The Cocktail Scientist
B U S H W A C K E R
Bushwacker
INTRODUCTION
The Bushwacker is a mouthwatering frozen cocktail that is a staple on many drink menus today. Born in the Caribbean and originally invented using vodka, the drink is now appreciated all over the world with rum as its star ingredient. Often referred to as the “Chocolate Piña Colada” or the signature drink of Gulf Coast beaches of the United States, the drink can also pass as a spirited dessert. But for Bushwacker faithful, the cocktail is more than just another tropical beach concoction, the drink is synonymous with ultimate relaxation and noble beach life.
MATERIALS & METHODS
Test tubes of Cocktail Scientist 2
Ingredients:
- Dark Rum – 1.0 oz (30 mL)
- Kahlua – 1.0 oz (30 mL)
- Dark Crème de Cocoa – 1.0 oz (30 mL)
- Cream of Coconut – 2.0 oz (60 mL)
- Milk (or Half & Half) – 2.0 oz (60 mL)
- 1 Cup of Ice
- Garnish: 1 Maraschino Cherry
- Garnish: Whipped Cream (optional)
- Garnish: Nutmeg (optional)
Directions:
- Blend all ingredients together in a blender.
- Pour cocktail into a Hurricane cocktail glass.
- Garnish with whipped cream, nutmeg, and a single maraschino cherry.
DISCUSSION
Origin
The only mystery surrounding the origin of the Bushwacker cocktail is if it was destiny or a matter of chance that the cocktail was first built in the Spring of 1975 at the Ship’s Store Pub in Sapphire Village in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Angie Conigliaro, cousin of Tony Conigliaro of the Boston Red Sox (1964-67, 1969-1970, 1975) and Tom Brokamp, the restaurant’s manager at the time, were working together one evening when Tom suggested to Angie, they create a tropical variation of the White Russian (1). A White Russian is another delectable cocktail made of vodka, coffee liqueur and cream.
Besides vodka as the base spirit early on, Dark Crème de Cocoa was introduced as a cost savings measure only because Kahlua, while used in the development of the cocktail, was quite more expensive (2). For weeks the creamy cocktail was served without a name while the final recipe was still being sorted out. However, it did not take long for lightning to strike. The story goes…. that one evening, just weeks after the drink’s inception, two flight attendants entered the restaurant with a very large dog, a pure-bred Afghan Hound in search of the cocktail. By now the unnamed cocktail was gaining quite the popular regard around Sapphire Village, and Angie was serving it up quite regularly. Almost immediately, Angie and the restaurant staff took to the flight attendant’s distinguished canine companion, and the flight attendants took to the unnamed cocktail (multiple times). Thus, it was the inevitability of serendipity that evening in which love at first sight and love at first sip lead to the naming of Angie’s cocktail after the dog who was so aptly named, “Bushwacker.”
That same year, Linda Murphy, the then owner of the Sandshaker Beach Bar in Pensacola, Florida, took the cocktail back to her place, and replaced vodka with dark rum, while also adding additional garnishes of whipped cream and a cherry (3). Nutmeg is also sometimes added to the Bushwacker as an optional final garnish.
Flavor Profile
Rum
The addition of a high congener rum, a dark rum, adds richness in flavor to the Bushwacker cocktail that a low congener rum, like a light rum, would not necessarily add. Dark rums used to make the Bushwacker cocktail contain a significant share of esters and are considered heavy rums. These esters are bold flavoring agents which contribute to the aromatic properties of the cocktail that originated from the process of being aged and stored in charred oak barrels. It is worth noting that there are low-congener dark rums, those that achieve their color through caramel coloring. However, using Dark rums that are light bodied are not preferred in the construction of the Bushwacker cocktail.
Additional Ingredients
Kahlua
Kahlua is a coffee-flavored sugar-based liqueur from Mexico that also contains rum, sugar and 100% arabica coffee. (4) Today, Kahlua is provided at 40 Proof, 20% ABV (Alcohol By Volume), but earlier versions of the spirit were made at 53 Proof, 26.5% ABV. (5)
Dark Crème de Cacao
Crème de Cacao is not a dark colored chocolate liqueur. The spirit can be clear or a dark caramel color, and Dark Crème de Cacao itself is a dark sweet alcoholic liqueur that is chocolate bean flavored. The French word “crème” refers to the creamy texture of this very sweet liqueur, achieved by having a sugar content of at least 250 g/l as required by European law, and there is no dairy cream in it (6).
Cream of Coconut
Cream of Coconut is a blended cream from the hearts of coconuts with the perfect proportion of cane sugar added. The result is a processed coconut milk that is thick and heavily sweetened. The addition of Cream of Coconut to the Bushwacker cocktail adds a foaming or frothing texture to the blend which also enhances the aromatic properties of the cocktail.
Milk (or Half & Half)
The Bushwacker relies on milk, or half & half, as a significant source of cream and texture for the cocktail. The utilization of milk in cocktails not only coats one’s palate but also can inhibit the perception of how much alcohol is in a cocktail due to the level of coating fats. As one might expect and likely has observed, milk and alcohol are not best friends in an alcoholic beverage and visual separation is routinely witnessed relatively quickly after being shaken and/or stirred together. Why they work so well together in the Bushwacker cocktail is due to blending. The act of blending with ice creates a much finer dispersion of each ingredient which allows the drink to sit, unbroken, much longer.
NUTRITION
One look at the Bushwacker cocktail ingredient list and how it is prepared, and it is not hard to see why there has been a lot of debate that the drink may seem more like an adult milkshake than a tropical cocktail. Not including the garnishes, the cocktail boasts a whopping 406 calories per 7 ounce serving. Furthermore, every ingredient in the Bushwacker, except for the dark rum, provides a significant contribution of sugar to the drink as well. And while there is no level of sun-bathing that will help you burn calories while enjoying a Bushwacker cocktail, that should not prohibit one from consuming it. One most always remember the simple equation: energy in = energy out, or calories eaten = calories burned; and the best way to do that is through proper exercise.
NUTRITION FACTS
(Amount Per 1 Fl oz in a 7 oz Cocktail)
Calories: 58.0
Total Fat: 0.9 g
Cholesterol: 0.4 mg
Sodium: 4.72 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 6.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g
Sugar: 6.7 g
CONCLUSION
The Bushwacker is a tropical beach cocktail that was born from chance and luck many years ago in a small restaurant bar in the Caribbean. And although appearing as the ultimate indulgence in the family of rum cocktails, the Bushwacker today has a growing fan base that will continue to maintain the drink’s popularity on bar menus, regardless of nutritional value. For the cocktail both visually and by taste is the perfect synonym for relaxation and escape.
REFERENCES
- Wikipedia. (2020). Tony Conigliaro. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Conigliaro
- Brokamp, T. (2009). The Bushwacker. Retrieved from: https://www.vinow.com/wwwtalk/virgin-islands-travel-forum/bushwacker-drink-recipe/paged/3/
- Sandshaker. (2020). Bushwacker Drink Recipe. Retrieved from: http://www.sandshaker.com/The-Bushwacker
- Mobile Cuisine. (2020). Kahlua Fun Facts. Retrieved from: https://mobile-cuisine.com/did-you-know/kahlua-fun-facts/
- Kahlua. (1975). Kahlua Ad. Retrieved from: https://www.brandhot.de/spirituosen/kahlua-black-russian/205/
- Wikipedia. (2020). Crème de cacao. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_liqueur#Cr%C3%A8me_de_cacao
