This cocktail hour comes courtesy of Jermaine Whitehead and his Laphroaig-based tiki drink.

Jermaine Whitehead is no stranger to discerning cocktail drinkers. He has plied many a visitor with a stellar cocktail over the past 17 years in Seattle.

Early in his career you could find him behind the bar at Linda’s or tequila focused Barrio. Later he made his magic elixirs at lookers like Bateau and Deep Dive. So, he’s got deep history in Seattle cocktail culture.

These days you may find him online at The Pantry teaching amateurs like you and I, how to make dope drinks at home.

From Negronis to martinis, or agave based drinks, he has a fresh take on the classics and frequently offers up surprisingly new combinations to tickle the palette.

This Laphroaig-based gem is inspired by a pre-Covid trip to Hawaii. This tiki drink will have you yearning for your next at-home happy hour. It also pairs nicely with a sweet treat – so try it with a homemade salted caramel dessert, if you’re so inclined.

Cocktail Hour with Jermaine Whitehead

Yield: 1
1½ ounces  Laphroaig 10 yr
3/4 ounce  Spiced Passion fruit Syrup
3/4 ounce lime juice
1 egg white
Garnish:  Dried Thyme
Shake all the ingredients without ice until foamy 30 seconds, then add ice to the shaker and shake again to chill 1 minute. Double strain into chilled coupe glass Garnish with Thyme

Spiced Passion fruit syrup

Yield: 1 ½ cups
1 cup Simple Syrup
1/3 cup Passion fruit puree
1/4 cup Sliced ginger
Combine simple syrup and passion fruit puree in saucepan. Add ginger and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and let cool. Remove ginger.

Simple Syrup

Yield: 3 cups
2 cup  granulated sugar
1 cup water
Combine 1 part water, 2 part granulated sugar, and heat. Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Let cool for 2 hours.

Whitehead says that scotch and tiki drinks make best friends. Who are we to argue?