The Suffering Bastard

Long ago, far away, I partook of a "Suffering Bastard" cocktail in a Chicago restaurant. It didn't come in a fancy glass, but that was okay.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth (hardly any at all, as a matter of fact) and cocktails are a rarity for me. In the Serb tradition, I normally drink my liquor neat - no mixers, no ice, no prechilling. But as mixed drinks go, this one wasn't bad.

Classic Suffering Bastard Recipe from Drinks Mixer™:

1 1/2 oz rum
1 oz overproof rum
3/4 oz Orange Curacao liqueur
1/2 oz orgeat syrup
1 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz fresh orange juice

Shake all ingredients well and strain into an ice-filled double old-fashioned glass.

Garnish with slices of orange and lime, and serve.

Read more: Suffering Bastard recipe

All of these photos are clickable...

Another version of this drink uses gin instead of rum, and a mint garnish. Never tried it; I don't care much for gin, and I hate mint. (Click photo below for recipe.)



The classic Suffering Bastard tropical cocktail originated with Victor Bergeron, founder of the Trader Vic's Polynesian-themed restaurant chain. The Lope offers some commentary on the drink:

Once upon a time, Trader Vic's sold Mai Tai rum in one of the coolest containers that ever held anything; it was called "Mai Tai Joe" but that name was little-known to recent-year collectors who nicknamed it the "suffering bastard" decanter, after a drink served at Trader Vic's.

Here's one of the matching Suffering Bastard mugs. They are no longer being made, but collectors sell them on the web.

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Martin Denny: Quiet Village (click to play)

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