Scorpion
A fruity and sour rum cocktail ∙ Blend ∙ 4 min ∙ 12.7% ABV ∙
The Scorpion is a blended tiki cocktail of light gold rum, Cognac, orange and lemon juice, and orgeat, poured unstrained into an old-fashioned glass.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Blend all ingredients with ice: Light gold rum 45 mlCognac 20 mlOrange juice 50 mlLemon juice 30 mlOrgeat (almond) syrup 15 ml
- Add half a scoop of crushed ice and blend again
- Pour unstrained into the chilled glass
- Garnish with an orange wheel and a mint sprig
Tips
- Squeeze the orange and lemon fresh; at 80 ml between them, they make up half the drink.
History
The Scorpion is a tiki cocktail credited to Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron, who traced it to a bar called The Hut in 1930s Honolulu, where it was made with the local Hawaiian spirit okolehao rather than rum. Bergeron adapted the drink for his own Trader Vic's restaurants, substituting the more readily available rum and brandy for the okolehao. The recipe first appeared in print in his 1946 Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink as a recipe that included gin and white wine alongside rum and brandy. Over the following decades he simplified the formula, and his 1972 Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide fixed the leaner rum-brandy-citrus-orgeat build that became standard.
Because the drink was served from a large communal ceramic bowl decorated with island motifs and garnished with a floating gardenia, it also became known as the Scorpion Bowl. That name came to mean the shared version, while "Scorpion" denoted the single-serving cocktail.
FAQ
What is in a Scorpion drink?
Light gold rum, Cognac, fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice, and orgeat (almond) syrup.
How do you make a Scorpion?
Blend light gold rum, Cognac, fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice, and orgeat syrup with ice, then add a half scoop of crushed ice and blend again briefly. Pour the whole mixture unstrained into a pre-chilled old-fashioned glass and garnish with an orange wheel and a mint sprig.
What's the best rum for a Scorpion?
A light gold rum. It has enough sugarcane flavor to stand up to the Cognac and orgeat without burying the fresh citrus. A rum that is too dark or heavily spiced will clash with the almond in the orgeat.
What's the difference between a Mai Tai and a Scorpion Bowl?
A Mai Tai is a single-serve rum sour of lime juice and orange curaçao, shaken and served over crushed ice. A Scorpion is blended with orange and lemon juice, Cognac, and orgeat and poured unstrained. A Scorpion Bowl is the same blended recipe made large to share, often served with several straws.
