Recipe
The Florida Special
Print or online media may reprint this excerpt with the following attribution: “Excerpted from Good Spirits, by A.J. Rathbun, © 2007 used by permission of The Harvard Common Press.”
The Florida Special
This individual must be blended until it reaches a frothy consistency that resembles the whitecaps off Miami Beach. It chills the teeth, brings a tang to the tongue, and forms the ideal companion for meandering walks on the sand beneath the setting sun. If a romantic companion for those meandering walks already resides, I propose making two Florida Specials before even beginning to amble. That way, there won’t be any disagreements over who holds the glass.
Serves 2
2 cups cracked ice
4 ounces white rum
2 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce Simple Syrup (see below)
2 maraschino cherries for garnish
1. Add the ice, rum, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup to a blender. Blend well, while humming the TV theme to Miami Vice and dreaming of white suit coats.
2. Pour the mix into 2 cocktail glasses. Garnish each with a cherry (or 2, if you’re feeling frisky).
Simple Syrup
Makes 4 1/2 cups (36 ounces)
2 1/2 cups water
3 cups sugar
1. Add the sugar and water to a medium-size saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat a bit, keeping the mixture at a low boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Turn off the heat, and let the syrup cool completely in the pan. Store in a clean airtight container in the refrigerator.
