HAPPY HOUR
Toast Elvis' 75th birthday
January 8, 2010
Linda Barnard
TORONTO STAR
It was cold and snowy at Graceland on Jan. 8, 1995 – a rare enough occurrence in Memphis that schools had closed – as we shivered and sang an up-tempo "Happy Birthday" to a man who had died more than a decade before. Out on the lawn outside Elvis Presley's house, some of the foot stomping was to keep warm; the rest was down to rock, rhythm and Elvis inspiration.
Today would have been the King's 75th birthday. He was never a drinker – Elvis liked his tall glass of Pepsi, but didn't go for alcohol. His daddy Vernon's trouble with moonshine likely put him off the hard stuff.
But Elvis did like his food, and his passion for such treats as grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches (sometimes he substituted crisp bacon and jam for the bananas) are legendary.
I took Elvis's beloved PB and banana combo as the inspiration for this week's cocktail – the EP-BP. I decided to start with a lime-and-rum daiquiri base, figuring Thai food mixes peanuts with lime and a touch of sweetness with delicious results. The banana, and the addition of a teaspoon of sugar, keep the drink in balance.
I haven't made it to Graceland since the kitchen was added to the public tours, the place where cooks whipped up all those midnight feasts of grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches. But photos show a 1970s-style room with a garish carpet and a cast-iron skillet on the electric range, just waiting for the King to order up a platter of his favourite snack.
The EP-PB
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter, melted (heat in a microwave-safe container for 10 seconds on medium power)
Fresh ice
1 oz fresh lime juice
1-1/2 oz amber rum
1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
1/2 large, ripe banana, peeled and sliced into rounds
Melt peanut butter. Add it and all other ingredients to a blender. Blend on high speed until drink is mixed and slushy. Pour into a glass. Garnish with a banana slice. Makes 1 drink
Star-tested by Linda Barnard
Toronto Star