Green Isaac Special

I’m not much of a drinker, but I discovered a brilliant concoction when I was reading Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemingway.

“Where Thomas Hudson lay on the mattress his head was in the shade cast by the platform at the forward end of the flying bridge where the controls were and when Eddy came aft with the tall cold drink made of gin, lime juice, green coconut water, and chipped ice with just enough Angostura bitters to give it a rusty, rose color, he held the drink in the shadow so the ice would not melt while he looked out over the sea.”

It’s called the “Green Isaac’s Special”, and it’s 2 ounces gin, 4 ounces green coconut water (Vita Coco, available at Whole Foods), 1 ounce of lime juice, and four drops of bitters (or “just enough Angostura bitters to give it a rusty, rose color”). It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s by far the best mixed drink I’ve ever had. If there’s no coconut water available, you can use coconut syrup as well, and I bet coconut milk might work too.