The Fuzzy Navel – Orange you Glad?

The Fuzzy Navel brings back so many memories.  It was a popular drink in the 1980’s and found a special place in my heart.  In essence the drink is equal parts peach schnapps and orange juice.  Pretty easy to make and honestly, pretty easy to drink.

fuzzy navel

History

The history of the Fuzzy Navel is well…. fuzzy.  I found a story that the founder of Bartender Magazine, Ray Foley, created the drink.  The story goes that he was cutting an orange for the garnish and his customer said he could still smell the fuzz off the peach schnapps though the orange juice.  Ray looked at the orange and saw the word “navel”.. thus the cocktail was born.

Another story states it originated at the Wagon Tongue Bar in Omaha, Nebraska.  (Really, who names their bar the Wagon Tongue… better yet who goes there?)  By the way, if you have ever been to the Wagon Tongue Bar in Omaha, let me know!  Anyway, a liquor distributor named Jack Sherman invented the drink when combining peach schnapps and orange juice.  A New York Times food critic stated the craze associated with the new drink as “a kind of cult, rallying points for young drinkers in serch of fun and not too picky about taste”.  Well, he seemed pretty intent on stating the drink lacked… sophistication?  What did he know?

Recipe

1 part Peach Schnapps

1 part Orange Juice

Mix and serve over ice.  The drink is much better when chilled.

Variations

Woo Woo: Replace the orange juice with cranberry juice.

Sex on the Beach:  Admit it, you really like ordering this one!  It just sounds really … edgy to say… I’ll have a Sex on the Beach, right?  Anyway, this drink is:

3/4 parts peach schnapps

3/4 parts vodka

3 parts orange juice

3 parts cranberry juice

Fuzzy Pucker:  Replace the orange juice with grapefruit juice

Hairy Navel:  Add vodka to the recipe.  The more vodka… the hairier the drink!

 

 

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