Q.B. Cooler

The Q.B. Cooler is a vintage tiki cocktail invented by Donn Beach that calls for a mixture of several rums (Puerto Rican dark rum, Jamaican rum, Demerara 151 proof rum), two syrups (fassionola, falernum), fruit juices (orange, lime), and honey, mixed with club soda and dashes of Pernod, bitters, and grenadine.[1] Another version purported to be from 1937 is slightly different and calls for varying rum proportions and ginger syrup in place of the fassionola and Pernod.[2]

History

Beach created the Q.B. Cooler for his Don the Beachcomber restaurants, which he limited to two per customer.[3][4] An aviation themed drink similar to Beach's Test Pilot, Beach had served in the US Army Air Corp. during World War II.[5] The "Q.B." stood for Quiet Birdmen, or more fully "ye Anciente and Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen", a fraternity of male aviators dating back to the first world war.[6]

Mai Tai connection

Beach is generally acknowledged as the father of the "Tiki bar",[7][8] and his obituary in the New York Times alleged he had invented 84 bar drinks, but the Mai Tai cocktail was claimed to be originally created by both Beach and Victor Bergeron (aka, Trader Vic). Although Trader Vic's won an out of court settlement as to the naming rights for cocktail, the drink's true origin continues to be debated.[9][10] According to Mick Brownlee, who worked with Donn for over 10 years, the drink Bergeron named the Mai Tai was created in his efforts to try to emulate the flavor of a Q.B. Cooler.[11]

References
  1. Bitner, Arnold (2001). Hawai'i Tropical Rum Drinks by Don the Beaschcomber. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing. p. 46.
  2. Berry, Jeff (2010). Beachbum Berry Remixed. San Jose: Club Tiki Press. p. 84.
  3. "Beachcomber Menu". scholarsarchive.jwu.edu. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  4. "Don The Beachcomber". donthebeachcomber.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  5. Sinesky, Alice (September 16, 1986). "INTERVIEW WITH DONN BEACH" (PDF). The Watumull Foundation, Oral History Project.
  6. Hastings-Black, Julia; Turback, Michael (March 2016). Remixology, Class Cocktails Reconsidered. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781634506601. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  7. Kirsten, Sven (2000). The Book of Tiki. Taschen. p. 55.
  8. "Donn the Beachcomber helped launch a wave of Polynesian restaurants". articles.latimes.com. May 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  9. "The Mai Tai 1944". lettersandliquor.com. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  10. "The infamous Mai Tai Court Case". tikiroom.com. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  11. Berry, Jeff (2010). Beachbum Berry Remixed. San Jose: Club Tiki Press. p. 69.
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