Blind Pilot

Lance Mayhew

Jul 19

Blind Pilot cocktail — Blind Pilot by Lance Mayhew

I’m raising my glass in the general direction of this excellent creation, as one does in a relatively blind fashion, but it’s the spirit of the intent that matters. The cocktail was created by bartender Lance Mayhew from Portland, Oregon, circa 2008, for a customer who had asked for a drink with whiskey and Galliano. Mayhew knows a thing or two about spirits, and writing, for that matter. He was a well regarded bartender in Portland for many years but is perhaps better known for his articles, blog posts and books on the subject. Perhaps that is why his inspiration for this drink works so well.

I have admittedly never been a big fan of Galliano, the Italian herbal liqueur made most famous in the seventies by the marketing genius George Bednar, who invented the Harvey Wallbanger for Galliano’s US importer. Galliano was invented in 1896 as a complex blend of herbs and botanicals from the Tuscan region where it was produced. It has prominent notes of sweet vanilla and anise, a combination that I never loved. But Mayhew’s cocktail may be the best Galliano cocktail I have ever tasted, and I am newly converted now. The drink takes the Boulevardier template (itself a variation on the classic Negroni), and replaces the Campari with Galliano. It’s that simple, and maybe that is why it works so well. The liqueur’s strong flavors are extremely well balanced and shine through just so. Mayhew may have been operating blind when he came up with it, but I can see exactly where he was going, and I like it. Cheers!