Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Here I Am

…Rock you like a hurricane tropical storm! Tropical storm? Sure it isn’t a hurricane, but it still counts. Currently I’m posted up on FOB Cape Cod to do some storm prep. This isn’t the first time I’ve been posted up on the Cape for a major storm. That was for Hurricane Bob all the way back in 1991. Unlike Bob where I was without power and water for 5 days, I don’t foresee Lee being that big of a nuisance (Editor’s note: Knocking on wood) considering the storm is forecasted to be some 350ish miles offshore, but we’re still due to get some pretty good wind, also the fact that we’ve got a generator and I’m of legal drinking age this time around so I can at least day drink the storm away, which is nice.

Speaking of which, there was no way I could NOT do a hurricane right? I ended up combining  a couple different recipes here. Mainly based on what I had on hand, and what sounded good to me.

I ended up mixing the following:

2 oz. Light rum
2 oz. Dark rum
1 oz. Overproof rum
1 oz. Lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 oz. Orange juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 oz. Pineappe juice
1/2 oz. Simple syrup
1 teaspoon Maraschino cherry syrup
Garnish: orange half-wheel
Garnish: preserved cherry (Omitted because I was out of the cherries)

Add the light and dark rums, lime and orange juices, pineapple juice, simple syrup and maraschino syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

Strain into a large Hurricane glass over fresh ice.

Garnish with an orange half-wheel and a preserved cherry.

Yes, I know it’s in a tiki mug. I don’t have a hurricane glass, and I figured with all the rums in there, a tiki mug wouldn’t be completely out of place.

Orange notes on the nose. Surprising that there isn’t much rum aromas since there’s 5 ounces in this thing. Though the rums at work here aren’t as overpowering smell wise as some other base spirits.

Wow this is fantastic. It’s ridiculously smooth. I’m rather pleased at how well the two white rums and the dark rum play with each other. Going back in for second and third sips, I start to get more and more of the pineapple, orange and lime juices, with touches of rum interspersed. This nice mixture stays pretty consistent the rest of the sip. No flavor really takes over, and keeps it very drinkable, despite the potency of this drink. Though the finish is a touch on the sour side. Not unbearable mind you, but that’s what I get the most. Probably due to the lack of grenadine and/or the passion fruit puree/juice. Though I think my orange juice/pineapple/ maraschino syrup swap out works really well here. A couple of these and you’ll feel like you got hit by a hurricane the next morning.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)