How the Fuzzy Navel Cocktail Got Its Name
The Fuzzy Navel Cocktail is a light and refreshing beverage that can sneak up on you quickly if you’re not careful. The name of this drink doesn’t sound appetizing at all, but it is a peach lover’s delight. Sip a Fuzzy Navel to enjoy a fruity and robust experience, with a few different tasting notes that make it the ideal cocktail for spring and summer parties and gatherings. Have you ever wondered how the Fuzzy Navel got its name? The name sounds like something a guy cleaning his navel stumbled on. This beverage has nothing to do with body parts or hygiene. If you’re not familiar with the story, you’re in the right place to find out. Once you hear the retelling you’ll understand why it’s such a fitting title.
What is a Fuzzy Navel Cocktail?
The Fuzzy Navel is a cocktail that is easy to make. It’s best if you have the right ingredients. The Fuzzy Navel Cocktail is a staple for most public bars and home mixologists. The Fuzzy Navel is a popular drink with people who enjoy the flavor of peach. Taste Atlas explains the simple and standard recipe for the Fuzzy Navel Cocktail as equal portions of Peach Schnapps and Orange Juice. It couldn’t be simpler right? The flavor of the drink heavily depends on the quality of the ingredients. Your homemade Fuzzy Navel will turn out better if you start with quality Peach Schnapps and real orange juice that is 100% juice. The fresher to better. While it’s not necessary to squeeze the oranges yourself, you’ll get the optimal results if you do. Premium
How to prepare the Fuzzy Navel
The best way to prepare the Fuzzy Navel is to start with a highball cocktail glass filled with ice. Pour the Peach Schnapps over the ice. Follow with the orange juice. The key is to not blend the orange juice with the Peach Schnapps any more than is necessary. The ice will help keep the two beverages separated for a lovely aesthetic. You can use a peach slice or an orange wedge as a complementary garnish to make the drink even more attractive.
Other variations of the Fuzzy Navel
The Fuzzy Navel is a cocktail from the 1980s that inspired a host of other cocktails with similar names. For example, the Hairy Navel is a Fuzzy Navel with a splash of Vodka thrown in. Some mixologists use equal parts Vodka, OJ, and Peach Schnapps and call it a Fuzzy Navel, but it’s not the classic version of the drink. The Fuzzy Shark is a Fuzzy Navel that uses shark-shaped shot holders, hooked on the side of the highball glass filled with Blue Curacao. The contents of the sharks are emptied into the glass for a potent, visually stunning, and flavorful version of the Fuzzy Navel. These are just a few of the dozens of new variations, some including lemon juice and various other enhancements, but none could call themselves a Fuzzy Navel. The classic drink maintained its simplicity for purists.
How the Fuzzy Navel Cocktail Got Its Name
Liquor.com addresses the elephant in the room by assuring us that its bizarre name has nothing to do with grooming, nor the belly button. Instead, the fuzzy in the title refers to peach fuzz, and the navel describes the orange. The notion of drinking a Fuzzy Navel cocktail is far more palatable when one thinks about it in those terms. Bevvy.com tells the story of the mixologist who created the Fuzzy Navel Cocktail. It was none other than the founder of Bartender Magazine, and a bartender by trade, Mr. Ray Foley. The precise date of its creation is a little hazy, but it is estimated to be an invention of the 1980s. The Foley account is one of many. Some are convinced that the DeKuyper brand, famous for its DeKeyper Peachtree Schnapps liqueur label created the drink to market its spirits.
Other assumptions and facts about the Fuzzy Navel
Wikipedia supports the DeKuyper origin story, claiming that the brand created the cocktail to accommodate the desire of the ladies who preferred a lower-calorie alternative to the popular Screwdriver Cocktail. The Fuzzy Navel was also sweeter, but losing the vodka cut down the calorie count. It makes sense that the DeKuyper marketing strategy as the origin story is the most likely scenario, but we’ll probably never know. Regardless of whether DeKuyper or Foley crafted the Fuzzy Navel, sales of the label’s Peachtree skyrocketed to number one of all brands in the United States by 1985. Distillers were known to work with ad agencies to create new drinks with a high appeal to target audiences. Another name for the Fuzzy Navel Cocktail is Cold Medina, or Funky Cold Medina, made popular by the Beastie Boys and Flavor Flav.
Final thoughts
The Fuzzy Navel Cocktail is a drink that fell out of favor in the late 1990s and 2000s era, but it’s making a comeback. There’s a resurgence in interest in the drink because of its light peach flavor and the bite of the schnapps. One could argue that orange juice gives you an extra dose of vitamin C to boost the immune system. In these times that’s always a welcome benefit. The Fuzzy Navel has a hazy backstory. We’re not sure whether it was created by Ray Foley or by the DeKuyper distillery. Either way, the cocktail is an old standard that stirs fond memories from those who enjoyed it in the mid-’80s forward until it fell out of vogue. Drinking a Fuzzy Navel Cocktail is like a blast from the past for previous fans and a new experience for those just learning about the peachy drink with an orange undercarriage. It’s been around for the past four decades and it’s likely to remain for many years to come.
