Modern Mariner: Bourbon and Allspice Cocktail

Modern Mariner is a fun twist on a tiki cocktail from the ‘90s. This refreshing cocktail replaces the original drink’s base of rums with bourbon whiskey. The vanilla, caramel, and spice notes of a quality bourbon are the perfect complement to all spice and citrus!

The Ancient Mariner cocktail that inspired this recipe was invented by tiki historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry in 1994. Berry named his blend of rums, allspice liqueur, lime and grapefruit for the 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

The Ancient Mariner in the story was an old sailor who tells his tale of a long and very strange journey at sea. Fun fact: this poem is the origin of the expression “water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink.”

To make a cocktail that uses allspice dram, the Ancient Mariner and the Lion’s Tail are two that immediately come to mind. And this recipe below is a fusion of those two drinks

If you don’t have allspice dram and can’t find it in stores, you can make a quick allspice simple syrup as a substitute in this recipe. Simply combine ½ cup of sugar and a ½ cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Add 5-6 whole allspice berries and bring the liquid to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and all the mixture to cool fully before straining out the allspice. Store the simple syrup in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Tip: If making your own allspice simple syrup, you can opt to use ¾ oz of the syrup in place of both the allspice dram and the plain simple syrup that the recipe calls for.

If making plain simple syrup too, simply combine equal parts warm water and sugar and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks

Ingredients:

• 2 oz bourbon whiskey
• ¼ oz allspice dram
• ¾ oz fresh lime juice
• ½ oz fresh pink grapefruit juice
• ½ oz simple syrup

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill it ¾ with ice.
2. Shake until chilled, then strain into a glass filled with crushed ice.
3. Top with more crushed ice, then garnish with freshly grated nutmeg, mint, and a lime wedge

Serving:

To serve your guests, take a look at the Peugeot Impitoyables tasting set with its innovative chilling base, which will help keep your cocktails stylishly chilled throughout the tasting experience.

A sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg is the perfect aromatic finish for this spiced whiskey cocktail.