The HRS guide to mixin'

Grampa Roy's Kamikaze mix was the official drink of the kamikaze challenge. Roy was often spotted with an IV bag containing the concoction at parties. It has been the ruin of many a poor boy both before and since. Deceptively tasty, this drink will give your party a definite "eau de kami" the next morning.

• 2 parts vodka
• 1 part Rose's Lime
• 1/2 part triple sec

The best part of the 2:1:1/2 ratio is that its easy to remember and quite easily scalable. This is best served exceedingly cold as a shooter. It can also be served over the rocks as well.

In a tall glass full of ice (a pint glass works nicely), pour:

• 1 1/2 oz Meyers Dark Rum
• 2 oz Malibu Coconut Rum
• Squeeze of lime juice
• Fill with Pinapple-Orange juice (or equal parts Pinapple & Orange)

Hank's Magic Jello
Henry was inspired by some Jello he'd had at Grampa Roy's one evening. His concoction is nothing like Roy's stuff; quite a bit smoother going down despite far higher quantities of alcohol. Hank's mix is firm and portable for those times when bottles just won't do. The true artistry comes in with layering different flavors and including goodies like fruit. Henry's skill in this realm is unsurpassed and is an area where he almost disproves the common perception that engineers have little aesthetic appreciation.

• Two boxes of jello
• 1 1/4 cup Rum or Vodka
• 1 1/4 cup water

You're making jigglers, here, but substituting half the water for alcohol. You don't want to heat the booze too much or for too long--best to mix the two ingredients and heat them in the microwave. Mix the jello in until its well disolved, pour into a container and place into the refrigerator. This will fill a 13"x9" pan about 1" deep, though this makes kind of thin cubes. Tinfoil pans and trays work pretty well also.

Be careful in the type and volume of alcohol you use. We've found that adding too much will tend to cause the sugar in the jello to precipitate out and leave the bottom gritty. Rum hides better within the jello than vodka, though either works pretty well. If you like, you can use other liquors as well--lime jello, triple-sec and tequila for a margarita jiggler.

A true artiste would want to layer jello: to do this you want to make both batches at once, but only pour the first layer. Refrigerate it for about 45 minutes or until it begins to take on a jelly-like consistency. It should stick to your finger a bit when you touch it. You can make the jello opaque by using a little condensed milk or cornstarch--use unflavored gelatine and you've got pure white. Just remember that you're fiddling with the hydration a bit, so adjust accordingly.

"The typical response is 'that sounds gross'. Whereby once it is tasted, the drinker cannot seem to get enough. Epilogue: Don't judge a drink by its contents, just taste it."

• A can of lemonade concentrate
• A lemonade can's worth of vodka
• one can beer (preferably something close to water i.e. Budweiser)

Mix the above together with a can full of water (using the lemonade can as your measuring device). Serve chilled or over ice.

• 2 cups orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2; tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 egg or 2 egg yolks
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2; cup cracked ice
• 3 oz. light rum

Pour all ingredients into blender (ice first), and mix until frothy.

• Orange Juice
• Packet of powdery stuff usually under the trade name "Orange Whip" or "Orange Freeze" in your produce department.

Mix according to the directions on the package, adding 2 shots of rum (thereabouts) for each pint of orange juice before blending.

• 1 large mug or steaming hot water
• 1 finger of rum
• Couple squeezes lemon juice
• Tablespoon sugar

Mix ingredients (sugar first) into hot water and enjoy. Try not to stand too much, avoid heavy machinery, and be near your bed when drinking. How you like your rum drink, matey?

• A shot of vodka
• A shot of peach brandy
• cranberry juice to fill

Serve cold.

• Glass about 2/3ds full of orange juice.
• Liberal amounts of GREEN curaco.

Mix the curaco in until the mix gets a green shade approximating the color of anti-freeze. A St. Pat's favorite!

• Glass about 2/3ds full of milk.
• Liberal amounts of cream de cacao

Mix the cacao until you get a nice Hershey's color. This ain't no kiddie drink!

• One of the "super-size" containers of orange juice concentrate.
• Normal size container of cranberry juice concentrate.
• Big Ol' Thing of Malibu

Make the juice according to the directions on the containers. You will probably need a big-ass pitcher to do this, but you might be able to get away with dividing the mixed juice (this takes a bit o' skill). The question is: how much Malibu to use? Malibu is funny stuff--after having a few belts of it, you can add quite a bit and not have it taste bad. In fact, after a few you may find yourself just waving the container of juice over a glass of Malibu on the rocks. For starters, sink about 2 fingers of Malibu in a pint glass filled with ice and fill the rest with the juice mixin'.

A good mixmaster is like a good cook: they can measure stuff by eye. You'd hate to have all the mixin's right there and screw up the drink because you didn't have a jigger, wouldn't you? A "finger" is roughly 3/4 inch (2 cm). Dammit, look at the width of your index finger (or maybe your thumb, depending on your alcohol tolerance). When you've poured that much alcohol into a glass, that's a finger's worth. You've got to account for the size and shape of the glass when you're doing this, of course: A finger's worth in the bottom of a martini glass won't be the same as a finger's worth at the top.

The house sanctions two books: Mr. Boston's, and Regan's Bartender's Bible . While sadly out of print, Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide is an indispensable lexicon of some of the older, more traditional drinks, with a heavy tropical/lounge feel: the zombie, the scorpion, the fogcutter. Certainly a reason to go to used book stores. The Epricurious drinking site contains some nice recipes as well as providing a convenient drink search engine.