Fly High with the 'Jet Pilot' Cocktail

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We’ve been diving into some recipes of Tiki history these past couple weeks and we’re going to continue that exploration today. While there’s still white grapefruits to use and cold to ward off, these old recipes and the fun stories behind them seem like just the thing. Last week we discussed Donn Beach’s infamous Zombie and how it evolved over his career, this week we’ll be getting into a drink with a related progeny but authored by a different Tiki figurehead. This week we’ll dive into Steve Crane’s Jet Pilot.

The two primary tastemakers of the 20th century Tiki phenomenon were Donn Beach and then Trader Vic, and we have already discussed quite a bit about the work of these two influential figures. The third among these fellows was Steve Crane, a roguish mogul who saw the potential of the Tiki aesthetic, committed himself, and thus defined the midcentury evolution of its 50s/60s era. Joseph Stephen Crane was a self-made man to be sure, his successes and failures built on his inherent charm and dubious relationship with the truth. Through the 1940s he was a frequent feature of Hollywood gossip columns, being married and divorced with Lana Turner, out on the town with Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth, and holding an ownership share in the star studded hangout Lucey’s Steakhouse. It was July 25th of 1953 when Crane realized his big Polynesian plans and opened The Luau on Rodeo Drive. The Luau spent the 1950s and 60s as one of the most sought after nightlife locations in Hollywood, frequented by the most rich and famous of stars. Crane was also behind the launch of the Kon-Tiki chain of locations in collaboration with Ernie Henderson of the Sheraton Hotel empire. This background is to say that Steve was not necessarily the cocktail craftsman that Donn and Vic were, but he certainly was an enterprising charmer who knew how to create an experience. His drinks were largely thanks to an existing friendship with Donn and his propensity to hire Donn and Vic’s former bartenders for his own operations. Accordingly, it’s not hard to trace the recipe lineage of many of his offerings, particularly one of his most significant contributions to the Tiki pantheon, the Jet Pilot.

Crane debuted the drink at The Luau in the late 1950s, and the name captures the popular excitement around technological advancement that played a constant cultural undercurrent at the time. It shares the space with drinks like the Saturn, concoctions that reflect how preoccupied the public imagination was with the race through the skies and to the stars. Any of our readers who took a look at last week’s analysis of the Zombie recipe will recognize some very clear parallels in this build. The grapefruit juice and cinnamon syrup, the blend of Angostura and absinthe, and the combination of light bodied, funky, and heavier overproof rum all connect the Jet Pilot to its living dead precursor. This drink is somewhat slimmed down and, befitting its name, made more aerodynamic. Like the Zombie, it functions as a perfect vehicle to showcase some delicious rums, and the way their summative flavors partner gracefully with the juices and modifiers. The Jet Pilot provides some of the tastiest elements of a Zombie, but with a bit more zip and pep, and the smaller format of a rocks glass.

Tiki offers such a fun history to explore, and we’re lucky to have the benefit of evolving recipes to explore alongside the facts and stories. We at BayTowne endeavor to offer some of the best rums available in the U.S. market, and thankfully these recipes operate as a wonderful way to experiment with and enjoy them. So grab some Worthy Park and mix up a Jet Pilot!

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