A kitchen bar shows a white quartz countertop, mixed blue collage tile backsplash, and a large collection of spirits, bar accessories, and shot glasses.
Passion Pearl cocktail in a martini glass with a pale pink hue, served on a bar countertop beside a bottle of Island 808 vodka.

Inside The Oyster — The Passion Pearl

If you want more passion in your cocktail life (who doesn’t?), this clear liquor based drink is for you.   Adapted from a recipe I found on cocktails.com, the highlight of the drink is POG vodka from Island 808 in Hawaii.  I’m a big believer in trying the local booze when I travel, and I have had the pleasure of drinking Island 808 vodka on trips to Hawaii.

Passion Pearl cocktail in a martini glass with a pale pink hue, served on a bar countertop beside a bottle of Island 808 vodka.
A taste of the Aloha State

The Passion Pearl

1.5 ounces Island 808 POG vodka
1.5 ounces light rum
.5 ounces Cointreau
Juice from 1/4 of a lemon
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake like you’re cutting through the waves on the North Shore of Oahu, and strain into a chilled glass.

Two questions probably popped into your mind — (1) why the number 808? (2) what the hell is POG?  808 is the area code for Hawaii.  POG is an acronym for pineapple-orange-guava.  POG juice is pretty common in Hawaii, and it’s quite tasty.

Island 808’s POG vodka is only 60 proof (most vodkas are 70-80 proof), which makes this a dangerously drinkable cocktail.  If you can’t get POG vodka, you probably can use a pineapple flavored vodka, or straight vodka and a small amount of fresh pineapple juice.

There seem to be a lot of places selling pearls in Hawaii, so it is fitting to use a Hawaiian vodka in this cocktail.  Even if the title of this post is a double entendre.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *