So…I was sitting…somewhere in Portland minding my own business and just generally relaxing when I got a fun drink idea. It wasn’t based on any menu or anything, and I chalk it up to the restorative powers of a good vacation, where you brain can relax and go all the places it goes. So I jotted down the ideas and resolved to do something about it when I got back from vacation, and here we are a month later and I’ve finally gotten around to doing something about it.
It hasn’t been entirely intentional but I’ve been trying to showcase some things that have stuff other than rum (I do love rum). One: it’s a good excuse to build out the home bar. Two: I’ve run out of room on the rum shelf. Necessity meeting invention as the bottles pile up around here. Anyway, I was noddling a bit about names just as much as I was ingredients when this one came to me. Obviously Canadian whisky was on my brain and I didn’t have a bottle lying around, so that was a good excuse to order one. Maybe it is because hockey news was starting to roll across the phone a bit more (season starts next week! Another Caps year!) or maybe it’s because I keep buying tickets to see Canadian bands for when I’m in New York, but for whatever reason, that’s what was on the brain. So I jotted that down and thought about a nice contrast between that and some sunnier ingredients like pineapple and coconut and orange and moved on with my life. Obviously the clear name for this beverage is a Snowbird.
Now I haven’t gotten around to making it (I chalk that up to being too busy after a restorative vacation bah), but I did order the bottle of Canadian whisky a while back. In this case, I picked up a bottle of Gooderham & Worts Four Grain Whisky as it seemed like it would fit the bill well, as again, I’m looking for mixing bottles (maybe we can start talking sipping rums in a bit as those bottles pile up too … … pray for me).
I also decided to add a few more things in keeping with the theme. Obviously a touch of maple instead of simple to sweeten the deal and a little falernum because I wanted that nice clovey flavor. And Banane du Bresil because I had such good success combining it with pineapple and orange in my last experimental beverage. Here’s what I went with in the first iteration:
2 oz pineapple
1 oz orange
1 oz coconut
.25 oz maple syrup
.25 oz falernum
.5 oz Banane du Bresil
2.5 oz Canadian whisky
Nutmeg
Take everything but the nutmeg and put it in your mixing tin. Give it a good shake, strain into a Hurricane glass, and top with fresh crushed ice. Grate some nutmeg over the top, finish with a straw.
There you go? I think this one work pretty much as is, though I might swap the amount of falernum and Banane du Bresil. It might not need it at all? Who is to say? This is obviously a clear homage to a Painkiller in terms of its overall base (and garnish), but I think distinct enough that it stands well on its own. I’m happy to make a couple side by side and let you decide for yourself.
This is Trader Jane’s, a periodic newsletter about drinks (mostly tiki) and other fun writing. Follow me on Substack for something every week or two (if we are being honest), and follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more timely updates on my beverages (and for lots of other things of course!)
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