Jet Pilot
Jet Pilot is made with three rum styles with falernum, grapefruit, lime, cinnamon and absinthe, chilled for serving.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a rocks glass and prepare the garnish before mixing.
Blend the measured liquid ingredients without ice on a slow setting.
If using the optional xanthan, sprinkle it in gradually while the blender runs so it disperses evenly.
Add the published 7 oz scoop of crushed ice and blend again to a uniform texture.
Pour into the prepared rocks glass over crushed ice; do not add a second large scoop unless needed for serving.
Add a drained cocktail cherry on a pick. Provide a straw for the iced serving.
A thoughtful finish
- Use the two distinct overproof rum styles in the ingredient notes; they are not interchangeable labels.
- Squeeze the citrus close to mixing and strain out large seeds before measuring.
- Chill the serving glass as well as the mixture so the first sip stays cold.
Common mistakes
- Treating every rum as a generic dark rum removes the deliberate contrast between the three pours.
- Sweetened citrus cordial adds sugar that is not accounted for in a fresh-juice recipe.
- A warm serving glass quickly undoes the chilling achieved during mixing.
A few good questions.
What is in a Jet Pilot?
Jet Pilot is made with three rum styles with falernum, grapefruit, lime, cinnamon and absinthe.
Can I scale a Jet Pilot for more servings?
Multiply every measured ingredient by the same serving count. Prepare the measured still ingredients ahead if useful, but chill, shake or stir each serving as directed; add any carbonated finish at service.
Can I use bottled sour mix?
The selected recipe uses fresh citrus, not sour mix. A premixed sweetened product changes both acidity and sweetness and should be labeled as a substitution.
Who created the Jet Pilot?
The cited source credits Steven Crane in c. 1958 at Luau Restaurant. The recipe-version note identifies any later adaptation.
Variations
- Another bottle of the base — Editorial bottle variation: use another producer of the same overproof aged pot still rum style at the listed measure; record the bottle rather than assuming identical sweetness or strength.
- Over a large ice cube — Editorial serving variation: serve the same measured mixture over a large fresh cube in a rocks glass; continued ice melt will change its dilution over time.
Where it comes from
c. 1958 · Hollywood, California, USA · Steven Crane · Luau Restaurant
Jet Pilot is made with three rum styles with falernum, grapefruit, lime, cinnamon and absinthe, chilled for serving.
Sources
- Difford’s Guide — Jet Pilot Cocktail Recipe (reference) link
Strength. About 2.58 US standard drinks at an estimated 27.1% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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