Thunder In Paradise
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 12.3% ABV ∙
Thunder In Paradise shakes Caribbean aged rum with Oloroso sherry, orgeat, lime and cream of coconut, strained over crushed ice in a sling glass. Silky and lush on the tongue, with a bright citrus snap cutting through nutty sweetness before a lingering, faintly nutty, warm finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Caribbean aged rum 30 mlOloroso sherry 15 mlOrgeat (almond) syrup 15 mlLime juice 20 mlCream of coconut 20 ml
- Strain into the glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with Creole-style bitters drops to color the ice crown and top with a maraschino cherry
- Serve with a straw
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before packing the crushed ice, or the ice crown melts fast and dilutes the drink.
- Shake hard and long enough to fully emulsify the cream of coconut with the rum and lime, so it doesn't separate in the glass.
History
Thunder in Paradise was created by bartender Steve Schneider at Employees Only, the speakeasy-style cocktail bar in New York's West Village where he rose from apprentice to principal bartender and later bar manager. The drink pairs aged rum with oloroso sherry, orgeat, lime juice, and cream of coconut, a tiki-leaning combination built around ingredients not typically served together. The earliest documented version of the recipe was made with Caña Brava 7-year rum and a homemade orgeat syrup, a build later adapted for wider use with commercial substitutes.
FAQ
What is in a Thunder In Paradise cocktail?
Caribbean aged rum, Oloroso sherry, orgeat (almond) syrup, fresh lime juice, and cream of coconut, shaken together and strained over crushed ice. It is finished with drops of Creole-style bitters on the ice crown and a maraschino cherry, then served with a straw in a sling glass.
