Fog Cutter - How to Make the Smuggler's Cove Version of the Famous Tiki Cocktail
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- Here's how to make the Tiki drink the Fog Cutter, which is made with Light Cuban-Style Rum, Pisco (or Brandy), Gin, Lemon Juice, Orange Juice, Orgeat, Dry Sherry and Mint for garnish. This is Smuggler's Cove version, which is a marriage of Trader Vic’s recipe and Don the Beachcomber’s recipe. It creates the best and most complex version of the Fog Cutter.
Tiki bars, Tiki drinks and Tiki culture all stem from Donn Beach (born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt), who founded, the first Tiki bar, Don the Beachcomber, in Hollywood just after Prohibition.
The man who unwittingly helped Donn’s concept turn into a movement was Vic Bergeron, who after visiting Donn’s bar and falling in love with the idea of it, went back up to Oakland and revamped his bar to incorporate the faux-Polynesian themes captured by Donn’s bar. So Vic’s bar, Hinky Dink’s was rebranded to Trader Vic’s and Vic took the concept of Donn’s bar to The Bay Area and spiced it up with a grander sense of showmanship to it. Vic was the one who introduced the tradition of serving exotic drinks in specialized and exotic ceramic mugs and bowls.
But when Vic was getting started in the Tiki game, he not only took concept from Don the Beachcomber, but he actually bought $8,000 worth of Polynesian tchotchkes and artifacts off of Donn with which to decorate his bar. Vic also tried to recreate a lot of Donn’s original exotic drinks. However, Donn wouldn’t part with the recipes, so Vic had to come up with work arounds. Donn’s famous drink, the Zombie, was remade as the Tortuga. And later, Donn’s obscure Q.B. Cooler became the world-famous Trader Vic’s Mai Tai.
But despite all of the things Vic stole, the Fog Cutter was not one of them. It was Vic’s original creation and one of his three most famous drinks (the Fog Cutter, the Scorpion Bowl and the Mai Tai). The Fog Cutter’s ingredients were distinctly Vic’s. Vic liked using Lemon Juice and didn’t shy away from using spirits other than rum. Donn, by contrast, was the opposite. He preferred Lime and didn’t mess with Lemon. He also rarely embraced other spirits the way Vic did.
Despite the fact that the Fog Cutter was Vic’s drink, Donn did offer a version of it on his menu. Donn’s version used gold rum, pisco and gin, whereas Vic’s original used light rum, brandy and gin. The version I like the best is the Smuggler’s Cove version, which uses a combination of both recipes (light rum, pisco and gin). It offers the most complex and exciting flavor profile for the drink.
The Smuggler’s Cove version also uses dry Sherry for the float. Most recipes call for cream sherry. Vic’s original didn’t specify, either way. So the dryness of the sherry is up to you.
For the gin, I like using the Astral Pacific Gin from The Spirit Guild. It’s a small craft brand of gin that uses clementines for the spirit base instead of grain. And it also uses a compelling array of botanicals including grapefruit, pink peppercorn, sage and pistachios. The qualities of the pistachios and clementines perfectly complements the citrus and almond in this drink.
The Fog Cutter had a specific mug designed for it. It was a tall, hour glass-shaped mug, usually with a bikini-clad woman on it. Trader Vic’s still sells them on their website. But I got mine from Horror in Clay, a tiki mug maker that specializes in mugs with a semi-esoteric horror slant to them. This one, the Innsmouth Fogcutter mug, was inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft story, the Shadow Over Innsmouth.
The Fog Cutter is really easy to drink..perhaps a little too easy. Some Tiki drinks were notoriously strong and the proprietors would limit the number of these drinks that their guests could order. The Fog Cutter was one of them. Vic’s wouldn’t serve you more than two. That would probably be good advice to heed. This one can sneak up on you. Okole Maluna!
Recipe:
2 oz (60 ml) Light Rum
1 oz (30 ml) Pisco (or Brandy for Vic’s recipe)
0.5 oz (15 ml) Gin
0.5 oz (15 ml) Orgeat
1.5 oz (45 ml) Lemon Juice
1.5 oz (45 ml) Orange Juice
float 0.5 oz (15 ml) Dry Sherry (Oloroso recommended)
garnish Mint Sprig
Add all ingredients, but Sherry and mint, 12 oz (350 ml) of crushed ice and 3-4 ice cubes to a shaker. Shake. Pour unstrained into Tiki Mug or Pilsner Glass. Float Sherry. Garnish with Mint. Serve with straw and stir stick.
