Lunar Tiki: The Ganymede Cocktail

Recently I visited Jason Alexander at the Tacoma Cabana – a frequent experience, to be honest. On this visit, he was super excited about a new drink he’d just created. After experimenting unsuccessfully with a number of recipes, including the classic Saturn cocktail, one experiment just clicked. I of course ordered it and had to agree, it’s damn good! Jason named it the Ganymede, a reference to the largest moon of Saturn. It’s a great name, even though the recipe now looks nothing like the original inspiration.

The Ganymede recipe calls for the Lost Spirits Navy Style rum which is becoming somewhat easier to find, but still may not be readily available to you. In the event you can’t source it where you are, a dark overproof like Lemon Hart 151 or Plantation Original Dark (146 proof) may work for you. Jason also thinks a combination of Cruzan Single Barrel and Coruba Dark might work.

Ganymede Recipe

• 0.5 oz lime juice
• 0.5 oz punch mix (recipe below)
• 0.5 oz honey syrup (1:1 honey and water)
• 0.25 oz falernum (house made, preferably)
• 0.25 oz blackberry liqueur
• 2 oz Lost Spirits Navy Style rum (68%)

Shake over ice, pour into double Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with flowers, mint, etc.

Jasper’s Punch Mix Recipe

The punch mix will take a little time to make in advance, but it’s worth it. It’s essentially Jason’s variation of Jasper’s Secret Mix from Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails:

• 8 oz sugar
• 8 oz lime juice
• 1 oz Angostura bitters
• 1/2 nutmeg, grated

Combine all ingredients, stir till sugar dissolves. Stir occasionally until the nutmeg is completely dissolved (may be a few hours).

As a bonus for crafting the punch mix, you can now easily make Jasper’s Rum Punch:

Jasper’s Rum Punch Recipe

• 1.5 oz Wray and Nephew Overproof rum
• 1.5 oz punch mix

Shake over ice.