The Motor Oil is one of many cocktails associated with the Harley-Davidson. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

Cocktails even a badass biker could love

Horse-racing people are always depicted as bourbon sippers, be it a splash over ice or in the more complicated julep.

Poker players are known for their preference for Scotch, usually single malt with no ice.

There’s the polo crowd, whose members wouldn’t dare stomp a divot without a Pimm’s Cup in hand. It’s one of those delightful drinks so full of vegetables, you can quaff several for lunch and honestly tell everyone you went out for a salad.

It seems only natural, then, with nearly half a million motorcycle enthusiasts rumbling into Galveston in early November for the Lone Star Rally, that someone ask, “What do bikers drink?”

One answer to that is simple: It should be absolutely nothing if they are in the actual act of being a biker.

Another is more logical, especially if you’re standing on the service side of the bar: Whatever they want.

The third is more complicated. Is there a cocktail that one automatically associates with Harleys, Hogs and road bugs in the teeth?

Not surprisingly, researchers have studied this subject.

Motor Oil is a cocktail made with Jägermeister, peppermint schnapps, Goldschlager and Malibu Rum. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

GothRider Magazine, for one, has posted innumerable articles on biker bars, stocking the biker bar and cocktails “Even Badass Bikers Love.” This online publication also sells drink mugs with brass knuckle handles, so its writers obviously know their stuff.

Similarly, several articles have been written regarding cocktails for other well-known biker gatherings, particularly those seaside ones in Daytona Beach and Myrtle Beach in Florida.

Perusing many of these drinks, you’ll be quick to notice several things in common. There are no paper umbrellas or flowery swizzle sticks. And there’s no single alcohol.

In GothRider, for example, there’s a cocktail called The Walker. The drink calls for 2 ounces of dark rum, 1 ounce of triple sec, 2 ounces of light rum and 1 ounce of 151-proof rum. That’s matched with 1 ounce each of lime, orange and pineapple juice then topped with a tablespoon of grenadine. Any responsible biker will attest, Walker good, Driver bad.

The Harley-Davidson Company cocktail, created for the Daytona rally, is a bit more simple and without all that fruity stuff. Mix one half shot Yukon Jack Canadian Whiskey with one half shot Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and drink it. Now you know Jack.

There are a huge number of cocktails associated with the Harley-Davidson, not surprisingly endorsed and promoted by the company itself. Among some of the more popular are the Harley-Davidson #2 cocktail made with one part Malibu Rum, one part Jägermeister Herbal Liqueur and one part Jack Daniel’s. The Harley Oil cocktail is similar, but has a lot more schnapps to it, as in peppermint and cinnamon.

GothRider does acknowledge many bikers do like their beer, so it suggested adding 2 ounces of vodka to 3 ounces of beer and 4 ounces of tomato juice. It’s a Bloody Mess. No, really, Bloody Mess is the name.

A spokesman for one biker-friendly bar in Galveston, Woody’s Beach Bar at 11149 Termini-San Luis Pass Road, gave it a long thought and finally said the closest thing to a biker cocktail the venue sells is “Jack (Daniel’s) and Coke. They don’t get fancy.”

MOTOR OIL COCKTAIL

Harley cocktail recipe from DEFY Media’s July 2010 online Made Man issue

INGREDIENTS

1 ounce Jägermeister Herbal Liqueur

½ ounce peppermint schnapps

½ ounce Goldschlager Cinnamon Schnapps

½ ounce Malibu Rum

DIRECTIONS

In a triple shot glass, mix together the first three ingredients. Top with rum and serve.