Blow My Skull: The Most Famous Australian Cocktail

“Blow My Skull” is a punch drink from mid-19th century Australia, known for its strong alcoholic content. The original recipe, from “The English and Australian Cookery Book” by Edward Abbott, includes boiling water, sugar loaf, lime or lemon juice, ale or porter, rum, and brandy.

This drink is famed for its potent effects. Another variation, called “Blow My Skull Off,” was historically made with rum, Cocculus indicus, spirits of wine, cayenne pepper, Turkish opium, and water, offering an even more intense experience.

History and Popularity

The “Blow My Skull Off” cocktail, invented by Lieutenant Governor Thomas Davey of Tasmania, a known heavy drinker, has a debated name origin. While some sources link the name “blow my skull” to Davey, referencing The English and Australian Cookery Book, others suggest he named it “blow my skull off.”

This latter version implies a more potent concoction, rumored to include opium and toxic plants, which Davey allegedly served at barbeques outside the capital. In the 1850s, a version with opium became popular among Australian gold miners.

This drink is often considered one of Australia’s most famous cocktails, with cocktail historian Sebastian Raeburn noting Melbourne’s significant place in cocktail history.

Ingredients:

• Boiling water: 2 pints
• Brown cane sugar: 165g (3/4 cup) (Brown Sugar)
• Lime or lemon juice: Juice of 6 limes
• Ale or Porter: 50 cl (500 ml)
• Navy-style rum (57% alcohol content): 50 cl (500 ml)
• Strong brandy: 25 cl (250 ml)

Method:

1. Dissolve Sugar: Start by dissolving the brown cane sugar into the boiling water in a large bowl.
2. Add Ingredients: Mix in the lime or lemon juice, followed by equal parts of porter (or ale) and navy-style rum, and half the amount of strong brandy.
3. Chill the Drink: Stir the mixture well and refrigerate until it’s chilled.
4. Serve: Pour the chilled cocktail into half-pint glasses and serve.

Blow My Skull – In The Modern Day

“Blow My Skull” punch, with its origins in rum punch drinks from the Oceanic region, is sometimes served as a flaming drink in a large skull-shaped tiki bowl. This modern interpretation includes Jamaican pot-still rum, dark porter, brandy, and lime juice, mixed with demerara sugar and boiling water.

This recipe closely resembles the mid-19th century Australian version made with porter beer, often referred to as “Blow My Head Off” in contemporary drink guides. In modern cocktail books, both names usually refer to the porter-based version unless specified otherwise.

Chek out some other great rum cocktail recipes.