Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 22 – Tropical Turtledove. This Tiki cocktail is a twist on the Jungle Bird – sharing rum, Campari, pineapple, and lime with that classic. The addition of banana liqueur and Aztec Chocolate Bitters from Chef’s Paradise make for a fun and unexpected cocktail.
You didn’t think I’d let you get through the 2021 edition of the calendar without a Tiki cocktail did you? I would never.
As you may know, I have the distinct privilege of being able to teach cocktail classes through Chef’s Paradise Live. My best attended class thus far was a Tiki cocktail class I co-hosted with the very talented Chef Walid back in February. We made two Tiki cocktails and two Polynesian dishes to match (yes, Spam was involved). It was a ton of fun and in honour of that, I was keen to create a new Tiki cocktail using ingredients and bar tools from Ottawa’s best kitchen and barware store.
This post is sponsored by Chef’s Paradise.
The two questions I get most often from my audience are:
- What do I need to start my home bar (or to gift to a friend who is nurturing an interest in bartending)?
- Where did you get *that* glass?
Well, I’ve got answers for you. I’ve teamed up with Chef’s Paradise to curate a comprehensive Taste & Tipple Ultimate Starter Kit that includes everything you or the aspiring home bartender on your list will need to shake and stir up some cocktail magic for years to come. Use code “Tipplekit” to get this suite of bar essentials for $175, a savings of $40 off the marked retail price of $215.
This comprehensive kit includes a beautiful Parisian shaker, mixing glass with bar spoon, Hawthorne strainer, jigger, Y-peeler, citrus juicer, fine-mesh strainer, cocktail picks, aromatic and orange bitters, and king cube ice tray.
In terms of glassware, these are my must-haves (all available at Chef’s Paradise – you can use code “Tipple10” for 10% off anything you order online):
- Double rocks glasses
- Coupe glasses
- Highball/Collins glasses (these are the one I’m using in these images)
- Champagne flutes
Nice-to-haves include:
If you don’t have a Tiki mug, a highball glass is a great stand-in but please keep in mind that the combination of several styles of rum and fruit juices might leave you with a cocktail bearing a close resemblance to dirty dishwater in colour. Luckily, the Tropical Turtledove includes a splash of Campari which offers a lovely ruby red hue that will get you on Santa’s “Nice” list.
In addition to a serious colour correction, the Campari lends a welcome bitterness that helps to balance out the sweeter flavours in the cocktail.
Obviously the name is intended to help you draw the connection to the cocktail it’s inspired by, “The Jungle Bird” – but then I realized I don’t have the first clue what a “Turtledove” actually is, in spite of its popularity in Christmas songs. Fear not friends, I’ve taken up an interest in ornithology just for your enlightenment, I dug up a Brittanica article on turtledoves for you. Spoiler alert: you may not be familiar because they are native to Europe and North Africa.
Join me on my Instagram Stories tonight at 5 pm Eastern for more bird facts and instruction on how to make this drink.
Tropical Turtledove
This Tiki cocktail is a twist on the Jungle Bird – sharing rum, Campari, pineapple, and lime with that classic. The addition of banana liqueur and Aztec Chocolate Bitters from Chef’s Paradise make for a fun and unexpected cocktail.
- 1½ oz aged amber rum
- ¾ oz Campari
- ½ oz banana liqueur
- 1 oz pineapple juice
- ½ oz lime clementine cordial
- 1/3 oz lime juice
- 6 dashes Aztec Chocolate Bitters
- Garnish: brûléed banana slices
- 8 limes peeled and juiced (approx. 4 oz lime juice)
- 4 clementines peeled and juiced (approx. 4 oz clementine juice)
- 2- inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and chopped
- 6 cracked cardamom pods
- 1-2 Thai chilies diced
- 1½ cups sugar
-
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
-
Strain into a highball glass or Tiki mug filled with crushed ice.
-
Sprinkle two slices of banana with granulated sugar. Using a kitchen torch, brûlée the sugar on the banana slices. Tuck brûléed banana slices into the mounded ice on top of the drink.
-
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan (including all citrus peels) over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to make sure the ingredients blend together.
-
Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for about 20 minutes until syrup is slightly thickened.
-
Cool to room temperature and strain off solids.
-
Carefully strain the whole ingredients out of the syrup. Once cool enough to handle, store the lime clementine cordial in a swing top bottle or mason jar and keep in the fridge. Syrup will keep for at least 3 weeks.
Yum Yum and as always the photos are awesome!