Having some neighbours over for a drink, socially distance applied, of course. I had to come up with 2 drinks that would be different, but along a similar theme. I chose these, because both have the potential to make you think you are somewhere else, which, I think, is what just about everyone is craving right now.

Monkey Man Recipe borrowed from Nathan
Recipe by Jim Kearns, The Happiest Hour, New York

• 45ml Whiskey – Wild Turkey 101
• 15ml Aged rum – El Dorado 15
• 15ml Banana Liqueur-Pisang Ambon
• 30ml Pineapple Juice
• 15ml Fresh Lime Juice
• 15ml Cinnamon Syrup
• 15ml Vanilla Syrup

Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin with ice and shake to chill. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with a banana chip.

Nathan’s post tells me this recipe specifically calls for George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whisky but I didn’t have that on the shelf. He opted for his favourite cocktail bourbon, Old Grand Dad 100 Proof Bonded. However, I had neither, so used Turkey 101! I did have the correct el Dorado though. I don’t have Giffard’s Banane du Bresil, so resorted to an overly sweet substitute ( which I’m sure Nathan would frown up. But I’m reluctant to pour it down the sink, and replace it. It’s something I rarely use, so it will have to suffice. The following are also Nathan’s words, which I happily plagarise. But do acknowledge that they belong to him.

The drink’s creator explains: “The idea came from the fact that I have always tasted a strong banana note on Tennessee whiskey, and I thought it might be a fun bridge to the realm of tiki, a genre in which American whiskey is not the most frequently used spirit. The cocktail came quickly, with [Brian] Miller suggesting the vanilla, the El Dorado 15, and the name.”