Happy Friday once again! It’s been fuck hot up in the Northeast lately, which means my cocktail/drinking has been limited to my usual Summer go to-s: gin & tonics, vodka seltzers, and radlers/shandy style beers. Though this week’s research led me to another tropical style cocktail called the Bird of Paradise. This drink is a rum based tiki concoction that has simple ingredients and looks tasty and refreshing. I say simple because I still don’t have orgeat syrup on hand, though I am working on acquiring some for future tasty beverages.

Anyway, here is the Bird of Paradise (amended to remove the simple syrup portion of the recipe):

1 oz. Aperol

1 oz. overproof rum (I used Wray and Nephew)

1 oz. pineapple juice

.5 oz. fresh lime juice

.25 oz. simple syrup

1 pineapple leaf (optional, for garnish)

Combine Aperol, rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, and ¼ oz. syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Cover and shake vigorously 30 seconds. Strain into a glass filled to the brim with crushed ice and garnish with a pineapple leaf, if desired.

The first thing I notice is how boozy the nose is. It’s very hard to overshadow over proof rum so no surprise the rum takes the lead. Also, is it weird to describe an aroma as boozy? That’s really the best way to describe the initial impression I get. Other than the rum, the pineapple is the most predominant smell that comes through.

The sip is very cool, crisp, and strong. The pineapple combines with the lime flavors up front to start the sip. Those two flavors go really well together and set the tone as one of a great tropical cocktail. Shortly thereafter, the rum starts to shine through. Surprisingly, it’s not a very strong alcohol flavor thanks to the twin fruit mixers and the simple, but it’s certainly enough to let you know there is a good amount of booze in this.

The Aperol acts as a counter to the lime and pineapple, so don’t expect it’s flavors to really shine through. It’s subtle bitter notes keep the drink from becoming too tart, and helps maintain the balance at work here. That balance is maintained the rest of the way through the sip, with no particular flavor dominating. At the end, there is a slight aftertaste that lingers for a bit after the sip. The pineapple juice coats the palate just enough that some of the flavors from the drink hang around.

This is a really good summer cocktail that’s perfect for hot and humid days. At the very least, you can pretend you’re somewhere tropical while enjoying this one. I plan on making this one many times the rest of the summer.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)