cocktails
Polynesian Spell
法術波利尼西亞
- 1½ oz. gin
- 1 oz. grape juice
- ¾ oz. lemon juice
- ¼ oz. triple sec
- ¼ oz. peach schnapps
- ½ tsp. simple syrup
Shake well with ice. Officially, this is strained for serving, but I prefer it with the ice left in.
Do you remember Dior’s Poison, the original version from the late ’80s? It had a lovely grapey, spicy, tuberose nose with a whompy bass. Some people found it cloying (hi, mom!) but I always wanted to lick it. The aroma of this refreshing little drink reminded me of that—and tastes a whole lot better than perfume does.
We tried this a few different ways: fancy, organic grape juice from the Coöp, Welch’s, and with grape soda. The organic grape juice tasted marginally better than the Welch’s, but the Welch’s clarity photographs better. The grape soda version was completely undrinkable and poured into the sink!
At a half-cup per serving, the Polynesian Spell is a wee drink, but strong. It tastes so good, though, that it’s hard to sip. If you’d like more refreshment but not the extra booze and what comes after that, the fruity tartness mixes down very well with 7Up.
BONUS PUNCH VERSION
- 1 l. (or to taste) 7Up or white soda
- 1 .750 l. bottle gin
- 2¼ c. grape juice
- 1½ c. lemon juice
- ½ c. triple sec
- ½ c. peach schnapps
- 2½ Tbsp. simple syrup
Original by Sandro Conti of the Kahiki Supper Club, Columbus, Ohio. Here, from Beach Bum Berry Remixed, a book we highly recommend.