Visiting the Tropics Without Leaving Home

Traveling these days is painful and annoying. The planes are jammed and crowded, flight delays and cancellations are frequent, and everyone seems to be in a foul mood, even with the mask mandates gone. So, what do you do if you have cabin fever and need to get away, but simply can’t bring yourself to get on that cabin in the sky? How about I take you away to the tropics without leaving home? It’s time to make a Tropitini!

Enjoying a Tropitini out on our lanai in Lakewood Ranch, FL

I really do hate traveling. Always have in fact, but I did it so frequently when I was working at the Center for Naval Analyses that I’m actually in the million-mile traveler club with United Airlines. In fact, 1.5 million miles on that airline alone. So, forgive me if I want to avoid getting back on a plane unless absolutely necessary! And what counts as absolutely necessary? Things like a niece’s or nephew’s wedding; an upcoming and long-delayed retirement celebration vacation; and … well, that’s about it!

Laurie and I are really looking forward to traveling now that we have the time to do so, but everywhere we want to go (Paris, Tuscany, Napa, Hawaii just to name a few) requires us to walk down the dreaded jet bridge to that small, jam-packed aluminum tube to spend 6+ quality hours with a bunch of strangers in uncomfortable seats with limited leg room (and I’m talking about First Class here!). The pandemic has kept us largely grounded over the past couple of years for obvious reasons, but we do plan to start traveling more frequently again soon. And in the meantime? We find creative ways to “visit” our favorite places virtually.

One way we do that is to create cocktails that transport us to the different places we plan to visit in the future. For example, Laurie and are looking forward to returning to Hawaii sometime in the future and taking in the tropical paradise on the islands of Kauai, Lanai, and Maui. Until we get there in person, we can enjoy a tropical cocktail right here in Florida that brings back memories of our previous visits to the Hawaiian Islands (and my two years spent living in Hawaii (Oahu) back in the early 90’s) and gets us excited about visiting again.

This drink I created, which I call the Tropitini, was inspired by a pineapple-based cocktail I recently had at one of our favorite restaurants down here in Sarasota, Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant. The combination of vodka and rum, along with pineapple and lime juice gives it a decidedly tropical flavor profile. Garnished with a pineapple wedge, you will feel like you are actually in Hawaii or the Caribbean as you sip this drink, especially if you are lucky enough to live near a beach and can enjoy it at the water’s edge!

Cheers to all of you and let me know what you think once you get around to making this cocktail!

The Tropitini (makes 1 cocktail)

1 oz. vodka

1.5 oz. gold rum (you can also use spiced rum for a bit of a sweeter drink if you’d like)

1.5 oz. pineapple juice (Dole’s canned pineapple juice is fine here)

½ oz. fresh squeezed lime juice

½ oz. agave syrup

Pineapple wedge for garnish

Pour the vodka, rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, and agave syrup into a shaker. Add ice and shake until frost forms on the shaker, about 20-30 seconds. Strain and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the pineapple wedge.