1 1/2 oz Aged Rum (Privateer New England Reserve) (*)
1/2 oz Smoky Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a ceramic mug or Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs.
(*) Perhaps a rum blend (or second rum) with a little funky or grassy profile might elevate this drink. I became inspired by how the Kingston Campfire took the Hotel Nacional in a smoky Scotch and falernum direction, and I wondered if the Mary Pickford could make a similar style of riff. To that classic, I added those two ingredients plus lime and bitters to bring the drink into balance, and I turned it into a more tropical serving style instead of prepared up in a cocktail glass. For a name, since Mary Pickford was referred to as "Canada's Silent Siren," I dubbed this one the Song of the Siren as a modern tribute. Once mixed, the Song of the Siren greeted the nose with a mint, nutty cherry, pineapple, and peat smoke aroma. Next, pineapple, red berry, and lime notes on the sip advanced into rum, smoke, nutty cherry, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow. Perhaps a rum or rum blend with a little grassiness or funk might add some delightful complexity to the profile.

towards the unknown

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/2 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George) (*)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

I became inspired to tinker by the reposado tequila-Pimm's aspect of the Primavera that I had just made, and I utilized the Pimm's-banana element in the Luxury from the 1953 UKBG Guide for Drinks as a direction. For a name, I dubbed this one Towards the Unknown after a 1950 painting by Mexican surrealist Gunther Gerzso. Once prepared, the Towards the Unknown wandered to the senses with a vegetal, caramel, banana, and anise aroma. Next, lime, red berry, and caramel notes on the sip uncovered roasted vegetal, fruity, banana, and anise flavors on the swallow. Overall, the absinthe did give this drink a lift and brought it out of the darker fruit direction that the Pimm's and banana liqueur took it in (Giffard's Crème de Banane should be a bit brighter than Tempus Fugit's).

jackson square swizzle

1 1/4 oz Pernod Absinthe
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Falernum (Velvet)
3/4 oz Lime juice

Build in a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, swizzle to mix and chill, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig. Two Tuesdays prior, I went back to the online recipe flashcards for Club 33, the New Orleans-themed establishment at Disneyland in Anaheim, and found the Jackson Square Swizzle that would utilize my garden's mint bounty. I found a Yelp menu photo in 2022 that declared, "Jackson Square is the historic center of the French Quarter. Legend has it that in an apartment around the corner was hidden a collection of absinthe deep enough to quench the thirst of local politicians during its 100 year drought." Overall, the combination and general ratios reminded me a lot of the Chartreuse Swizzle, so I was indeed curious to try this one. I wish that I still had my absinthe fan regulars from when I bartended at Drink who wanted cocktails with an ounce or more of the stuff (ranging from the 1922 Yellow Parrot to the Absinthe Painkiller that I crafted on the fly for them) so I could surprise them with this one the next time they came in. Once swizzled, the drink proffered mint and licorice aromas to the nose. Next, lime and pineapple notes on the sip gave way to licorice, anise, pineapple, and clove flavors on the swallow.

yellow cloud

2 oz Probitas Rum (1 3/4 oz Hamilton White 'Stache + 1/4 oz Smith & Cross)
3/4 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup (*)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a pineapple crescent (omit) and a flower (ornamental pea blossom).
(*) A second set of online recipe flashcards and a magazine article about the bar's opening had this as Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur instead of syrup. Two Mondays ago, I felt in a tropical mood, so I found the recipes that I uncovered that Paul McGee created for the Papaya Club at the Conrad Orlando resort. The Papaya Club along with Seaworthy were projects that Paul consulted for after Lost Lake closed but before he opened his own spot, Echo Lake. MarketWatch in 2024 had a photo and description of the drink in their article about the Papaya Club, and they listed it with Chinola liqueur for the passion fruit element, so perhaps they changed to syrup to save on cost if my 2025 recipe flashcards are correct. Here, the lime, passion fruit, and falernum trio reminded me of the Mai-Kai's Last Rights that inspired by mezcal-Ancho Reyes The Missing. Once prepared, the Yellow Cloud floated to the nose with a passion fruit, rum funk, and pineapple nose. Next, lime, pineapple, and a hint of tart passion fruit on the sip transformed into funky rum, pineapple, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.