Music:
A Mysterious Presence 4 by Håkan Eriksson via Epidemic Sound
Follow Us!
/ distinguishedspirits
/ distinguishedspirits
/ distinguishedsp
Featured in this Episode:
Caña Brava 3 Year Rum
bit.ly/2rHr8tQ
Encanto Moscatel Pisco
bit.ly/2qIEnpk
Astral Pacific Gin
bit.ly/2rdomLq
Innsmouth Fogcutter Tiki Mug by Horror in Clay
bit.ly/2qCOXTJ
Smuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Cate
amzn.to/2pEXt0m
Potions of the Caribbean by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry
amzn.to/2rdHc57
Bar Tools:
Citrus Juicer (Orange)
amzn.to/2sgBZYQ
Lewis Bag & Ice Mallet
amzn.to/2nz12CK
I'm intrigued your claim that the Vic "reconfigured" the Zombie into the Tortuga. Are you saying it was Vic's attempt to recreate the flavor of the Zombie, or just his answer to the Zombie? I haven't made the Tortuga yet, but Beachbum Berry demonstrates that the it's basically a beefed-up La Florida cocktail. Does it taste similar to the Zombie, despite the different ingredients?
Yeah, others have pointed that out. It was poorly worded on my part. It was his answer to Donn's Zombie. The Tortuga was a reconfigured La Florida, but he made it with some overproof rums and issued it as a challenge for guests the way Donn did with the Zombie. Anyway, hope that helps clarify. Cheers!
I love seeing how your videos have evolved. Adding the history lesson is great!
Thanks. Glad you like them. The history is always fun to look up...unless it's completely obscure like Cameron's Kick or the Paloma. Then it becomes frustrating. But luckily for drinks like the Fog Cutter, it's been well researched by Beachbum Berry and others. That being said, there was that rumor that came from Tony Ramos and printed in Ted Haigh's book about Edna Earle being the originator of the Fog Cutter. Luckily that was easily disproven, but still some bloggers and entertainment writers perpetuated that myth. Anyway, the point is that it's certainly fun to add all of the history to the video when it's there to be added. Haha. Cheers!
Unique format too. Smooth narration & decisive editing. The style makes it a pleasure to watch: carefully presented mugs & accessories - pure class.
Lovecraft and Tiki, two great things that go stealing my sanity together!
Haha. Exactly. A deadly combination.
"Pounding it like it's a British currency.." your wit is as strong as this drink.
Haha. Thanks!
My absolute favorite Tiki Drink.
Classic for a reason! It's a great one.
I see the ice mallet and I'm already excited for the commentary on smashing ice.
Not disappointed.
Haha. Thanks. Glad you liked it.
Your production value is way high for how few subscribers you have. Great video!
Haha. Thanks. Cheers!
I am systematically making tiki cocktails, thanks for suggesting Smugglers Cove. I made a FogCutter tonight and I must say this one is awesome. Thanks again for the history, demonstration, and entertaining videos.
As far as recipes go, you can't go wrong with the ones in the Smuggler's Cove book. Check out the Doctor Funk, their version is great! Cheers.
i love your videos. your look at the history of tiki drinks just makes them so much better than most drink recipes out there.
Thanks! The history, the research is fun, but usually pretty time-consuming, even when it's more or less all laid out like this one. The heaviest lifting I had to do for this one was disproving the Edna Earle rumor. But it's great to hear you like the backstory. Cheers!
Looks like a great drink, you are easily one of the best channels when it comes to drinks!
Year more tiki drinks Thanks mate...and btw thx for the short view on the navy grog 😉
Haha. Glad you caught that.
Thank you for the generous credit for the mug. This video is spectacularly done, and makes me really thirsty. The back ground music is great as well!
Great! Glad you liked the video. Your mug is killer. I love how it really bridges the gap between Tiki and Lovecraft, but stays nautical, which is tiki-ish. If you haven't tried the Smuggler's Cove version, I highly recommend it.
Really liking your tiki videos my favorite corner of the philosophical spectrum.
Great to hear! Tiki is fun, but it's definitely a little more advanced. Cheers!
