Invented by Don the Beachcomber around 1937, it's thought to be the drink that Trader Vic based the flavor profile of his 1944 Mai Tai on.Although Donn evolved the QB Cooler over the years - switching up the rums, dropping the soda and replacing the honey and falernum with passion fruit and simple syrup - we’ve settled on the original (as per Jeff Berry’s Sipping Safari) as it’s likely the one that Trader Vic first tasted.
Pour all ingredients into a blender, including the soda, then pulse blend, quickly switching on/off 5-6 times. The finished texture should still have fragments of ice - you’re not looking to create a slushy.
Pourunstrained into a Double Old Fashioned glass.
Bruisethe mint bygiving it a good slapto release the oils and then work it down the side of the glass into the ice.
Notes
Honey Mix
Combine equal parts (1:1 ratio) of water and honey in a saucepan, over a low to medium heat.
Stir until the honey has fully dissolved, but do not let it boil.
Allow to cool and pour into a sterilized bottle.
Ginger Infused Sugar Syrup
Peel a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger and then cut into thin slices or batons.
Place into a saucepan along with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar.
Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid has returned to a clear consistency.
Lower the heat, cover the saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes.
Then remove from the heat and let it rest for at least 2 hours.
Strain into a sterilized bottle.
Both syrups should last for around 2 weeks in the fridge, however, if you add an ounce or two of a neutral spirit such as vodka, it will extend their shelf life to around a month.The Quiet Birdmen
The initials Q.B stand for ‘Quiet Birdmen’ - a secret drinking fraternity of WW1 aviators. Formed in 1921 as an offshoot of The American Flying Club, they began meeting in an Italian restaurant, named Marta’s in Greenwich Village in 1921. Ironically named due to the boisterous nature of the group, they were soon booted out of Marta’s and began meeting at a different location each time. Membership cost? One dollar until death.
Members included Charles Lindbergh, a number of NASA astronauts and even former combat foe Ernst Udet, international playboy and the highest scoring German flying ace to survive WW1!
A Q.B. meeting would normally start with a silent toast to deceased members, raising their glasses to the west in a salute to the journey they’ve taken ('Gone West' being airman’s slang for dying). Food and drinks would then be served, with sometimes a talk or seminar afterwards. Lewd, colorful jokes were aplenty and it wasn’t unheard of to have a bit of semi-nude female entertainment, especially at the larger meetings or ‘Wing Dings’!