THE HUMMINGBIRD CAKE COCKTAIL

A Caribbean Confection on Pebble Ice

Our Hummingbird Cake Cocktail is a toast to the pineapple and banana-laden cakes of yesteryear, a sweet spiced journey to the Caribbean in every sip. The tropical notes of pineapple and banana fuse perfectly with the sweet touch of coconut, reminiscent of a slice of the classic hummingbird cake.

Inspired by the hummingbird cake's origins in 1960s Jamaica, where it was known as the "Doctor Bird Cake" - named after the country's national bird, the swallow-tail hummingbird or 'doctor bird' - this cocktail celebrates the cake's storied journey from Jamaica to the American South.

THE PROCESS

SWEET SPICE DEMERARA

This is one of our most utilized syrups at Standby since its inception in the “Cold Front” daiquiri variation on our opening menu. Double up and make one of those too following the recipe on Imbibe here.

INGREDIENTS + METHOD:

+ 4g Star Anise
+ 16g Dried Ginger
+ 12g Black Pepper
+ 12g Cinnamon
+ 6g Nutmeg
+ 10g Dried Orange Peel
+ Vanilla Bean Paste
+ 32 fl oz (1 qt) Water
+ 1oz Spice Blend (by weight)
+ Demerara Sugar (as needed)

  1. PREPARE THE SWEET SPICE: Begin by weighing each spice. Use a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder to muddle each spice individually. Once muddled, combine all the crushed spices in a deli container. (It's practical to scale this recipe so you don’t have to grind the spices every time you make a batch. You can definitely find all kinds of uses for it outside of this syrup – whether it's in a curry, a dry rub, or just a nice cup of tea.)

  2. MAKE THE TEA: In a pot, boil the spice blend with water for about 10 minutes. This process creates a fragrant and flavorful "tea."

  3. STRAIN: After boiling, strain the "tea" through a cone coffee filter.

  4. MIX WITH SUGAR: Combine the strained "tea" with an equal weight of Demerara sugar. Stir the mixture thoroughly until the sugar is completely dissolved.

  5. ADD VANILLA. Add 0.5 tsp of vanilla bean paste for each ounce of the spice blend. This should be done after the spices have been strained out, as boiling with vanilla thickens the syrup and makes it nearly impossible to strain.

HAWAIIAN BREAD CORDIAL

This cordial is a unique creation on its own, made by blending sugar, salt, and acids with dried Kings Hawaiian bread, then sous-vide for a rich, comforting flavor profile. Yeah, we know Hawaiian bread isn’t in a hummingbird cake, but this was our way of liquifying that cake-like flavor into something special.

INGREDIENTS + METHOD:

  1. Blend 750 ml of water, 750g sugar, 10g salt, 17g citric acid, and 15g malic acid.

  2. For every 150g of this finished mixture, add 50g of dried bread, vacuum seal, and sous vide for 30 minutes at 120 degrees.

  3. Once done, blend again to break up the bread, then strain through a nut milk bag.

  4. Add 5.5% of the syrup’s weight of Plantation O.F.T.D.

PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE

This component bridges the gap between drink and dessert while adding a dose of playfulness. We utilize the byproduct of our sous-vide pineapple syrup, but any pineapple will do.

INGREDIENTS + METHOD:

Blend 16 oz softened cream cheese with 1 cup crushed pineapple, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

BUILDING THE HUMMINGBIRD CAKE COCKTAIL

Craft your own Hummingbird Cake cocktail and share the results! Tag us @standbydetroit or join us at Standby in Detroit, MI for the Baker's Dozen pop-up, running from NYE to Valentine's Day.

INGREDIENTS + METHOD:

+1.5 oz Jamaican Pot Still Rum
+.25 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
+.25 oz Long Road Nocino
+.50 oz Sweet Spice Dem
+.50 oz Coco Lopez
+.50 oz Lemon
+.50 oz Pineapple Juice
+.50 oz Hawaiian Bread Cordial

  1. Add the ingredients to a shaking tin and add pebble ice. Shake well, pour into a pearl diver glass, and top with more pebble ice if needed.

  2. Garnish with a dehydrated pineapple slice, pineapple fronds, and a pineapple-cream cheese pastry bag.