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Test Pilot
A Donn Beach tiki drink with rum, lime, falernum, Cointreau, and bitters.
Base spirit
Rum
Style
Tiki
Glassware
Rocks glass
Technique
Shake
The Test Pilot is a compact Donn Beach tiki sour built on rum with lime, falernum, Cointreau, and bitters. It is shorter and denser than a Mai Tai, with spice and orange over citrus. Served over crushed or cubed ice, it rewards precise measures.
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Ingredients
Servings
- • 1.5 oz dark rum
- • 0.75 oz light rum
- • 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
- • 0.5 oz falernum
- • 0.5 oz Cointreau
- • 1 dash Angostura bitters
Did you know?
“The Test Pilot is one of Donn Beach’s mid-century tiki formulas later reconstructed by tiki historians.”
Source:Jeff Berry tiki research; Don the Beachcomber histories
Bartender's Note
A blend of light and dark or Jamaican rum works well. Keep falernum measured—sweetness climbs fast.
Missing a bottle? See smart swaps in Learn.
How to make the Test Pilot
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice
- 2Strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice
- 3Garnish with mint
