Wow, ok, the idea of a “cocktail every day” kind of falls by the wayside when things get busy! So, my apologies. Let me make it up to ya’ll with a bright and tasty summertime cocktail!

Here’s one that a friend of mine fell in love with on a recent visit to Bermuda; he didn’t did get the recipe from the bartender but did come back demanding I find out how it’s made. One of my trusty cocktail books, Caribbean Cocktails, describes it as this:

The Yellowbird

Fresh squeezed juice of one orange
Fresh squeezed juice of half a lemon
1 ounce Tia Maria
1 ounce Dark Rum
1/4 ounce of Passion Fruit Syrup

Shake over ice, decant into a Collins or rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Orance slice for garnish.

I’m a little wary of recipes that call for “the juice of X”; I prefer exact measurements. What if it’s a big orange? A small lemon? Meh. Gimmie specifics. You’d never hear Trader Vic say “throw in some lime juice”. Great drinks follow exacting specifications! Cocktails are like alchemy; you need the exact amound of X and Y to create Z. That being said, I tried this one with an “average” sized orange and lemon and it worked out pretty good… Anyone else have a alternate recipe? The Yellowbird may be an elusive fowl to pin down. Like the unicorn, I have the feeling it’s a fabled creature that takes many forms.

I will continue my hunt.