We’ve been doing these for many years running now and each year it’s a little different. This year it tastes a little different and now, looking back over the older recipes, I realize why. Two main reasons. 1. Whey and 2. Cachaca. Neither of which are featured in the 2024 version. And I’ve been wondering why it’s so bland and boring this year…Ugh. I think I wanted to strip it down to make it more simple but at the same time, the best version was still very simple.

The original Cherimoya Sour came from the old Ranfer:

Pre-Covid (2014-2017?)

2 oz. White Rum

.75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz. Simple Syrup

1 Heaping Tablespoon Cherimoya Puree

4 Drops Saline

This was great because the cherimoya was supposed to be “fresh” when put it…But not all the time. We’d have some puree, but after a day or two it would turn a little brown even if we added some lime juice to help it along.

There was a stretch of time when I took over the bar program and I had no freaking clue what I was doing. For many years, the cherimoya was not a part of the history…But it eventually made a strong comeback.

2021

2 oz. Rum

.75 oz. Cherimoya Syrup

.5 oz. Fresh Lime

4 Drops Saline

I’m pretty sure this version came along at some point and was good but a little whatever. Meh.

2022

1 oz. White Rum

1 oz. Cachaca

.75 oz. Cherimoya Whey Syrup

.5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

.25 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

4 Drops Saline

This is when this cocktail went into the stratosphere. At this time, The Koji Kid had tons of whey on hand all the time and we were always using it. This was super popular and we ran out quite quickly, surprising for such an eclectic ingredient. this may have been when the first dairy light bulb went off…Add dairy, better drink. One of the universal truths of well, life. Why do you think chefs put butter in everything?

2023

1 1/2 oz. White Rum

1 oz. Lime

1/2 oz. Bananum

1/2 oz. Cherimoya/Whey Syrup

1/4 oz. Rhum Agricole

Shake, strain onto awaiting BFR, then mist with blackstrap rum.

In early 2023 this absolute banger was renamed Donahue’s Quaffer after one of our regulars who ended up quitting drinking and so never actually tasted this cocktail named after him…Such is the bar life…You never know when your people will clean up their lives and leave you…

Anyway, this one also came about at one of the heights of the bar program when we were really going strong…Ah, bananum…

2024?

1.5 oz. White Rum

.5 oz. BBQ Mike’s Lime Sherbet

.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz. Cherimoya Syrup

.25 oz. Rhum Agricole

Top with a sprinkle of dehydrated lacto raz for color

Yeah, not as complicated or cool as the previous iterations…Not even close…We’re going to have to do something about that…Back to the drawing board…Tomorrow is the farmer’s market…I’ll have to pick up some more cherimoya and figure this out…I’m kind of wondering how I brain farted so hard on this in the first place. I really didn’t remember the other incarnations. Ugh. Well, it was a tough year…Let’s face it, 2023 kind of blew ass. Maybe it was good for you, but not me. Hey listen, I’m grateful for everything, I really am, but I can also look back and say “Go fuck yourself 2023” and not feel bad about it.

Ok. It’s now a personal challenge to make this drink suck less…