Beachcomber
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 25.7% ABV ∙
The Beachcomber is a shaken rum sour of white rum, triple sec, lime, and a touch of maraschino liqueur, served up in a coupe. Tart lime leads, but the maraschino slips in a faint cherry-almond sweetness under the rum before a clean, citrusy finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: White rum 45 mlTriple sec 20 mlLime juice 15 mlMaraschino liqueur 5 mlSugar syrup 5 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tips
- Shake all five ingredients hard with fresh cubed ice for a full 12-15 seconds to achieve proper dilution and a cold, frothy texture before straining.
- Taste the mix before shaking and only add the optional 5 ml sugar syrup if the lime juice is unusually tart, since triple sec and maraschino already add sweetness.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice, not bottled, as the small 15 ml volume means any bitterness or staleness will noticeably skew the balance.
- Fine-strain into a chilled coupe glass to remove ice shards and pulp, then express a lime wedge over the surface before dropping it in as garnish.
History
The Beachcomber is a tiki-era cocktail published by Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron in his 1947 Bar-Tender's Guide, built from white rum, orange liqueur, lime juice, maraschino liqueur, and sugar syrup, traditionally blended with ice and served in a coupe. Bergeron ran his own chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants under the "Trader Vic's" name starting in Oakland, California, during the tiki boom of the 1930s and 1940s. The drink's name closely echoes that of Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, known as Donn Beach, who had opened the rival Hollywood bar Don the Beachcomber a few years earlier and is credited as the pioneer of tiki-style rum cocktails; sources note the naming overlap but do not attribute this particular recipe to Beach, crediting Bergeron as its author in print.
FAQ
What's in a Beachcomber drink?
White rum, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and a small amount of maraschino liqueur, shaken and served up in a coupe. This build also includes an optional touch of sugar syrup to soften the lime, and it is garnished with a lime wedge.
Is a Beachcomber shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The lime juice and liqueurs need the hard aeration and quick chill of a shake to fully blend and lose their raw edge, which stirring cannot deliver.
What glass is a Beachcomber served in?
A coupe glass, served up. It is fine-strained after shaking, so no ice reaches the glass, and it is garnished with a lime wedge.
How many calories are in a Beachcomber?
This recipe runs about 187 calories per serving. It is also vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free, since it is built entirely from rum, liqueurs, citrus, and syrup with no dairy or animal products.
