Doctor Funk
Doctor Funk is made with dark rum, absinthe, grenadine and two fresh citrus juices over crushed ice, served cold.
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 Collins glass and prepare the garnish before mixing.
Add all measured ingredients to a shaker.
Add ice, seal the shaker and shake until the tin feels thoroughly cold.
Strain into the prepared Collins glass over crushed ice.
Set a fresh lime wedge on the rim. Provide a straw for the iced serving.
A thoughtful finish
- Keep the absinthe measure small enough for the dark rum to remain clear in the finish.
- The selected syrup is rich, two parts sugar to one part water; use that concentration for the listed measure.
- Chill the serving glass as well as the mixture so the first sip stays cold.
Common mistakes
- Using only lime omits the lemon component of this particular published version.
- Using a thin 1:1 syrup at the same volume supplies less sugar and changes the sour balance.
- A warm serving glass quickly undoes the chilling achieved during mixing.
A few good questions.
What is in a Doctor Funk?
Doctor Funk is made with dark rum, absinthe, grenadine and two fresh citrus juices over crushed ice.
Can I scale a Doctor Funk 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.
What kind of simple syrup should I use?
Use rich 2:1 sugar syrup for this selected build. A 1:1 syrup is less concentrated and should not be silently substituted at the same measure.
Who created the Doctor Funk?
The cited source credits Donn Beach (tiki adaptation) in early 1950s at Don the Beachcomber. The recipe-version note identifies any later adaptation.
Variations
- Another bottle of the base — Editorial bottle variation: use another producer of the same dark rum style at the listed measure; record the bottle rather than assuming identical sweetness or strength.
- Alternate citrus peel — Editorial presentation variation: try a different fresh citrus peel for the surface aroma while keeping the liquid formula unchanged; identify it as a garnish change.
Where it comes from
early 1950s · Palm Springs, California, USA · Donn Beach (tiki adaptation) · Don the Beachcomber
Doctor Funk is made with dark rum, absinthe, grenadine and two fresh citrus juices over crushed ice, served cold.
Sources
- Difford’s Guide — Doctor Funk Cocktail Recipe (reference) link
Strength. About 1.75 US standard drinks at an estimated 21.6% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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