Grand Poobah

 This nutty, fruity, punch-like cocktail came to me shortly after I played the rear-gunner of a conga line while vacationing in Alaska. The name must have come to me when I was selected as the island’s Grand Poobah, then tasked with selecting a virgin for the annual volcano sacrifice.

 For some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about bananas and cherries while mulling over the decision of which young, nubile virgin we should fling into the caldera (did I mention they were all 18?). The acidity of the citrus flavors occurred to me when I realized that the frothing Sourdoughs surrounding me were actually serious and currently booking a flight to Alaska’s nearest active volcano. The nut flavors flashed into my mind as the doomed girl and I fled the village and ran over a mile—while barely out-pacing several dozen cannibalistic lumberjacks, us screaming hysterically the entire time, perhaps wetting ourselves—before we were able to flag down an ice cream truck, whose top speed was, fortunately, barely adequate to eventually wear out the villagers and the vendor took us all the way to the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington D.C. while blasting a tinny, single-tone rendition of “The Way We Were.”

If you’ve read my recipes you know I like my drinks served straight up, in a chilled cocktail glass. This drink is better for slow sipping, though, and dilutes well, so use a bigger glass, throw some ice in it and maybe even make yourself a double. If you want to go really “island” then use a coconut shell, just like we used in Alaska.

Here’s what you do:

• Fill a rocks (or larger) glass with ice cubes and add
• 3/4 oz. Skyy Citrus Vodka
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz. cherry brandy or liqueur
• 1/4 oz. crème de banana
• 1/4 oz. Frangelico
•  1/4 oz. Amaretto
• 1/4 oz. Grand Marnier
• 1/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters (optional)
• Add a splash of maraschino juice
• Garnish generously with a couple marachino cherries and some orange wedges
• Serve with a straw