Let us say a few words about the Duck Fart. I promise they will be mercifully few. Lore decrees that this drink was invented in 1987 at the Peanut Farm bar in Anchorage, Alaska, by a bartender named Dave Schmidt. It consists of Kahlúa, Bailey’s, and Crown Royal, layered like the flag of an unknown yet undoubtedly undesirable country. No one seems to remember why it was called that, but the cocktail became popular enough that it was soon considered Alaska’s state drink. To this day it’s all but mandatory that you order one at cash-only Ernie’s Old Time Saloon in Sitka.
Some cocktails become famous thanks to their sophisticated flavors, unexpected palate, or perfect balance. Some become famous for their names. These can be original enough or gross enough or just plain wrong enough to provide fuel for liftoff. When the drink’s reputation reaches escape velocity, the name then separates from the drink itself like a booster rocket from its payload, establishing its own orbit. The drink itself is secondary.
You needn’t look far for these drinks. Just find the loudest group of young men wearing backwards baseball caps, then follow them into a bar. (This might be easiest in college towns.) Here you may find the Sloe Comfortable Screw, the Panty Dropper, the Brain Hemorrhage, or the Mexican Firing Squad. It’s like playing Mad Libs with friends your parents didn’t want you hanging around with…