Boat Drinks and Recipes

“Gentlemen, we have boat drinks.” The classic toast at the end of the film “Things to do in Denver when you’re dead.” Of course all the characters are dead, but finally they are realizing their dream. Sharing boat drinks with friends on the deck of an expensive boat at sea. Jimmy Buffet had a few words to say about boat drinks as well, “Boat drinks! The Boys in the band ordered boat drinks!” and “Waitress I need two more boat drinks. Then I’m headin’ south ‘fore my dream shrinks.” These are lyrics from the song of the name boat drinks.

A boat drink is a drink that is easily made on the back of a boat, often extremely strong, often rum based and ordered by someone who has the intention of getting very drunk. The most important thing about boat drinks is the fact that you have the time to get drunk and nothing more pressing to do today that sit around with your friends drinking boat drinks.

There is something special about boat drinks, because “boat drinks” is really a state of mind rather than a particular drink. Having said that I decided to answer a few pressing questions about boat drinks. What makes a good boat drink and which is the best recipe? After many hours of experimentation and several large hangovers, this is the definitive list of the top-ten best boat drink recipes. For most of these drinks, a cocktail shaker is needed, but it’s not going to affect the flavor too much if all you have is a bowl, some ice, the company of good friends and a boat in the bay. These are in no particular order. Most of them are variations on a theme, but if I make reference to someone else’s recipe, I’ll be sure and give them credit.

Alabama slammer

Ingredients per serving:

• • 1 oz Jack Daniels
• • 1 oz amaretto
• • 1 oz sloe gin
• • 1 oz Southern Comfort peach liqueur
• • 1 oz orange juice

Add to cocktail shaker with crushed ice, cover, shake and strain. Look out, one or two of these is usually enough. If you prefer clear liquor here’s another recipe:

• • 1 oz vodka
• • 1 oz amaretto
• • 1 oz Southern comfort
• • 1 oz grenadine
• • 1 splash cranberry juice
• • 2 splashes orange juice

Add to cocktail shaker with crushed ice, cover, shake and strain.

Margarita

Of course, no list would be complete without a Margarita, and this is Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville recipe for the “Perfect Margarita.”

Ingredients per serving:

• • 1 oz Margaritaville® Gold Tequila
• • .5 oz Margaritaville® Silver Tequila
• • .5 oz Triple Sec
• • .5 oz Orange Curacao
• • .5 oz Lime juice
• • 2 Lime Wedges

Rim margarita glass with salt. Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Squeeze limes and add to tin. Shake vigorously and pour into a margarita

Singapore Sling

The Singapore Sling was created at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore by the head bartender some when during the early 1900s. The original recipe has been lost in the mists of time, but this one was created by using recollections of the bartenders, hastily jotted down by a customer who asked for it, and is taken from the recipe card of the Raffles Hotel.

Ingredients per serving:

• 30ml Gin

• 15 ml Cherry Brandy

• 120 ml Pineapple Juice

• 15 ml Lime Juice

• 7.5 ml Cointreau

• 7.5 ml Dom Benedictine

• 10 ml Grenadine

• A Dash of Angostura Bitters

• Garnish with a slice of Pineapple and Cherry

Apparently the recipe was first created as a women’s drink but is now popular world wide. I personally find this one an acquired taste, and a little too complicated to make. It works just fine though.

After such a complex recipe, here’s a few easy ones.

Rum highball

• 2 oz Captain Morgan’s spiced rum

• Splash of Tonic water

• Lime

Add Captain Morgan's spiced rum to a glass full of ice. Add a splash of tonic water. Rim glass with lime. Drink. Repeat.

It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Pineapple cocktail

Ingredients per serving:

• • 2 oz light rum
• • 2 oz pineapple juice
• • 1/4 oz lemon juice
• • 1 tsp simple syrup
• • Pineapple wedge

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Virgin Sex on the beach

• 1 part orange juice

• 1 part cranberry juice

• 1 oz peach nectar

• 1 tbsp grenadine syrup

Mix equal parts of orange juice and cranberry juice, add nectar, and pour over ice. Add the grenadine and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Virgin Pina Colada

• 7 oz apple juice

• 2 oz coconut cream

• crushed ice

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously and pour. Do not strain.

And now we are coming to the end of the list. There can be only one best boat drink, but I couldn’t decide between these two, so here are the last recipes.

Pina Colada

Ingredients per serving:

• 4 oz. fresh pineapple juice

• 3 oz. rum

• 2 oz. coconut cream

• Crushed ice

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously and pour into a glass. If you have a blender on your boat, blend instead. Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry.

And back to the Alcohol:

Long Island Ice tea

This is Ransom Bishop’s original recipe and is one of the strangest vodka drinks I have tried - and watch out, this one sneaks up on you like a lounge lizard in a singles bar.

Ingredients per serving:
• One fresh lemon half
• One fresh lime half
• 1/2 oz. Rum
• 1 oz. Vodka
• 1 oz. Whiskey
• 1/2 oz. Gin
• 1/2 oz. Tequila
• 1/2 oz. Maple Syrup

Squeeze the fruit into a pint glass full of ice, add the other ingredients, mix thoroughly and then add 4 oz soda water or coke without stirring. Light the blue touch paper and step away.

Of course there can be no such thing as a definitive list, but these are all tried, tested and guaranteed successes.

Boat Drinks !