As one comedian put it, "I love seasons. That's why I live somewhere that skips the shitty ones." Here in Tampa Bay, it's like we ditched winter altogether, which is cool with me. On top of warm temps in the middle of February, guess what's in season? Papaya!
It's time to get tropical, folks.
Full disclosure: I'm not fond of the texture of papaya. The flavor, on the other hand, I love. That's why 99 percent of my papaya consumption happens in beverage form. Look no further than the papaya-infused tequila margarita we made last year. The drink was such a hit at my birthday getaway that I underestimated how much tequila to bring.
This week's cocktail is a different animal. You're not making a big batch for all your pals. Not that you can't, but it would be a fair amount of work. This is more of an invite-a-close-friend-over-and-chill-by-the-pool type of drink.
One large papaya should be enough for four to five cocktails, at least. It's as simple as scooping out the fruit's beautiful orange-ish-pinkish flesh and plopping it into a blender. The resulting juice is as tropical as it gets; it'll be thick, but that's OK. Mix the purée with orange juice and a little spiced rum and you're in business.
For fans of a good tiki bar and drink, this cocktail's an easy way to kick back without leaving your own backyard.
Makes 1
3 ounces fresh puréed papaya juice
3 ounces spiced rum (I used Sailor Jerry)
3 ounces fresh squeezed orange juice
3 dashes orange bitters (optional)
2 ounces ginger beer or ginger ale, to top
In a blender, place half of a peeled papaya in a blender and purée until liquefied. (This should yield enough juice for a couple drinks.) In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add papaya juice, spiced rum, orange juice (substitute with store-bought OJ for a shortcut), and orange bitters. Shake until well-chilled. Strain cocktail into a hurricane glass filled with ice. Top with a splash of ginger beer and garnish with a slice of papaya.
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This article appears in Feb 16-23, 2017.