King Cole Cocktail
Last week I made a Toronto cocktail. The perfect drink to bridge those winter vibes into spring. So, today, I’m moving further into spring with the King Cole Cocktail. This one is practically identical to the Toronto but with more of a tiki vibe.
If it’s made with the same ingredients, how does it have a tiki vibe? Simple, it’s all about the garnish, and isn’t it always about the garnish where tiki is concerned? Unlike last week’s drink, which had a simple orange twist, today’s cocktail uses oranges and pineapple! Yes, it’s the pineapple that puts it in the tropical category. While there is no actual fruit juice in the drink, the combination of bourbon and simple syrup have a sweetness that makes one think of balmy nights by the ocean. Add a beautiful garnish of pineapple and orange and you can almost hear the ukelele playing.
While the original recipe from Harry Craddock’s 1930’s Savoy Cocktail Book calls for rye whiskey, I’ve seen several recreations that use bourbon. Rye is a great option if you’re looking for something with a bit more bite. But if you’re like me and want to keep with the tropical theme, then bourbon is the liquor for you. Because bourbon is made with at least 51 percent corn, the drink is going to be sweeter than the spicier rye. But this is not a sicky sweet drink. Yes, this cocktail is on the sweeter side, but it’s tempered by a dash of Fernet-Branca. The bitter amaro mellows out the drink and makes it a drink that’s very sippable.
Then we come back to that pineapple and orange garnish. That garnish changes the whole concept of the cocktail. What could have been a riff on an Old Fashioned or Manhattan suddenly is something completely different. It’s something that could be enjoyed after dinner in a leather arm chair or on the beach with a salty breeze rustling the palm fronds above. However you choose to sip it, enjoy it before the weather gets too warm. After that, you might as well dive headlong into summer and all the tiki drinks you can handle.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon or rye
- 1/4 ounce simple syrup
- 1/4 ounce Fernet-Branca
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled.
- Strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a chunk of pineapple and an orange wedge and serve.
