Test Pilot

The Test Pilot is a vintage tiki cocktail Donn Beach created around 1941 at Don the Beachcomber, honoring the daring aviators of the early Jet Age. Two rums — funky Jamaican and clean light Puerto Rican — are braced by lime and falernum and lifted with triple sec, then given Beach's signature whisper of anise pastis and a dash of bitters. Rum-forward, spiced, and citrusy, it served as the blueprint for the later Jet Pilot, Astronaut, and Space Pilot.

TikiTropicalClassicSpirit-Forward

Ingredients

  • 1.5 ozJamaican Rum
  • 0.75 ozWhite Rum
  • 0.5 ozTriple Sec
  • 0.125 tspAnise Liqueur
  • 0.5 ozLime Juice
  • 0.5 ozFalernum
  • 1 dashAngostura Bitters

Preparation

Shaken · Double Old Fashioned · Crushed

  1. 1.

    add

    Add both rums, triple sec, anise liqueur, lime juice, falernum, and a dash of aromatic bitters to a shaker.

  2. 2.

    shake

    Add crushed ice and shake briefly (or flash-blend) until chilled and frothy.

  3. 3.

    strain

    Pour unstrained into a double old fashioned glass, adding fresh crushed ice if needed.

Flavor Profile

dilution
41%
fruity
41%
sweet
33%
funky
32%
citrus
26%
body
22%
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