[FIND] Vice

Thomas Sullivan Magnum

Okay, so you either love him or hate him. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of, “Well, he’s alright.” Either pure affection or pure vitriol. Wherever you stand, it’s clear that Magnum has earned his place in history. (I hate to admit it, but I fall into the adoration column. Seriously, I grew up on this show. It is, in large part, responsible for me being a private investigator today. Seriously…does that make me a geek?)

Magnum, our self-effacing hero, was one of TV’s most likeable characters, which is, some would say, his biggest flaw. There was no real “dark side” to Magnum. He was simply a hapless

gadabout who spent his days solving mysteries and hanging out at the King Kamehameha club with his two best pals, Rick and TC. When not on the job or at the club playing volleyball or surf-paddling, Magnum frittered away an inordinate amount of time at what can only be described as theworld’s coolest bachelor pad, Robin's Nest, where he continually agitated and annoyed Jonathan Quail Higgins (aka - Higgins, Higgy-baby, etc.).

No man has ever come close to doing as much for the Hawaiian shirt as Magnum. His shorts are still the unrivaled gold standard for men’s summer fashion. And the Ray Ban Shooters sunglasses…well… they’re on the way back. As for style, let us just ponder the one accoutrement that we all remember best: the Ferrari.

Aah, the Ferrari 308 GTS, tag # ROBIN 1. That candy-apple-red-steel-bodied-mid-engine-rear-wheel-drive babe-magnet. (Trivia: Due to Selleck’s rangy 6’4” frame, all of the cars used in the show had to have the seat cushions removed and the seat rails repositioned as far back as possible…and still his head sticks up over the windscreen.)

Magnum’s fondness for cigars and Coop’s beer are well known, but there were enough umbrella drinks in his hand over the 8 seasons Magnum, P. I. was on the air to consider Magnum a bit of a cocktail man as well, which brings us to the fun part…pairing Thomas Sullivan Magnum with a cocktail.

The Cocktail

We turn once again to our resident expert in spirits, Josh Habiger, manager of The Patterson House, Nashville’s very own speakeasy. Josh says, “Well, the man is living in Hawaii, so I had to go with something tropical.” Unable to find a concoction that, of its own accord, was worthy of Magnum, Josh created this month's tipple, the Jungle Bird (named after the bright red bird pattern on Magnum’s Hawaiian Shirt. Editor’s note: I actually own one of these.)

“This is a riff on a Cuban drink called a ‘Hotel Nacional,’” says Habiger, “subbing out the classic apricot brandy for a bit of Saigon Cinnamon syrup, to represent Magnum’s time in Vietnam.” Habiger calls this, “The perfect drink for a perfect Hawaiian day.” Here’s the recipe. Stay thirsty my friends.

The Jungle Bird

2 oz. Flor de Cana 4yr Rum

1 oz. Fresh Pineapple Juice

.75 oz Fresh Lime juice

.5 oz Saigon Cinnamon Syrup

.25 oz Simple Syrup

and 2 dashes of Regan's Orange Bitters #6

Place all ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake, and strain into a rocks glass over ice.