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Jet Pilot
Posted: July 21, 2026
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About
The Jet Pilot is a fearsome tiki classic from Don the Beachcomber, the birthplace of the tiki cocktail movement, and one of the more potent drinks to emerge from the era. A sophisticated three-rum blend — dark rum, light rum, and overproof rum — is combined with lime juice, grapefruit juice, and cinnamon syrup, with a dash of bitters and a ghost of absinthe adding mystery and depth. Despite its high-octane lineup, the drink is surprisingly harmonious — the citrus and cinnamon balance the rum's heat while the absinthe provides an intriguing anise finish. It is said to be a variation on the Zombie, dialed back for slightly less destruction and refined for the jet-set crowd of the 1950s.
Ingredients
0.5 oz Light Rum
1.5 oz Dark Rum
0.5 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
0.5 oz Overproof Rum
0.5 oz Grapefruit Juice
1 dash Absinthe
0.5 oz Cinnamon Syrup
Instructions
- Combine dark rum, light rum, overproof rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice, cinnamon syrup, Angostura bitters, and absinthe in a cocktail shaker.
- Fill with crushed ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
- Pour unstrained into a tiki mug or double rocks glass, ice and all.
- Top with additional crushed ice to crown the glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel, mint sprig, and cocktail cherry.