I’ve mixed up a fun and funky riff on a tiki style classic. The original comes from mixologist Jillian Vose, a Cape Cod native who is a rock star in the New York mixology scene. She is currently the beverage director at The Dead Rabbit, twice named the World’s Best Bar, among many other accolades which she helped achieve. This recipe comes from her prior time at Death and Company, another iconic bar, and can be found in their essential cocktail book. While gin is an unusual base spirit for a tiki recipe, it works well in her drink, in the form of “Old Tom” gin, a malty-er, sweeter, old fashioned style of gin resurrected in modern times. She named the drink the “Tom Bomb” because of it.

I’ve swapped out the Old Tom for something even odder for a tiki recipe, an Italian amaro. I’ve used Zucca, an unusual amaro featuring the rich and earthy flavor of Chinese rhubarb root. Combined with pineapple, lemon, orgeat (almond syrup), acacia honey, and a classic mix of vanilla and allspice syrup known as “Donn’s Mix #2” (in honor of Donn Beach, one of the original tiki pioneers from the 1930’s), the drink is tiki heaven, and the Zucca is a surprise hit which works amazingly well. In fact, it’s “Z Bomb”! Here’s to turning things around in new and fantastic ways, and hoping they don’t explode on you, unless of course, you want them to. Cheers!

Z Bomb adapted from Jillian Vose

1 oz Zucca

½ oz gin

¼ oz Donn’s Spices #2 (1:1 mix of vanilla syrup and Allspice Dram)

½ oz lemon

½ oz pineapple

¼ oz orgeat

¼ oz acacia honey syrup

Shake ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. No garnish required, but let’s face it, garnishes make life more fun.

For more about the explosive “Ze Bomb” puzzle see:

Boxes and Booze: Things That Go Boom