Fuzzy Navel Recipe
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A latecomer to the dubious pantheon of liqueurs, peach schnapps is blended with orange juice to create the Fuzzy Navel. No one has laid claim to originating the Fuzzy Navel, which, considering its many detractors, is a darned good thing. It was one of the first of the 1980s new wave of mixed drinks, a craze for drinks lambasted by New York Times critic William Grimes as “a kind of cult, rallying points for young drinkers in search of fun and not too picky about taste.”
The fuzzy in the drink name references the peach, and the navel refers to the orange. The drink spawned such other cutesy innuendos as the Woo Woo. One suspects that after too many of those you would need to retire to the tinkle-dinkle-ha-ha room for relief.
If simplicity is your game, you will score well with the Fuzzy Navel. These sneaky little devils also creep up on the drinker, giving fuzzy a further connotation. Using grapefruit juice will produce a Fuzzy Pucker. Don’t go there.
- 2 ounces peach schnapps
- 6 ounces fresh orange juice
- Fruit of choice
- Pour the schnapps and orange juice over ice in a chilled highball glass. Garnish with your fruit of choice.
Variation:
Woo Woo: Substitute cranberry juice for the orange juice.
Actually, to make a Woo Woo, use half orange and half cranberry. As Danna mentioned, you do get a Hairy Navel with vodka, orange juice, and peach schnapps. Further, add vodka to your Woo Woo (or, alternately and less dirty sounding, peach schnapps to your Madras; isn't it fascinating to see the links between drinks?) and you get the classic Sex On The Beach.
Add vodka, et voila, Hairy Navel. I was in college during the fuzzy navel craze and ingested my fair share. I believe Ruby Tuesdays had 2 for 1 Fuzzy Navels and 2 for 1 chicken fingers (which were also a new phenomenon at the time) However I dispute that you can get drunk off them, a Hairy Navel is required for that.
My favorite Fuzzy Navel variation is a bit more complicated, but way more delicious, called NASA Truth Serum. (Originated on the Space Coast of Florida.)
Equal parts peach schnapps and Malibu coconut rum over ice, fill with orange juice and top of with a splash of vodka.
Warning, this has way more alcohol than you can taste. :-P