The Definitive Guide To All The Cocktails On Palm Royale - Apple TV+'s Latest Hit Show
The world of celebrity chefs and restaurants has been a fixture on TV for years, with shows like Chef's Table and The Bear, but now we finally have a series that shifts the focus off beautiful dinners and onto sippable cocktails with Apple TV+'s new hit "Palm Royale." The show centers around the high-end social scene of Palm Beach, Florida in 1969, where struggling divorcee Maxine Simmons (played by Kristen Wiig), tries to integrate herself into the world of the Palm Royale Country Club. Taking place amid the glamor of high society in Florida, the show is filled with stunning sets and impressive costumes, all steeped in the lively aesthetic of the era.
But of all the period details, for us it's the popular cocktails of the era that stand out the most. And we're not alone — fans of the show are eager to sip on the retro classics depicted in the show, with searches for many of the drinks seeing huge spikes on Google. For example, Maxine's signature drink is the grasshopper; she is seen sipping one in the first few moments of the first episode after she sneaks into the country club. The drink was invented at Tujague's in New Orleans in 1918, and went on to widespread popularity in the 1950s and 60s before falling out of favor with many of the other drinks of that era. Now, the strikingly green after-dinner cocktail has caught Palm Royale fans' attention, with searches for the drink up more than 4,000% in the past week.
If you want to make a grasshopper at home, or any of the other cocktails from the show, we've got the guide for you.
The Grasshopper
The retro grasshopper cocktail gets its name from its unique green color; it combines a creamy texture with a bold mint flavor for a truly one-of-a-kind experience. It's also a delightfully simple cocktail with only three ingredients, so it's easy to make at home. The mint flavor comes from crème de menthe, which is balanced out by the sweetness of the chocolate liqueur, white crème de cacao, and the richness of heavy cream.
To make it, all you have to do is mix 1 ounce of each ingredient in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously for 15 seconds, then strain into a martini or coupe glass. Add a mint sprig to garnish for a classy touch.
Mai Tai
The quintessential tiki drink, a citrusy Mai Tai is the sweet and sour tropical cocktail that helped launch the entire tiki subculture. Invented by one the two scions of tiki — Donn Beach and Trader Vic both claimed to have created it — it's a strong rum-based drink whose heyday also came during the first great tiki wave of the 1950s and '60s. It's no surprise this classic cocktail is featured in "Palm Royale" and searches for Mai Tais have seen a 150% increase in Google searches since then.
The classic Mai Tai is made from aged rum, lime juice, orange liqueur, and almond orgeat syrup. Combine 2 ounces dark or aged rum, ¾ ounce lime juice, ½ ounce orange liqueur like Cointreau or curaçao, and ½ ounce of orgeat. Shake in a shaker with ice, strain into a tumbler with ice, then garnish with mint and lime.
Gimlet
A true cocktail classic, the gimlet is one of the oldest mixed drinks, and has been around since the 19th century. Its origins were with British sailors who used the lime juice to help ward off scurvy, and the drink supposedly got its name from Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette, who prescribed it while acting as a doctor. Now, it's have a revived moment among "Palm Royale" fans, resulting in a 500% increase in Google searches over the last week.
The traditional gimlet recipe was supposedly made with Rose's Lime Cordial, a mixture of lime juice and sugar that is quite different from the modern Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice you find on store shelves. Now it's made with gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Shake 2 ounces of gin with ¾ ounce of both fresh lime juice and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a lime slice.
Mississippi Punch
Another truly historic cocktail, a recipe for Mississippi Punch dates all the way back to the 1862 cocktail guide "How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon Vivant's Companion" by one of the fathers of American bartending, Jerry Thomas, but it's likely even older than that. It's unknown whether the cocktail is named after the state or the Mississippi River, but what is known is that this is not the punch of light-hearted parties; it's the kind of punch made for people who were working hard in the early 19th century. And with a 250% increase in Google searches, a lot more folks today are looking to take their party game to the next level with Mississippi Punch.
