‘Easy Tiki’ cocktail recipe: Trader Vic’s Grog

During his bartending days at Trader Vic’s, tiki expert Martin Cate often made this version of a grog for staff and industry regulars. The recipe, featured in Chloe Frechette’s “Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival With 60 Recipes” (Ten Speed Press), ups the bitter quotient with additional dashes of Angostura bitters and calls for a full ounce of lemon juice.

If that’s too tart for you, dial back on the lemon juice, says Cate, who now serves the drink at his San Francisco bar, Smuggler’s Cove. And if you need recommendations for aged Jamaican and Demerara rums, he likes Coruba, Smith & Cross, Plantation O.F.T.D., Hamilton 151, Hamilton 86 and Lemon Hart & Son 151.

Trader Vic’s Grog

Makes 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces aged Jamaican or Demerara rum, or aged overproof rum

1 ounce lemon juice (less if a sweeter taste is preferred)

1 ounce pineapple juice

1 ounce passion fruit syrup (see recipe below)

2 or 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Maraschino cherries on a cocktail spear, mint sprig to garnish

DIRECTIONS

Combine all the ingredients, except the garnish, in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for about 5 seconds. Strain into a footed pilsner glass. Fill with crushed ice and garnish with maraschino cherries on a cocktail spear and a mint sprig.

Variation: Combine all the ingredients in a drink mixer with 1 cup crushed ice and buzz for 3 seconds. Pour the contents into a footed pilsner glass and garnish with maraschino cherries on a cocktail spear and a mint sprig.

PASSION FRUIT SYRUP

Makes about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

1¼ cups water

1¼ cups sugar

1⁄4 cup thawed frozen passion fruit concentrate (preferably The Perfect Purée of Napa
Valley or Ravifruit)