Another great recipe and video! The history and watching the drink come together is the perfect combination!
Awesome. Glad you dug it. Cheers!
Great video
Great video! I love that mug, too!
Excellent. Yeah, that's a fun mug. Glad you liked the video. Cheers!
So good what a classic 👍😎🗿🍹
Indeed and with the dry sherry, it's so dynamic!
Awesome video ;). You gave me such good ideas for cocktails and because of that I love it to do cocktails now!
Great! Glad you liked it. Cheers!
You give me inspiration! Thanks mate ^^
Cheers!
I'm a big fan of the whole tiki subculture and find it really fascinating. It's great that there is someone like you who takes the time to delve into the history and details. Just one question. At 2:36 you talk about how there are two versions, one from Don and one from Tony Ramos. But I am confused because I thought you said that this was not one of Don's drinks?
It's not Donn's drink, but he came up with his own version of the recipe to serve in his places. This was probably because his customers would come in asking for them, so he had to have an answer for their requests. Hope that makes sense. Cheers!
I need to dial this up. I have that same bottle of pisco after reading Drinking the Devil's Acre and digging into the history of pisco punch in the Bay. Might we see a Navy Grog video in the future?
Yeah, give this one a try. Let me know what you think. Navy Grog is definitely on the list. So stay tuned...
Just discovered your channel- and you definitely have a subscriber out of me. I love hearing about the history behind classic cocktails. Any chance you'll be making a video on the Scorpion Bowl, volcano, and other bowl style tiki cocktails anytime soon? Cheers.
Great! Glad you dig the channel. Scorpion Bowl is on the docket, but it might be a second. Do you have an awesome bowl just sitting on the shelf, collecting dust?
Not yet- I'm just starting to accumulate barware for the homestead. Speaking of mugs and bowls, thanks for posting links to all these horror and lovecraft inspired tiki mugs, they will definitely become parts of the budding collection at some point.
No worries. They are pretty awesome and I've got a couple more lined up in the not too distant future. Cheers!
My favorite Tiki drink. Dutch Kills in Long Island City makes a mean one.
Nice! Not sure what's on Dutch Kill's menu, but try this version. It's crazy good. Cheers!
I did. I like both versions. Pretty sure Dutch Kills uses the traditional one with brandy.
I need that mug
Yeah you do!
I always use Dubonnet instead of Sherry for these. Much nicer on the pallet.
Interesting. Does the bitterness come through when it's used as a float like that?
Yes! :-) You'll have to give that try the next time you make one. I've been using this with great results. www.liquor.com/brands/dubonnet/#gs.9CzoR40
aww dammit. your drinks are so enticing, but every time i watch you make one, i find myself plunking down money on a new liquor. off to buy a bottle of pisco now
Haha. Yeah. Welcome to my world. You're going have to start investing in shelf space. Cheers!
I love these videos! Would you consider doing a zombie sometime?
Thanks! Glad you like 'em. For sure. The Zombie is on my to-do list. Stay tuned...
finally making this bad boy tonight! sadly, my local wine store looked very confused when I asked for "dry sherry or cream sherry" and ended up handing me a bottle of particularly dry fino sherry.
is that dry enough to throw off this cocktail? still using it either way, i'm sure it'll be close enough.
Nope. That’s perfect. I like it in this one. Cream sherry is usually what people were using for a long time. But SC uses a dry sherry. And now you’ll be able to use the fino for martini variations and Remember the Alimony.
Trader Vic was to Don Beach what Edison was to Tesla.
Your videos are awesome. Any chance we get a "real" hurricane from you? I tried Pat O' Brien's and felt like I was drinking spiked Kool Aid.
Yeah, it's super simple. A tiki-fied rum sour. I'm not sure when I'll get to that one. I've got a lot in the queue before that.
Why shake with crushed ice?
To dilute it more?
It creates the perfect amount of dilution. This is a shorter shake than you'd do for a Whiskey Sour or something. But you want to bring the strength of the drink down to the right level. Shaking with specific amount of crushed ice and a few agitator cubes, was how Donn Beach would do it (although he'd probably flash blend them, which would achieve the same effect, but was easier in the larger quantities at a bar).
I've been pinned!
@@DistinguishedSpirits Why not just shake it longer with normal ice?
