Harvey Wallbanger cocktail day is the eighth of November

November 9, 3:15 PMLA Cocktails ExaminerAaron Vanek

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The Harvey Wallbanger with Ketel One Vodka

Sunday November 8th was and always will be Harvey Wallbanger Day, but I didn’t have any Galliano to enjoy one. Woe is me.

Like many cocktails, there are many versions of its invention. The most entertaining assigns the origin to a drunk n’ clumsy Manhattan Beach surfer named Harvey who liked Galliano on his Screwdrivers. However it came about, its genesis and apex occurred in Los Angeles during the heyday of Don the Beachcomber, Trader Vic’s, and teenagers rioting on Sunset Strip to protest curfew laws and police brutality.

The cocktail is very simple, and makes for a nice brunch alternative to a Mimosa or Bloody Mary:

Harvey Wallbanger

• 1 ounce vodka (Ketel One)
• 4 ounces fresh orange juice
• ½ ounce Galliano liqueur
• Orange slice for garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice, add vodka and OJ, stir to chill. Once it settles, use a bar spoon to float the Galliano on top.

This simple drink also gave rise to the Harvey Wallbanger cake and a band named Harvey and the Wallbangers. So raise a glass to poor ol’ Harvey, whoever or wherever he is.
Remember, remember, the eighth of November!
(apologies to Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night)

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