The Beachcomber Cocktail

 

Chill out with this charmer from Trader Vic

We’re reaching peak heat in our part of the world. Time to trek to the beach or plant ourselves beside the pool.

But after an hour or two in the sun, we get mighty hot and thirsty.

Enter the Beachcomber Cocktail, a refreshing combo of rum, Cointreau, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice. It’s a nice afternoon sipper – and dry enough for a predinner drink.

Liquid perfection, we call it.

Recipe: The Beachcomber Cocktail

Originally, this cocktail was made in a blender and served as a frozen drink. We prefer to shake it with ice and serve it “up” in a cocktail glass. But we provide instructions for a blender version in the Notes.

This recipe takes about 5 minutes to make and serves 1.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces light (white) rum
• 1 ounce Cointreau (or another triple sec)
• ¼ ounce maraschino liqueur
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice (or to taste; see Notes)
• garnish of a lime wheel or twist (optional)
  

Procedure

1. Place all ingredients (except garnish) in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake vigorously until the contents are well chilled (about 20 seconds).
2. Strain into a cocktail glass, preferably one that has been chilled. Add garnish, if you wish, and serve.
   

Notes 

• We think ¾ ounce of lime juice gives this drink a nicely balanced flavor. But we like our cocktails on the tart side. If our formula is too sour for you, try ½ ounce lime juice. 
• Still not tart enough? Use a full ounce of lime juice.
• Need to sweeten things up a bit? Add a teaspoon or so of simple syrup.
• To make a frozen (blender) version of this drink: Place ½ cup of ice in a blender. Process until the ice is almost crushed. Scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula, then add the drink ingredients. Blend again, just enough to mix. Pour the mixture into a cocktail glass and serve.
• We like to garnish this drink with a lime wheel or twist. But we’ve seen some recipes that call for a cocktail cherry. 
• You could just skip the garnish, of course – though the drink won’t look as fancy.
• Victor Bergeron (aka Trader Vic) ran a chain of Tiki-themed restaurants during the mid-20th century. A few still exist, but most went out of business when the Tiki craze receded. 
• Though most of his restaurants are long gone, Trader Vic left us a legacy: He invented many drinks that are still well known today, including the Beachcomber Cocktail. We’re not sure when he created the Beachcomber, but he first published a recipe for it in his 1947 Bartender’s Guide.
  

 

Ebb and Flow

“Refreshing!” said Mrs. Kitchen Riffs. “I’d call this thirst block. We’ll stash a flask of it next to our sun block.”

“Yup,” I said. “Don’t want to get parched or burned. That would be a beach bummer.”

“This drink is worth a shell-ebration,” said Mrs K R.

“Definitely fin-tastic,” I said.

“Guess I’ll have to apply pier pressure to stop these puns,” said Mrs K R.

Sharky darn. I was shore she’d find that one amusing. 

You may also enjoy reading about:

• Mai Tai Cocktail
• Bacardi Cocktail 
• Daiquiri Cocktail
• Gin-Gin Mule Cocktail 
• Hemingway Daiquiri Cocktail
• Cocktail Basics 
• Or check out the Index for more