A Brilliant Reconstruction of A Classic Tiki Drink by one of Los Angeles’ Original Startenders!
The Best year is a reconstruction by bar owner and preeminent tiki historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry for his bar Latitude 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The original was created by Filipino prizefighter turned well known Bartender Valerio “Bobby” Batugo who was slinging drinks behind the stick in 1970’s Hollywood, and by that time he was a veteran bartender with 40 years under his belt. During the 1930’s and 1940’s Batugo worked for some of the most exclusive clubs in Hollywood, entertaining Movie Stars and according to the LA Times, even doing a bartending-comedy routine for national broadcast radio. Batugo came to the states in 1926 and dreamed of being a Prizefighter. And like most of us who come to LA with a dream, he got a job working as a busboy by night and spent his time in the Gym boxing by day. He fought as a Boxer for seven years with minimal success so he decided to hang up his Gloves. In 1932, Prohibition era Los Angeles, he got his first job as a bartender working in a speakeasy. He had misgivings making his Job illegally but in December 1933 Prohibition was repealed and his job was all of a sudden legal. Problem Solved. From then on Batugo found jobs in some of Hollywood’s most prominent restaurants and bars and even though he created hundreds of original creations, he never entered any of them into a competition until 1971 at the age of 65.
Batugo was living in North Hollywood when he died on October 1st 1996. He was 90 years old.
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Here’s Links to the tools I use in this episode:
Hamilton Beach Pro Drink Mixer
Barfly Copper Measuring Cup
Libbey Midtown Pilsner Glass
Bar Ice Scoop
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Best Year
Ingredients
- 2 oz Vodka
- .75 oz Blue Curaçao
- .75 oz Licor 43
- .25 oz Aquavit
- 3 oz Pineapple Juice
- .5 oz Lime Cordial
- .25 oz Lime Juice
Garnish
- Pineapple Slice
- Pineapple Frond
- Maraschino Cherry
- Lime Rose
Instructions
- Add ingredients to stirring cup
- Add crushed ice
- Blend for 20 seconds
- Pour into glass
- Top with crushed ice
- Garnish with Pineapple slice, fronds, cherry and a “lime rose”
