Jet Pilot (Smuggler's Cove recipe)

The Jet Pilot sounds a little mundane in the 21st century, But Martin Cate reminds us that in the 1950s, these pilots were modern day explorers who pushed the limits of machine and human ability. This cocktail is also designed to push the limits--coming out of nowhere with a full-force of flavor, and overwhelming the drinker with a powerful belt of strong rums.

For this cocktail I used my own falernum rather than John D. Taylor's. I also made black, overproof rum by adding black strap molasses (right).  

Cinnamon syrup is also a must. I simply made it by adding cinnamon sticks to my usual simple syrup recipe. This goes great with the ginger, allspice, clove, and cardamon I used in the falernum.

One final note: Aguardiente is an anise flavored cane spirit from Columbia, which makes it perfect for a rum cocktail. It is great by itself, it's taste sweeter and more mild than absinthe or Herbstura. I used a little more than a dash because of this. 

• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz. cinnamon syrup
• 1/2 oz. homemade falernum
• 1 oz. black blended rum (homemade black rum used)
• 3/4 oz. blended aged rum (Pusser's Navy Rum used)
• 3/4 oz. black overproof rum (Homemade black rum used)
• 1 dash herbstura (a drizzle of Aguardiente used)

Add all ingredients to a blender with ice and blend. Open strain into a double Old Fashioned glass with a gated finish to catch the large ice chunks. (No garnish stated, but flowers are lovely.)

Jungle Bird

The Jungle Bird is a newer tiki cocktail to come along recently. Campari makes it a bitter red blended drink and blackstrap rum makes it rich and sweet.

The bottle of Cruzan 151 is shown because it was an ingredient in the homemade blackstrap rum I made to pull of this drink. You can use Goslings Black Seal if you like. I used the one-and-a-half ounces worth or 151 that goes into the drink and white rum and added a teaspoon of blackstrap molasses to it (shaking it up and straining it through a coffee filter) to make it a black rum.

• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. demerara syrup
• 3/4 oz. campari
• 1 1/2 oz. black rum
• pineapple fronds garnish

Combine all ingredients except garnishes in a blender with cracked ice. Flash blend and pour into a chilled Collins glass. Garnish with pineapple fronds.

Tradewinds (Smuggler's Cove Recipe)

This is a 1970s tiki cocktail that the famous mixologist Beachbum Berry adapted. It certainly is tropical with coconut cream and falernum. Apricot liqueur also makes the drink sweet and complex. You can put this in a tiki mug or a Collins glass, or substitute dry gin for the rum.

• 1 oz. black blended rum
• 1 oz. blended lightly aged rum
• 1 oz. apricot liqueur
• 1 1/2 oz. coconut cream
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• lemon wedge

Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice. Flash blend and pour into a Collins glass or tiki mug. Garnish with a lemon wedge speared by an umbrella that's turned inside out as if it was blown open by the wind.