A much-anticipated book dedicated to unraveling the enigmatic history of “the taste thrill of the century” has been welcomed with open arms by the Tiki community and beyond, quenching our insatiable thirst for esoteric topics. Not to mention tasty tropical cocktails.
So what is this taste thrill that caused so much intrigue? Rum? Bitters? Pineapple or some other exotic tropical fruit? Not quite, but close. Of course, we’re talking about Fassionola: The Torrid Story of Cocktails’ Most Mysterious Ingredient, researched and written by Gregorio Pantoja and Martin S. Lindsay.
More below: Read Hurricane Hayward’s foreword to the book
• New Passionola syrup follows historic recipe
The authors not only dug up the complete story of a unique product that was in danger of becoming a footnote in 20th century mixology, they also uncovered the original “P/Fassionola” formula from the 1930s and have begun releasing it to the public with the help of noted mixologist Daniel “Doc” Parks.
The 288-page book, self-published by the authors, is loaded with historic photos and images plus more than 100 recipes. Among these are many unpublished classics as well as new drinks by some of today’s top cocktail creators. This includes an exclusive new tribute to a Mai-Kai cocktail that had previously not been posted on The Atomic Grog blog.
After a late 2023 digital release, hard copies became available in late spring and can be purchased at Shop.ClassicSanDiego.com in both softcover and limited-edition hardback signed by the authors and Parks.
Bonus cocktail recipes below
• Mona Punch (Don the Beachcomber)
• 151 Tribute Swizzle No. 5 (Vatos Who Tiki)
• Mission Valley Daiquiri (The Atomic Grog) NEW
See also: Sidewinder’s Fang (Mai-Kai tribute) | Once A Villager (Doc Parks)
We’ll get into more details below, but first let’s set the stage with the foreword I contributed to the book.
Continue reading “Preview and recipes: Book reveals long-lost secrets and stories of P/Fassionola”
