Test Pilot
With Memorial Day coming up on Monday, I thought I’d reach back in the annals of cocktaildom and bring you a drink that’s not only a classic, but a perfect choice to imbibe on the war-based holiday: the Test Pilot.
As you know, we have two military holidays here in the United States. The first is Memorial Day. It always lands on the last Monday of May and pretty much signals the (un)official start of summer. While most of us (me included) take the long weekend to go on vacation, change over our wardrobes, hang out on the beach or have backyard barbecues, Memorial Day was actually created to honor the men and women who died while serving in the military. Veterans Day, observed every November 11, recognizes all those who have served in the Armed Forces.
There are five branches to the United States Military: the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines and Air Force. While each branch has a different domain, they all have aviation units, which means that each branch has their own set of pilots. Those pilots are why the Test Pilot (and it’s late-50’s cousin, the Jet Pilot) were created. See, the middle of the 20th century was known as the Jet Age. A time when scientists focused on creating a faster engine that would take its pilots even farther then they’d ever gone before. But before they released those engines, they needed pilots to test them out.
While Donn Beach is best known for creating some of the original tiki cocktails like the Cobra’s Fang, the Zombie and Navy Grog, before that, he served in WWII as a member of the United States Air Force. It’s easy to understand why he was such a huge supporter of the armed forces, and probably why he created two drinks for them. Since Southern California’s Edwards Air Force base hosted several public and private jet tests in the late 40’s and 50’s, Beach thought it only fair that a drink be dedicated to those men testing out the engines that would serve the armed forces later.
The Test Pilot is a simple tiki cocktail that’s all rum and citrus. It’s the perfect drink that will easily take you from spring into summer and beyond. While it’s ideal for lounging on the beach, it’s also a great option for hanging out by the pool. As a matter of fact as long as you’re in a bathing suit (or trunks), this is the cocktail that should be in your hand. And since it’s dedicated to those many men and women who risked their lives, it’s an even better choice this weekend.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 ounces dark rum
- 3/4 ounce light rum
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 1/2 ounce Falernum
- 1/2 ounce Cointreau
- dash of Angostura Bitters
- dash of absinthe
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a blender, add ice and blend for 5 seconds on high. Pour, unstrained, into an old fashioned glass or tiki mug. Add more crushed ice to fill, garnish with a Luxardo cherry and serve.
