By Kyle Marie McMahon
In celebration of Pride Month, Hummingbird in Raleigh is raising a glass—and funds—for a good cause. Their signature Pink Panther cocktail is a vibrant, refreshing drink that’s as joyful as the month itself. Made with ube-infused cachaça (a Brazilian spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice rather than rum’s typical molasses) and charred pineapple, it’s a tropical vacation in a glass.
Even better? Ten percent of proceeds from every Pink Panther sold at Hummingbird this June will go directly to the LGBT Center of Raleigh, supporting advocacy, education and community programming for LGBTQ+ individuals across the Triangle.
For those looking to mix up a little Pride at home, Hummingbird’s bar manager Hannah Perry shared a simplified version of the recipe with us so you can sip with purpose all month long. “We infuse and clarify this cocktail for 48 hours, which yields a color & textural change,” she says. “The Pink Panther can be made at home, more simply, as this recipe dictates, and will yield more of an orange color.”
Hummingbird’s Pink Panther
- 1.5 oz of a white rum of your choice
- .75 oz of cachca
- .5 oz of John D. Taylor’s velvet falernum
- 1 oz fresh pineapple juice
- .75 oz fresh lime juice
- .5 oz cream of coconut
- .25 oz orgeat
- 2 drops tiki bitters
- Pinch of salt
- Lime wheel for garnish
Combine all ingredients to a shaker tin with plenty of ice and shake for 15 seconds, strain into a glass with fresh ice and garnish with a lime wheel.
Whether you’re stopping by Hummingbird for the full experience (and the donation) or shaking things up in your own kitchen, the Pink Panther is the perfect way to toast to love, inclusion and community. Cheers to Pride—and to supporting local in every sense of the word.
