Investigative Reports: Uptown Phenomenon part 2

As I continue my search to find the origin and recipe of the drink “Nutcracker”, I’m told about a similar drink called The “Apollo”.

I’m also reminded of hood classics “Incredible Hulk” and “Thug Passion”

Hmm.. I think I’m on the right track.

Apollo = son of Zeus, and god of the intellect, the arts, prophecy, healing, and light.

Apollo Drink Recipe

Ingredients	My Bar
3 1/2 oz Hpnotiq
1 oz Gold Rum
3 oz Bacardi Breezer Orange
1/2 can Monster energy drink
Apollo Directions Pour the Bacardi and Gold Rum into a martini shaker with ice. Mix and when finished, place in glass without the ice. Add Hpnotiq and stir. After you have finished, pour in half of a can of orange monster. Once completed, add a yellow/green glowstick for a glowing sunlike effect. Enjoy!

Incredible Hulk Recipe.

1/4 oz Cognac
3/4 oz Hpnotiq
Green Hulk Directions Pour Hpnotiq and cognac into a shot glass, watch as it turns green, and serve.

History.

Nick Storm explains:

“When we launched Hpnotiq on the market we were throwing these parties in the Bronx and Brooklyn. There was one party at Justin’s [rap star P Diddy's restaurant] where there were about 500 people. I noticed that all the women were drinking Hpnotiq but the guys weren’t so much, because they were saying that it was too fruity, it was blue and just seemed too girly for them. So the bartender Victor Alvarez had a brainstorm and poured Hennessy into it.” The drink turned green and was an instant hit. Not long after the party, Nick was hearing back from liquor stores that customers were coming in to buy the ingredients and were referring to the drink as “the Hulk.” That was when Heaven Hill decided to officially baptize the cocktail the Incredible Hulk. Once the movie was released it wasn’t long before the drink went mainstream. link.

Thug Passion Recipe.

This drink is referenced in the song “Thug Passion” by rapper 2Pac in which the ingredients are “alize and cristal”. Cristal is the brand name of a well-known Champagne produced by Louis Roederer, Since we don’t expect everyone to have $350 for a bottle, we listed generic Champagne.

2 oz Alize® liqueur

2 oz Champagne

Shake ingredients over ice and serve.

It should be noted that in NYC, the Thug Passions were made Alize and Hennesy.

Anyway, peep Pac’s lyrics for his Thug Passion song. Funny as all hell.

I feel myself getting closer to they mysterious “Nutcracker” ingredients. I also hope to find out where the name came from.

Stay tuned.