The only SC classic recipe I haven't made because of the Sherry and Pisco :(
Haha. Because you don't like Sherry or Pisco or you don't have them at home?
Distinguished Spirits Sherry spoils too quickly for me to use, so it wouldn't be worth it. I don't really carry Pisco, because it wouldn't get used very often.
I do really want to try this drink though... D:
Is there a link to buy the glass?
Here's the Pilsner Glass (amzn.to/2pmgGTk). Here's the Innsmouth Fogcutter Tiki Mug by Horror in Clay (bit.ly/2qCOXTJ)
Unfortunately I ran out of room in the Description. UA-cam won't allow my Description to be as long as it needs to be.
Do you think Astral Pacific Gin would be the ideal gin for a Singapore Sling too, or not?
It would certainly be good. It's not the driest gin in the world and in Singapore's case, I think that might be more what you're looking for because Singapore could use that contrast. But yes, if you get a bottle of Astral, it'll serve you well in the Singapore Sling, as well as this one and certainly in the Negroni. Cheers!
I see, makes sense, that you'd want a drier gin in a Singapore. Thanks for the tip! 🍹
No worries. Video on that one coming soon...ish. Stay tuned.
Awesome!
I just thought of something else: aside from the Fog Cutter, would Astral also be ideal for other Tiki drinks that use gin, like the Saturn?
Vic's recipes strike me as cheap, tacky and kind of unimaginative. I know he's regarded as Tiki royalty but damn those drinks are brutal. You could put 2 oz of lemon juice on a dead cat and it would taste like dead cat lemonade....or a fog cutter.
I've never tried dead cat, but it sounds delicious. Thanks for the recommendation!
Well, I guess you gotta keep in mind that in this version of the recipe, the ratio of booze to lemon juice is almost 3 to 1, and there's a shitload of crushed ice in the drink, and the mug holds about 24 liquid ounces or around 700 ml , which is like a medium-sized bottle of lemonade.
I do agree that the 120 ml of booze set off against 90 ml of citrus juices would make a brutal drink if you take it all by yourself - unless you allow yourself at least an hour or two of sipping time.
But it seems like a good one to share. I've yet to try it, though.
oh oh oh sorry to say but wrong wrong wrong. it's CREAM sherry (the sweet one) not just any sherry. must've been pretty disgusting with that dry stuff 🤮
EDIT: just finished the video so I've heard what you've said about the sherry. And I'm sorry it's still wrong. There's no doubt that cream belongs in there, not dry. Tiki drinks are all very sweet (this one's no exception), and while many of them stand out because of this specific fruity-dessert-sweetness mix (dominantly fruity with a hint of dessert sweetness), hence the orgeat, it just should be clear that something with a flavor profile of a dry sherry (which is basically the same disgusting flavor profile like tawny porto) absolutely does not belong into a tiki cocktail.
Haha. Okay. Obviously you don't like many fortified wines. That's coming through loud and clear.
This recipe is the Smuggler's Cove version. I tend to agree with it. The oloroso adds a complexity that the cream sherry does not. The cream sherry just gets lost.
I take issue with your assertion that "Tiki drinks are all very sweet". There was a period of time where "tropical" drinks would get made with the intention that you cannot taste the alcohol or that it was just supposed to be monolithically sweet. Tiki drinks stem from Caribbean punches and daiquiris, only with more exotic flavors by spitting up the booze, citrus and sweeteners. The flavors a Zombie (one of the first tiki drinks) are complex and varied. The different rums (fruity Jamaican, burnt woody Demerara, dry Cuban), different citruses (lime and grapefruit), exotic sweeteners (falernum, cinnamon, grenadine) are all supposed to inform and play with the other flavors. When you taste it, you get all of those elements. It's one elaborate soufflé.
That was the intention of Tiki drinks from the start, but along the way they moved further away from their origins. So, by the 70's with drinks like Piña Coladas, where it's all sweet, no sour, yes, those tropical style drinks were super sweet. However, the drinks that are being revived in this tiki renaissance are trying to get back to those tiki roots where the drinks are complex and have a broad spectrum of flavors and are not just strictly sweet.
It sounds like those flavors don't agree with you. That's fine. You don't have to like this version of the Fog Cutter. But that doesn't mean that this version is "wrong" or that dry sherry "does not belong" in a tiki drink.