Between the hustle and bustle of our daily lives; the day job, the errands, the traffic, the barely funny sitcoms, we forget what it’s like to be in awe. But it only takes one thing to remind you, and today, you’ll see how one thing was able to awe an entire nation. Hi, my name is Gabe Bauer, and this is Top Shelf History, where we combine great stories with great drinks.

This is the Great Geyser. It is the cocktail I crafted after the world’s first ever national park: Yellowstone. It’s made with sweet n’ sour mix, blue curacao, rum, and gin, and was designed to look like one of those stunningly colorful bodies of water and minerals that hint at the massive super-volcano lying beneath.

Yellowstone is a natural marvel. The beautiful, prismatic hues of mineral pools and lakes enchant the eye. American bison, once near extinction, majestically roam across the land. The soft, yet pungent, smell of hot sulfur lingers about the warm embrace of the vapor emanating from the ground. It’s not hard to imagine why it’s inspired so many people over the years. Especially when you’ve been lucky enough to see it in person.

Located in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, the southeastern part of Idaho and the southwestern region of Montana, it is one of the largest parks in America. And that’s just above ground. Underneath this beauty lies one of the most formidable super-volcanoes in the world. It’s a place so stunning and so unique that until 1871, many Americans refused to believe it actually existed.

So, what happened in 1871? An artist named Thomas Moran and a photographer named William Henry Jackson went exploring. Suddenly, the seemingly mythical stories about this land in the west weren’t just stories anymore. Tom’s paintings and Bill’s photos had brought the stories to life. With evidence that such a place existed, President Ulysses S. Grant partnered with Congress to sign the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law, keeping the land safe, and establishing the first national park. Ever. In the world.

Seeing the renderings and photos of Yellowstone, visitors immediately flocked to the new national park, and they’ve been flocking there ever since. Including me. I’ve seen Yellowstone up close, and it is truly remarkable. And if you forget how powerful nature is, Old Faithful, the most famous geyser in the park will gladly erupt every 74 minutes to remind you.

Yellowstone’s beauty might only be matched by its legacy. It’s been 150 years since she was founded, and in that time, America has conserved 61 gorgeous swaths of land in the national park system. Across the globe, there are over 1,800 national parks and even more nature preserves and conservatories. Helen of Troy’s beauty may have launched a thousand ships, but Yellowstone’s beauty started a revolution.

Man, guys, I love national parks. And when I love something, you know I’m gonna make a drink inspired by it. So, let’s get started making the Great Geyser.

My whole vision for the Great Geyser was to mirror the grandiose beauty of the volcanic topography. Specifically to create a drink that looks like the prismatic pools fitting the landscape. Which should be totally easy, right?

To start we will put in 2 oz of sweet and sour mix. We will then follow that up with 1 oz of blue curaçao, which is what gives us that nice blue color. Next we will follow with some yellow-colored rum, which I made by adding food coloring. And I did this so that when we float the rum in the glass, we can see the sulphuric minerals that rim the pools. Then, stretching like tendrils of dried lava, we’ll add our orange-colored Gin (also made with food coloring) and float it on top. Look at that.

We could be done, but… before we call this a drink, we have to honor one of the most iconic features of Yellowstone: the geysers! And since this is the Great Geyser, we need it to erupt. Time to bring in the dry ice. Now, dry ice is safe to use in drinks as long as you let it dissipate before drinking and use tongs and gloves to handle it. Do not touch it with your skin, it will burn you. Much like an erupting geyser. And with that, here we go.

That truly is a great geyser!