The PB2Y, or PB2Y Gremlin, is a tiki drink created by Victor Bergeron as part of a series of "gremlin" drinks for his Trader Vic's restaurants during World War II.[1] [2]
The ingredients for the cocktail calls for 1 1/2 oz of silver rum, 1 1/2 oz of orange juice, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz orange curacao, 1/4 oz lime juice, and 1/4 oz grenadine, along with 3 cups of crushed ice and garnished with a gardenia.[3] Bergeron's 1947 Bartender's Guide called for the drink to be served in a ceramic "gremlin bowl."[4]
Bergeron served three different sized versions of his Gremlin drinks depending on how many people would be drinking the cocktail. The P-40 Gremlin was for one person, the PB2Y Gremlin served two, and the B-17 Gremlin served four. Life magazine called them "formidable looking potions."[5]
The drinks were in general named after the mythological Gremlin creatures that caused mechanical problems for World War II aviators.[6] The PB2Y was a reference to the PB2Y Coronado military plane. As a morale builder Bergeron sent packages of his drinks to fliers in the South Pacific.[7] The drink may have been part of the general competition between Bergeron and Donn Beach, who had served in World War II.[8] Beach allegedly had a B-26 Bomber with a painted "Don the Beachcomber" on its fuselage named after him, and he had also created aviation themed cocktails such as the Q.B. Cooler and Test Pilot.[9] The two frequently fought over drink recipes.[10] [11] [12] [13]
Similar to a Scorpion bowl, the PB2Y was typically served with long straws for sharing. The drink as served in a gremlin bowl featured a motif of a woman being chased across a tropical island by a Gremlin.[14] [15]
Few examples of the bowl exist in the 21st century, and they carry a resale value in the thousands of dollars.[16]