Doctor Funk

Written By Jan Rishoi

Doctor Funk - This Tiki drink has roots that go back 100 years or more. Several sources reference this drink throughout the South Pacific, including Tahiti and was comprised of Absinthe, Lime & Seltzer with some alterations(like Grenadine) depending on your exact locale. Its name is believed to be derived from the famous Dr. Bernard Funk, friend and Dr. to the even more famous Robert Louis Stevenson, who he ministered on his deathbed in Samoa in 1894. In addition to being a skilled Doctor, he was quite the mixologist as well.

A drink this legendary and rooted in the South Pacific was perfect fodder for Tiki bar pioneers Donn Beach (Don the Beachcomber) and Victor Bergeron (Trader Vic). Both created Doctor Funk cocktails in the 1930s and ’40s with pretty much the same flavor profile. But over the years there became so many different versions by Beach, Bergeron and many others, it became impossible to pinpoint a definitive “original” version. In honor of Fat Tuesday and New Orleans, Herbsaint is included in this drink vs Absinthe as was in the original recipe.

In a steel mixing cup of crushed ice add:

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Jan Rishoi
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