GULPING GULLYWASH

By Jody Rathgeb

      If you’ve ever seen a hard rain on sandy limestone soil, you know what a “gullywasher” is. But would you ever consider drinking that stuff?

      You might if it’s a drink called gullywash, a gin and coconut concoction inspired by an island rain and popular in the Bahamas and other islands. A local drink not often served in tourist spots, it’s nevertheless a staple at the Wednesday Fish Fry on Grand Bahama Island and can be coaxed out of any island-born bartender who has access to fresh coconut water.

      It is a simple enough drink – just gin, sweetened milk and coconut water – but the trick is to get that water from an actual coconut, not a can. Canned coconut waters usually have added sugar and often contain bits of “jelly” coconut; gullywash requires the fresh stuff. That’s why it’s found more often at casual local gatherings, where someone arrives with a plastic gallon jug sloshing with the milky-looking drink. In fact, the recipe is made by the gallon:

      Gullywash (also called Sky Juice)

      1 can sweetened condensed milk

      ½ liter gin

      Coconut water to fill the jug

Some recipes add some coconut rum as well, and of course the drink can be dressed up with fruit and a tiny umbrella, but gullywash from a jug is more traditional.

      So how do you get that coconut water? The best way is to take a young, green coconut off a tree by twisting it. Choose a nut that’s bright green, yet bigger than a cantaloupe, and shake it a bit to see if it sloshes. The sound is the crucial thing, because that indicates that there’s water inside. Twist the coconut until it comes off the tree, then cut the husk off the pointy bottom with a sharp, serrated knife. When the shell is exposed, it can be knocked with a machete (or a hammered screwdriver) to crack it so that the water can be poured off.

      (Since the coconut is young, its meat will be soft, what’s known as “jelly coconut.” This can be eaten with a spoon and is a treat in itself.)

      If you must buy a coconut at a supermarket, shake every one available to find one with the most water possible. Taste its water before using it, though. As coconuts age, what water is left can ferment and go bad.

      Addison Forbes of North Caicos Island in the Turks and Caicos recalls that when he was a bartender in Miami he introduced gullywash to his regulars, bringing coconuts to the bar from his home. “It’s a sweet drink, so it was really popular with the young ladies,” he recalls. “I became known for it.”

 

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