If there is such a thing as an elegant Tiki drink, this is it! Even if your party isn’t Tiki themed, this simple drink will impress. 
Rockets and jet aircraft were all the rage in the Tiki era and every bartender had appropriately named drinks. This was Popo Galsini’s and won 1st Place in the World Cocktail Championship in 1967.
This is from the Luau in Beverly Hills cr. 1958. Single serving:
The original martini contained a lot of vermouth, even equal to or more than the gin, and orange bitters. But over time, the vermouth became a drop or two or just a rinse, and the orange bitters were lost entirely. This is my version of that classic martini. I use St. George Botanivore Gin and Dolin Vermouth. The Botanivore has a nice herbal flavor without a lot of juniper. Also, use fresh good vermouth, it will cost $12.95 instead of $9.95. Vermouth goes bad overnight after opening unless you refrigerate it. Then it will last a week or so, (All right, dig that old bottle out of your cabinet you opened 5 years ago and throw it out!)
I like my Doc Elliott’s Actually Bitter Orange Bitters, (I wonder why?), but Suze Orange Bitters work well. Also, the garnish is essential. The olive and the lemon zest impart a very different character to the drink. I suggest you try this drink both ways.
This cocktail was invented in 1915 at the New York Bar (later Harry’s Bar), in Paris to honor the soldiers fighting in WWI. It was named for the French 75mm canon which could be heard in Paris as they boomed away at the front.
Instructions
This is a very old drink and was probably the precursor to the Singapore Sling
Before Tiki was Tiki and before Donn Beach and Trader Vic were born, there was the Singapore Sling. The original was created in 1905 at the Raffle’s Hotel in Singapore. This is a mid-century version.
Another classic, pre-prohibition cocktail. I have no idea what it has to do with Alaska! As Paul Clarke points out: “The Savoy Cocktail Book, where this drink appeared in 1930, is less than helpful in illuminating the drink’s origins: ‘So far as can be ascertained this delectable potion is NOT the staple diet of the Esquimaux. It was probably first thought of in South Carolina hence its name,’ according to the book.” I suggest trying this with Hendrick’s gin. The Yellow Chartreuse really plays with Hendrick’s botanicals. However, for a more original version use a London Dry, such as Ford’s. Where ever its origin and whichever gin, the Alaska Cocktail is worth trying.
Cheers!
This cocktail plays on the herbal notes of the Hendrick’s. Add the citrus and it makes for an excellent libation.
Cheers!
Hendrick’s Gin has more of an herbal flavor and less on the juniper. There is a hint of cucumber. It’s one of those subtle nuances that I would never have picked up on if not told it was there. But this “hint of cucumber” has brought forth a plethora of “Cucumber and Hendrick’s” drinks. They all taste a lot like cucumber to me, which is fine in a salad, but one that I find less than appealing in a cocktail. I came up with this drink that combines the herbal flavors of Hendrick’s, St. Germaine and Chartreuse with cardamom and cucumber. The cucumber is muddled just enough by the ice cubes.