"The devil's beating his wife" is a Southern saying to describe the weather when it is simultaneously raining and the sun is shining.  Figuring that the cocktail is a derivative of the New Orleans classic rum drink, the hurricane, we kept with the weather theme, but added a bit of a Virginia twist.  (Pawpaws are native to Virginia.)

This is the Catoctin Creek feature cocktail of the RAMMYS 2015 gala in Washington DC.

1 oz Roundstone Rye
1 oz Mosby's Spirit
1½ oz pawpaw syrup*
½ oz orange juice
½ oz lime juice
½ oz grenadine*
Orange wedge for garnish

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake the cocktail for about 30 seconds. Pour into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with an orange wedge.

Pawpaw syrup - Mix 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and 2 cups of paw paw pulp in a saucepan. Stir constantly to keep the pawpaw from scorching on the bottom of the pan. Once all the sugar is dissolved, strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve to strain out more of the solids. Add a ½ oz of Mosby's Spirit to help preserve the syrup. Store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Grenadine - Mix equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar in a saucepan. Turn the heat on low and stir to combine until all the sugar is dissolved. Store for two weeks in the refrigerator. You may also buy it in the store but isn't it more fun to make your own? Alternative recipes call for pomegranate molasses, vanilla extract and other additives, but I prefer to KISS it. (Keep it simple, stupid)

Cocktail recipe courtesy of Chad Robinson.  Pawpaw photo copyright Clarknova on Wikipedia; unrestricted use permitted.