Escape to a sun-drenched oasis with the (Eye of the) Tiger’s Blood, a complex and intensely fruity concoction built around the bright botanicals of Appalachian Heritage Gin. This cocktail masterfully blends the sweet, ripe notes of fresh strawberry, watermelon, and coconut with the zesty counterpoint of lemon and pineapple. A subtle whisper of maraschino liqueur and herbaceous yellow Italian liqueur adds depth, elevating the drink from a simple fruit punch to a sophisticated sipper. Served over shaved ice in a tall glass, its vivid color and luscious texture make it the perfect, refreshing escape.
Prep: Gather all spirits, juices, and liqueurs. Chill a hurricane glass. Measure 1.5 oz Appalachian Heritage Gin, 1.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 1 oz pineapple juice, 2.5 oz Summer Fruit Syrup, .25 oz maraschino liqueur, and .25 oz yellow Italian herbal liqueur.
Mix: Pour all measured liquid ingredients into a shaker tin with no ice (this is a ‘dry shake’ to emulsify the syrup/juices).
Shake: Dry shake the mixture vigorously for $10-15$ seconds to fully blend and aerate the ingredients. Open the tin, add a generous amount of ice, and wet shake again until the tin is frosty cold.
Serve: Fill the chilled hurricane glass completely with shaved ice. Double-strain the contents of the shaker tin over the shaved ice.
Garnish: Affix a thin frozen watermelon wedge to the rim and place strawberry slivers directly on top of the ice or floating in the drink for aromatic presentation.