The drink combines 2 ounces of cognac, with 1 ounce each of bourbon and dark rum. That's right, 4 ounces of three different liquors. It mixes those heavy hitters with ½ ounce of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of sugar to make sure it doesn't knock you out on the first sip. Shake everything with ice, and strain into a tall glass with crushed ice.
General Harrison's Eggnog
This drink is named after the 9th President of the United States, General William Henry Harrison, who is famous for serving the shortest term of any President, dying in office after only a month. Don't worry, it wasn't the eggnog that killed him, it was pneumonia, but this recipe was documented as a favorite of the late, unlucky President Harrison. And thanks to "Palm Royale" it may become a favorite among more folks today — searches for eggnog have jumped 200% in the last week.
General Harrison's eggnog is not eggnog the way we think of it, but it does use a whole egg. Whip up the egg and mix it with 1 ½ ounces of apple brandy or Calvados, ½ ounce rich simple syrup, and 2 ounces dry apple cider. Shake carefully, as the mixture of carbonated cider and the egg can cause a lot of fizzing, but shake well to make sure everything is fully emulsified. Strain into a glass without ice and garnish with nutmeg. Some versions also include a few dashes of pimento bitters, but others do without.
Medford Rum Sour
This is one of the more obscure drinks on "Palm Royale," as it's gone by a few names. An old-school sour cocktail of the whiskey sour variety, it was named Medford rum sour after a brand of rum produced in Massachusetts during the 19th century. However, Medford Rum went out of business around the time of Prohibition, so old recipes of this cocktail from the 1930s also refer to it as a Boston Cooler, which is doubly confusing because Boston Cooler is also the name of an entirely different non-alcoholic drink that mixes ginger ale and ice cream. Regardless of the discrepancy, what is clear is that the drink has new fans, with searches on Google increasing 170% in the last week.
Name confusion aside, this is a pretty straightforward sour cocktail. The original measurements were imprecise, but modern versions use 2 to 3 ounces of dark rum, ½ ounce lemon juice, and ¼ ounce simple syrup, shaken together and topped with soda water or ginger ale.
Brandy Shamperelle
We're unclear where people were getting their cocktail preferences in 1960's Palm Beach because the Brandy Shamperelle is truly obscure. This one also dates back to Jerry Thomas' 1862 bartenders' guide, where it was referred to as a French cafe drink. The original recipe uses equal parts brandy, curaçao, and bitters. Yes, bitters.
A slightly updated version of the recipe appeared in the 1887 edition of the same guide, which may be closer to what they are drinking on the show, and is a more palatable drink. It mixes equal parts brandy (specifically French Bénédictine), cognac, and curaçao with just a few dashes of bitters. Stir with a mixing spoon in the glass.
Arf & Arf
Don't let the name fool you, you've probably actually heard of this one, as an Arf & Arf is just a black and tan. A black and tan refers to the mixing of a dark and light beer in 50/50 proportions, usually a stout like Guinness with a British-style pale ale. The name Arf & Arf comes from, you guessed it, Jerry Thomas' 1862 guide. Why did he call it that? We don't know.
Arf & Arfs, or black and tans, are made very specifically despite their simple ingredients. The correct pour of the black and tan beers is essential, with the light beer going in first, and the stout lightly poured so it sits on top, staying separate from the ale and giving the drink its signature two-toned look. If you can, buy a nitro version of the stout you're using, as it will help the dark beer from sinking into the light.
Gin Rickey
Back to a well-known classic: The gin rickey is a refreshing gin and lime cocktail from the 1880s, when it was created in the Washington D.C. bar Shoemaker's. It went on to be a favorite of famous drinkers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, and has remained a summertime staple for over a century. The drink is the epitome of a retro classic cocktail, and it's garnering a whole new generation of fans thanks to "Palm Royale" — searches for the drink have increased a whopping 4,100% over the last week.
The gin rickey is essentially a variation on the Tom Collins, but with lime juice instead of lemon. Shake 1 ½ ounces of gin with ½ ounce of lime juice, and an optional few dashes of simple syrup. Pour over ice and top with club soda. With such a cooling, sparkling flavor, we can see why they would love this at the Palm Royale.