Cobra's Fang

The Cobra's Fang is a vintage tiki cocktail invented by Donn Beach that calls for a mixture of rums along with fassionola and falernum syrups, the juice of orange and limes, and a dash each of bitters and grenadine.[1] The recipe from the book Hawai'i: Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine By Don the Beaschcomber calls for it being garnished with fresh mint and a lime wheel, although a length of spiral cut lime peel made to look like a snake is used for aesthetics in some cobra named cocktails.[2]

Cobra's Fang
Cocktail
TypeMixed drink
Servedblended with crushed ice
Standard garnishFresh mint and lime wheel
Standard drinkwareTall clear glass
Commonly used ingredients
  • 1/2 oz Demerera 151 rum
  • 1/2 oz Jamaican dark rum
  • 1/4 oz Fassionola syrup
  • 1/2 oz Falernum syrup
  • 1/2 oz Orange juice
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • Dash each bitters & grenadine

History

The Cobra's Fang was one of many drinks with theatrical names placed onto "The Beachcomber"'s menus, going along with the likes of the Shark's Tooth and Nelson's Blood and meant to evoke a sense of faux-danger as part of the exotic tropical mood he set for his bars.[3][4] As shown on a 1941 Don the Beachcomber drink menu the Cobra's Fang cost $1 and was served in a tall curved glass.[5]

Some feel the use of fassionola syrup was particularly important to the drink, which Beach may have brought along with him from his youth in New Orleans.[6][7][8][9][10] Some claim fassionola was invented by Beach.[11] Others believe that is unclear.[12]

Variations

Jeff Berry has a version from circa 1937 that he also attributes to Donn Beach that calls for 1 1/2 oz 151 proof Demerara rum, 1/2 oz passion fruit syrup, 1/2 oz orange and lime juices, 1/2 oz of falernum, 1 dash of bitters and 6 drops of absinthe.[13] The Tiki Ti has their own version as well.[14]

The Sidewinder's Fang was The Lanai restaurant's version of a Cobra's Fang cooler and called for 1 oz of Demerara rum, 1 oz dark Jamaican rum, 1 1/2 oz of passion fruit syrup, and 1 1/2 oz each of orange and lime juice along with 3 oz of club soda.[15]

Eponymous mug

As served in the early days of the Beachcomber restaurants, the Cobra's Fang was presented in a tall curved glass. Because some later drink menus from other restaurants showed the Cobra's Fang in a special snake shaped Tiki mug there is debate over whether such a historical mug truly existed.[16] Regardless, modern manufacturing of a replica for such a mug has taken place.[17]

References
  1. Bitner, Arnold (2001). Hawai'i Tropical Rum Drinks by Don the Beachcomber. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing. p. 46.
  2. "Bronx Zoo Cobra". thekitchn.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  3. "Don The Beachcomber". donthebeachcomber.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  4. Berry, Jeff (2010). Beachbum Berry Remixed. San Jose: Slave Labor Graphics. p. 26.
  5. "1941 Beachcomber Menu". scholarsarchive.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  6. "Drink category winners and New Orleans mixologists Max J. Messier and Lauren Myerscough revive a lost tiki syrup". gardenandgun.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  7. "Top 10 Don the Beachcomber Drinks". drunkentiki.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  8. "What happened to fassionola?". eater.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  9. "Cobra's Fang". liquor.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  10. "Cobra's Fang Recipe". supercall.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  11. "Fassionola: The Greatest Syrup You've Never Heard Of". supercall.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  12. "Fassionola tiki syrup". eater.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  13. "Publication Total Tiki". beachbumberry.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  14. "A Cobra's Fang". tiki-ti.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  15. Berry, Jeff (2010). Beachbum Berry Remixed. San Jose: Club Tiki Press. p. 86.
  16. "Cobra's Fang Mug". tikiroom.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  17. "Where did the tiki mug come from". laweekly.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
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