cocktail no.9 | yankee vacation
The cranberry is the Yankee and the pineapple is the vacation in this yummy summer drink.
This cocktail is the stuff of legend. A legend within the clan of the Souvenirs. If you have spent any quality time with the five of us, our people, and adult beverages, you have heard of the Yankee Vacation.
Where this cocktail began and how it persevered are lost to me. I have never consumed a Yankee Vacation, nor am I confident I have ever been in its presence. Divorced from its origin, this cocktail has become a proxy for deliciousness and fun. At one point there was a campaign – we were all to request this tasty tipple at bars to establish its rightful place in the catalog of cocktails. An extremely short-lived activation.
Though clouded in a boozy haze, one aspect of the Yankee Vacation is clear – it’s originator, my sister-in-law, Jamie. This drink is of her creation and, possibly, sole enjoyment, but the story of this cocktail brings us all joy. So, in honor of her, we are making the Yankee Vacation real.
To capture the spirit of the original, we did a little research. What was the original recipe? How did she come up with the name? The answers are entirely too good not to share:
Step 1: while sloppy drunk, pour too much gin in a glass over ice. Step 2: Add cranberry juice until it looks more reddish than pink. Spill some on the counter. Step 3. Add a splash of pineapple juice.
and
The cranberry is the Yankee and the pineapple is the vacation.
Armed with this research, we knew we had to create a cocktail that was sweet, bright, and fun. It needed to be the sort of cocktail you’d be delighted to receive upon arrival at your New England vacation resort in the late summer.
We tested a lot of variations and eventually landed on a cocktail that evokes that delightful moment when vacation energy is just setting in. Plus, it tastes like purple. Fun fact: the 'Purple Dome' is a New England type aster that blooms in late summer/early fall with hundreds of deep lavender-purple flowers.
Create your own summer holiday and enjoy Yankee Vacation.
Ingredients
2 ounces Empress 1908 gin
1 ounce Morin cranberry syrup
1/2 ounce pineapple juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
Steps
Pour ingredients into a mixing glass over ice
Shake vigorously until well-chilled
Strain the cocktail from the mixing glass into Collins glass filled with ice
Garnish with a lime
Serve with a straw