Featured Recipe: The Mayday!

The Mayday! -

​As we kick off the month of May, Wayward Spirits presents our appropriately named “Mayday!” cocktail – a somewhat boozy, complex and herbal adaptation of the Test Pilot cocktail from Donn Beach. 

On the spectrum of Test Pilot to Jet Pilot, this drink falls somewhere between the two: the basic structure of the Test Pilot (dark Jamaican rum, light rum, Falernum, lime juice, and Cointreau), with the added herbs and spices sound in the Jet Pilot (cinnamon and Herbsaint).

​See the full post below for ingredients and steps for making it at home.  Cheers!

Recipe/ Instructions

Glassware:  Brandy Snifter or Double Old Fashioned Glass

Ingredients:

• ¾ oz fresh lime juice
• ½ oz Cinnamon Syrup
• ½ oz Velvet Falernum (we use John D. Taylor’s)
• ¼ oz Cointreau
• 1 ½ oz Dark Jamaican Rum (we use Lost Spirits Jamaica Rum)
• ¾ oz Light Puerto Rican Rum (We use Bacardi)
• 6-8 drops of Herbsaint (Pernod also works, but Herbsaint is preferable)
• Dash of Angostura bitters

 
Cocktail Steps:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake with ice.  Strain into glass over crushed ice.  Alternatively, you can also flash blend this cocktail with ice for a “slushier” feel

Garnish:
Garnish with a fresh (thoroughly washed) orchid flower and cherry speared with a pick
 
Wayward Spirits Rating:
Overall Score – 4 – This Mayday! strikes a nice balance between the Test Pilot and Jet Pilot cocktails and makes for a strong addition to our summer cocktail book.  With that said, many of flavors in this drink feel predictable, and left me wishing I would have just gone ahead and taken the few extra steps to make a Zombie instead.

​Let us know what you think in the comments below or share your own recommendations for improving the recipe.  Cheers!