“This drink telegraphs a specific time and place, 1950s and ’60s Hawaii,” says Garret Richard, a torchbearer for the modern tiki revival. “I felt it was my duty to craft a drink that brought guests back to that era with one sip.” Having served other people’s versions of the drink as well as his own personal riffs for years, Richard eventually went back to the drawing board. “I thought . . . maybe I should just take it back from square one and see what the true intention of this drink is,” he remembers. With this as his guiding principle, it took Richard more than a year to arrive at his perfected recipe, which hews closely to the original. The biggest departure comes in the form of coconut oil-washed gin in lieu of vodka, a move which nods to the rival Blue Hawaiian, a cobalt-tinted spin on the Piña Colada.
Garret Richard’s Blue Hawaii
Garret Richard, Exotica at The Raines Law Room | New York
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 teaspoon cane syrup (2:1, cane sugar:water)
- 5 drops saline solution (see Editor's Note)
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 1 1/2 ounce pineapple juice
- 1/2 ounce lime cordial (see Editor’s Note)
- 1/2 ounce blue Curaçao, preferably Giffard
- 3/4 ounce rum, preferably Plantation 3 Star
- 3/4 ounce coconut oil-washed gin, preferably Plymouth Gin (see Editor’s Note)
- 12 ounces crushed ice
Garnish: sliced pineapple, pineapple fronds, orchid
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin.
- Flash-blend for 4 to 5 seconds with 4 ounces of crushed ice.
- Pour into a hurricane glass over 8 ounces of crushed ice.
- Garnish with sliced pineapple, pineapple fronds and an orchid.
Editor's Note
Saline Solution:
20 grams salt, preferably Maldon
80 grams water
Combine and agitate until salt is completely dissolved.
Lime Cordial:
16 ounces (by weight) lime juice
16 ounces (by weight) white granulated sugar
8 ounces (by weight) lime oleo (see below)
Mix thoroughly and store in the refrigerator.
Lime Oleo:
1 part lime peels
1 part white sugar
Combine the lime peels and white sugar in a sealed bag and let sit for 48 hours. Strain out the solids and store in a sealable container.
Coconut Oil-Washed Gin:
8 ounces coconut oil
1 liter gin, preferably Plymouth
Temper the coconut oil with indirect heat then combine with the gin. Sous vide the mixture for 6 to 8 hours at 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Freeze for 4 hours and then strain through a nut milk bag.