Greetings, Wonketeers! I’m Hooper, your bartender. Winter’s making a visit to Ohio’s doorstep. The cold winds are blowing. The rain/ sleet/ what-is-this-frozen-stuff is falling. Winter coats are coming out of the closets. It’s that special time of year that I really, truly, sincerely hate. Someday, as Deity is my witness, I’ll move to New Orleans. Until then, let’s make a strong tropical drink that helps us avoid looking out the window. Time for a Jamaica Mistaica. Here’s the recipe.
Jamaica Mistaica
¾ oz Smith and Cross Rum
¾ oz Aperol
¾ oz allspice dram
¾ oz fresh lime juice
Shake all ingredients and strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with an edible flower.
Before we jump into the recipe, I want to talk about Skepti.
Skepti was industry. She was a fellow bartender. I loved reading her thoughts on these drinks; she was kind and thoughtful, and she helped me become a better writer. She was a part of our tribe; she was a part of my tribe. We poured a shot of Fernet in her memory at Hemingway’s before opening tonight. I’d ask you to offer a shot for her, too. Let her memory be a blessing.
All right. So, this drink is called the “Snowbird” on the menu at Hemingway’s, but I like the first name I gave the drink better — the “Jamaica Mistaica.” Unsurprisingly, it’s a reference to a Jimmy Buffett song. Jimmy wrote a ballad about how, in 1996, his plane was shot at by the entirety of the Jamaican armed forces in the mistaken belief that he was smuggling marijuana. According to Jimmy, nearly every able-bodied soldier on the island took a potshot at his plane. Bono was on the plane with Jimmy, and the experience terrified Bono so much that he canceled the rest of his vacation. Despite all that, Jimmy’s plane only suffered a few bullet holes. Jimmy proclaimed his innocence, saying that he was only in town for some jerk chicken. According to Mr. Buffet, there wasn’t a single spliff of wacky tobbaccy on the plane. Sure, Jimmy. We all believe you.
You can see why I like this name better than “Snowbird.” I’m a sucker for a good story.
The build for this drink is a take on the Paper Plane, a Last Word variation created by Sam Wilson at Attaboy in 2008. The Paper Plane is delightful. It’s a citrus-forward cocktail with subtle flavors and a lingering finish. Best of all, it’s an equal-parts cocktail — everything is ¾ oz. Bartenders love this style of drink. There aren’t any ratios to memorize. We’ve been riffing on this idea for years.
For a drink like this, I wanted to use one of Jamaica’s other well-known exports, Jamaican rum. Jamaican rum is tropical, earthy, funky, and strong. Smith and Cross is one of the most polished examples of the style, well-aged and sophisticated. It’s also 114 proof, so use caution when drinking it. Jamaican rum isn’t my favorite rum style, but it absolutely works in certain cocktails. A dark, mellow, caramel-flavored rum wouldn’t work in this glass.
The rest of this drink is pretty much a layup. The clove and spice flavors of allspice dram line up with rum perfectly. Lime juice is another natural pairing for rum. The Aperol is what defines this drink as a Paper Plane variation; it’s a constant in drinks from the Paper Plane family. Aperol’s bittersweet orange flavor supports the tropical theme while keeping the whole cocktail grounded. Without it, the entire drink would devolve into a Jamaican haze.
Let’s talk ingredients:
Smith and Cross: Smith and Cross is my gold standard for Jamaican rum; I sweet-talked the owners of Hemingways into buying a bottle for this drink. But if you need an alternative, Appleton Estate works perfectly well here. Appleton Estate doesn’t have the same strength of character as Smith and Cross, but if you want to stay in the $20 range for this cocktail, Appleton Estate will do.
Allspice Dram: An allspice liqueur that pairs with great rum like peanut butter and jelly. You can make it yourself, but when the holiday season hits, I don’t have time for DIY projects like that. St. Elizabeth makes the gold standard of allspice dram, but use what you like.
Aperol: I keep coming back to Aperol as a foundation for citrus cocktails. Aperol spritzes are ubiquitous, but this bright orange liqueur proves itself again and again as a bittersweet base for tons of good drinks. I keep a bottle of orange-infused Aperol in my liquor cabinet as a secret weapon for killer Negronis. A bottle of this stuff should live in your liquor cabinet, too.
Fresh Lime Juice: Always fresh. Plastic limes only make plastic juice.
My home bar is Hemingway’s Underground, the hottest cocktail bar in pretty little Medina, Ohio. I’m behind the stick Wednesday-Saturday, 4-10. Last call’s at midnight. Swing on by, and I’ll make this drink for you… or anything else from our little Happy Hour here at Wonkette. We’ll make it through this together.
OPEN THREAD!
Oh wowsers!
Is anybody watching the news?
They say the FAA has declared a nationwide ground stop for all aircraft.
Holy sheep.
Cheers, Skepti.