The Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster

[Jason Perlow]

The film adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is coming out in a week or so, to theatres in the US and the UK.

For those of you not familiar with the Douglas Adams book, Below is a brief excerpt from The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy which describes the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster:

  Here's what the Encyclopedia Galactica has to say about alcohol. It says that alcohol is a colourless volatile liquid formed by the fermentation of sugars and also notes its intoxicating effect on certain carbon-based life forms.

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy also mentions alcohol. It says that the best drink in existence is the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster.

    It says that the effect of a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.

    The Guide also tells you on which planets the best Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters are mixed, how much you can expect to pay for one and what voluntary organizations exist to help you rehabilitate afterwards.

    The Guide even tells you how you can mix one yourself.

    ...

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy sells rather better than the Encyclopedia Galactica.

I think that with the rather talented ameteur and professional mixologists on the site, we can come up with some pretty good approximations.

The Wikipedia entry on the drink lists some possible Earth-bound formulations, but I think we can do better.

Any takers?

[jackal10]

There are many versions posted on the Web.

Here is the BBC's take. They were the original broadcasters.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A799419

See also http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=26662

[LindyCat]

I've gone absolutely green just reading the horrors that others have come up with from wikipedia. It's like an intergalactic frat party. I don't have any suggestions, but I agree that someone here has to come up with something better.

[mbanu]

I'm terrible at making drinks. Given the original recipe, I'd guess:

Put in a seltzer bottle and carbonate:

3 ounces genever

3 ounces gin

1 ounce sweetened lime juice

pour into glass

add a bit of grenadine for sunrise effect

float rumpleminze on top

sprinkle camphor on top

garnish with olive

As to what it might *taste* like, that's another story entirely. :-P

Edited April 20, 2005 by mbanu (log)

[elswinger]

1 part 151 rum

1 part lemon vodka

1 part absinthe (original recipe)

1 part Jagermeyster

1 part ice cold sparkling water

twist of lemon

serve in ice cold glass

[jhlurie]

The 151 rum is a good idea, because as we know the drink is supposed to make your eyes water.

Oh wait. I didn't recall that the so-called "original" also had "Everclear" in it as well as 151. That'll wake you up. Before it puts you to sleep again, I mean. True-blue Absinthe may indeed be a better mind blower as an ingredient though.

Edited April 22, 2005 by jhlurie (log)

[WoBuJiDao]

What's the original absinthe recipe? I'm curious about absinthe. The only absinthe I've had was home-distilled to about 160 proof and had a very strong anis flavor, is that about the way absinthe goes?

This "Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster" thread strikes me as a step away from viral marketing. But if I was less cynical, I'd say the 160 proof absinthe would be pretty much a necessary ingredient.

[ned]

Judging by what they have to say at bbc.co.uk, I may have mixed something near to a PGGB last night although I can't be sure as I was wearing my danger-sensitive glasses while I mixed it. Maybe via the infinite improbability drive I was posessed by the spirit of Zaphod Beeblebrox just back from a couple relaxing days of Jamaican vacation with the triple-breasted whore of. . . getting carried away here.

I infused Wray and Nephew overproof with ginger, halved key limes and allspice for two days in the fridge. For the first day there was mint but then there came a brownish color eminating from it. . . so I pulled the mint. Also there was some simple syrup. Maybe 1 pt syrup to four parts rum. In a tall glass I crushed fresh mint with the ice and another piece of key lime, then poured the infusion and a little more rum and on top of that some soda water. Very smooth, alchohol almost invisible (to me a problem, that) and refreshing. And while I expect that the gold brick would have adverse effects, this concoction had none. . . that I can recall. Though I do have a filament of memory of a protracted and rather boring conversation with a fellow named Slartibartfast about a medal he won for the fjords of Norway?

Edited April 29, 2005 by ned (log)

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I had an excellent drink that fits this bill last night.

5 parts lemon-infused high-test vodka

1 part limoncello

1 part fresh squozen lemon juice

dash absinthe

twist of lemon

Served in a martini glass with a lemon wedge and three cubes of CO₂ floating in it, so it foamed in a very interesting manner and came out semicarbonated. It was lovely - not too sweet, not too bitter, and very much like having my brain bashed out with a wedge of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick.

[KatieLoeb]

Here is my interpretation of the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, as featured in the Philadelphia City Paper a couple of years ago.