The Jobu cocktail, inspired by the superstitious team totem from Major League, combines equal parts spiced rum, crème de banana, pineapple juice, and a smoky mezcal finish to evoke the rich, earthy flavors of a good Cuban cigar—perfect for calling on Jobu’s help to hit the curveball. (Recipe Below)
No baseball team is complete without its most important member, and that is the team totem Jobu where most of their superstitions lie. Most especially for Pedro Cerrano who needs Jobu to help him hit the break away balls. To make this cocktail we need two things a cigar, and rum. We used these as an inspiration to make a cocktail that is made with rum and reminiscent of a fragrant cigar and the best part of this cocktail is that it is equal parts. Spice Rum, Creme de Banana, and Pineapple Juice combined bring in all the flavors of a good Cuban cigar. Add in Mezcal and smoking out the rocks glass with a cinnamon stick to get that earthy smokiness Jobu would really love. So next time you ask Jobu to come to take the fear from bats to hit the curveball, make this cocktail. He will come.
Jobu
1 oz (30mL) Mezcal
1 oz (30mL) Spiced Rum
1 oz (30mL) Crème de Banana
1 oz (30mL) Pineapple Juice
3 Dashes Walnut Bitters
Dropper Saline
Cinnamon Stick
Smoke out a rocks glass by flaming a cinnamon stick and turning the rocks glass over top. In a mixing glass, combine 1 oz Mezcal, 1 oz Spiced Rum, 1 oz Creme De Banana, 1 oz Pineapple Juice and a dropper of saline. Fill with mixing ice and stir for 2 minutes. Strain into the rocks glass with a sphere. Garnish with the smoked cinnamon stick lit up like a cigar.
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Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
Country: Mexico
ABV: 84 proof/42%
Brand: Pernod Ricard Group
Spirits Type: Mezcal
Taste: Clean, Agave, Spice, Long Smoky Finish
Price Category: $
Made from a blend of Espadin Agaves which are roasted in underground ovens, fermented and twice distilled. It has an earthy smoky flavor that lingers with herbal and spice notes at the front of the palate and a slight bite at the end.
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Kraken Spiced Rum
Country: Dominican Republic
ABV: 94 proof/84%
Brand: Proximo Spirits
Spirits Type: Spiced Rum
Taste: Spice, Caramel
Price Category: $
Distilled from sugar cane molasses, aged, then blended with proprietary blend of spices. The result is a warming rum by flavor and alcohol burn. Vanilla and pie spice flavors accompany the warmth.
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Creme de Banana
Country: United States
ABV: 30 proof/15%
Brand: De Kuyper/Suntory Global Spirits
Spirits Type: Liqueurs/Cordials/Schnapps
Taste: Strong Banana, Syrupy Sweet, light vanilla
Price Category: $
A sweet liqueur flavored with a strong artificial banana flavor.
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Pineapple Juice
4-6% Acidity
Similar to Lemon Juice in acidity, but significantly more natural sugars which leaves a naturally balanced juice if freshly pressed. It is highly recommended to test the sweetness of the juice before adding additional sweeteners.
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Black Walnut Bitters
12.8 proof/6.4% ABV
Fee Brothers
Black Walnut Bitters are made with the hulls of black walnuts along with other spices, glycerin, water and alcohol. Unlike most bitters, Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters taste a little sweet, acidic and somewhat savory.
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Salt/Saline
Salt/Saline is a great flavor booster. It can balance sweetness and bitterness, smoothing out a cocktail. It can also enhance citrus flavor and acidity without the need for more acid.
A pinch of salt can be added to the cocktail, but for consistency, saline is easy to make and allows more control.
To Make It:
2 oz (60mL) Distilled or Purified Water
1 Tbsp (15g) Fine Sea Salt
Combine in a jar and shake vigorously. Once salt is dissolved, pour into a dropper bottle.
Wild Thing and the Art of Baseball Chaos: Boozy Comebacks, Jobu Magic, and the Glory of Major League
Major League is pure underdog chaos wrapped in pine tar, cheap beer, and locker-room cigarette smoke, with a misfit Cleveland baseball team stumbling toward greatness while its owner quietly roots for disaster hard enough to relocate the franchise to Miami. Into that beautifully doomed clubhouse walks an unforgettable collection of washed-up veterans, reckless rookies, and baseball degenerates, led by Charlie Sheen’s Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn — a fastball-throwing ex-con whose control problems are only slightly less dangerous than his haircut. The cocktails inspired by the film swing just as wildly, beginning with “Wild Thing,” a reckless collision of Fireball, Screwball whiskey, Nixta corn liqueur, pineapple, cacao, and habanero bitters that drinks like Cracker Jack soaked in gasoline and somehow still rounds the bases smoothly. Its counterpart, “Jobu,” channels the team’s rum-soaked superstition with spiced rum, banana liqueur, pineapple, mezcal, and cinnamon smoke, creating a cocktail that feels like a Cuban cigar came to life in the middle of a ninth-inning rally while Pedro Cerrano begs the baseball gods to help him hit a curveball. Like the movie itself, these drinks understand that Major League works not because the team is polished or professional, but because there’s something timelessly beautiful about watching a collection of lovable disasters accidentally become legends together.
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