A Mouthful of Tiki

A slice of Tiki from Boston.

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Tiki Trading Cards, via Quinntiki on Etsy

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Got some new leis for the tiki shelf!

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Gold Cup

As I've made my way through Beachbum Berry's remixed, the section on the Beachcomber's Gold has somehow managed to elude my attention. The time seemed right to master yet another original Don the Beachcomber classic. Which brought me a problem: which is the best or "right" recipe? As I started wading into the history of the Chicago, Waikiki and Hollywood/Palm Springs versions, I quickly realized I had made a mistake; the more I read, the more confused I got. I should have heeded the Beacbum's initial warning: "the Beachcomber's Gold, a little cocktail that gives us a big headache."

But leave it to Beacbum Berry to offer a way out: The Gold Cup. It bears a strong resemblence to the Hollywood/Palm Springs version of the Beachcomber's Gold, but calls for maraschino liquer, something I haven't seen in any other tiki drink, but really appreciate in the Last Word.

Gold Cup

3/4 oz lime juice

3/4 oz simple syrup

1/2 oz maraschino liqueur

1 1/2 oz gold Jamaican rum

1 teaspoon Pernod (sub Herbsaint)

3 drops almond extract

Shake well with ice and strain into coupe glass served with an ice shell

Hukilau Room (Long Beach, CA) circa 1962 via Beachbum Berry's Remixed

It certainly makes for a nice photo. The dominant flavor is certainly the Maraschino which gives the Gold Cup a sharp dryness to the drink. The maraschino/lime combination works really well to provide a dry base to the drink, which allows the Appleton V/X to stand out. The one thing I wish I was able to get more of in the drink was the almond extract. It really didn't come through at all.

All in all, it's a nice drink. The maraschino is a rare site in the world of tiki recipes, making the Gold Cup somewhat unique. The Beachbum's preference for the Gold Cup over the original Beachcomber's Gold(s) may have saved me a headache tonight, but I'll be back soon to master the Beachcomber's Gold, ice shell and all!

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Aku Aku Lapu

There really isn't much history available on the Aku Aku Lapu other than it's origin: The Aku Aku restaurant in Las Vegas circa 1960. 

What really attracted me to the Aku Aku Lapu is the potent rum list. Dark Jamaican, Lemon Hart 151 and Gold Puerto Rican. What's not to like! The recipe is a double, but eyeballing the ingredients and it looks like it could just as easily be a single.

Aku Aku Lapu

1 oz gold Puerto Rican Rum

1 oz dark Jamaican rum

1 oz Lemon Hart 151 Demerara rum

1 oz lemon juice

1 oz pineapple juice

1 oz grapefruit juice

1 oz falernum

16 oz crushed Ice

Combine all ingredients in blender and give it a spin for 5 seconds. Pour into Tiki Barrel mug or share with two. Garnish with parasol.

Aku Aku Restaurant (Las Vegas) via Beachbum Berry's Remixed

Putting the drink together, I knew it was going to give me a blast of citrus right from the get go. A combined four ounces of pineapple, grapefruit, orange and lemon juice starts the Aku Aku Lapu off with a bright floral note (coming mostly from the grapefruit and orange).

Next up, you'll get some sweetness from the orange, pineapple and falernum, followed up by the rich smokiness from the rum. The LH151 really does a number here. The drink finishes up with the tartness from the lemon, which is actually refreshing and really nice.

For me, the weakest part of the drink is the sweet notes. The falernum is omnipresent, but the pineapple and orange juice aren't quite enough to stand up straight against the rum and tartness of the lemon at the end. I would recommend adding some simple syrup (no more than 1/2 oz) or overpour your homemade falernum slightly.

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Scorpion Bowl

The rivalry between Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic was never exactly a secret. While the two had great respect for each other, they were fiercely competetive with regard to the secrecy of their recipes. This left many classic tiki drinks with a shroud of mystery over who actually created it. Rightly or wrongly, the tiki community and most notably, its leading Tiki historian -- Jeff Beachbum Berry -- tends to come down on the side of Don the Beachcomber.

But the Scorpion is different. Where there is often doubt or at least an argument to be made, the Scorpion is decidedly a Trader Vic creation. Along with the Mai Tai and the Fog Cutter, the Scorpion came to define the Trader Vic genre of tiki drinks. But as was so often the case, the Scorpion suffered at the hands of inept bartenders over the years and more often than not bears a closer resemblence to a Long Island Iced Tea than a tiki drink.

But the old recipes remain, and there is thus potential. While I could have experimented with the original 1938 Trader Vic recipe, I felt compelled by my overly tart Fog Cutter to go in another direction. The recipe I chose is an adaptation created by Steve Crane of the Luau Restaurant in Beverly Hills.

Scorpion Bowl

2 oz orange juice

1 oz lime juice

1 oz simple syrup

2 oz gold Puerto Rican rum

2 oz gin

1 oz brandy or Cognac

3/4 oz orgeat

8 oz crushed ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and spin for 3-5 seconds. Pour unstrained into a generously sized tiki bowl or share with a friend.

Scorpion from Steve Crane of Luau (Beverly Hills) circa 1958 via Beachbum Berry Remixed

Music to my lips. Theres so much going on in this drink. It starts with a nice jolt of orange which is supported by the floral notes in the gin as well as the orgeat. The almond and brandy really play well off of one another. Meanwhile, the lime provides much needed tart without punching through like lemon juice has the tendency to do. The gold Puerto Rican adds just the right amount of booziness to set the drink apart. The recipe is built as a double, but if you can eyeball 3/8 oz of orgeat, it's easy enough to cut in half. All in all, this one is a keeper. 

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Jet Pilot

The Jet Pilot is a drink that is very closely based on Donn the Beachcomber's Test Pilot in name and composition. This variation, can be traced back to the Luau Restaurant in Beverly Hills around 1950. The big change from the original recipe is the introduciton of cinnamon syrup.

When it comes to cinnamon syrup, not all cinnamon is created equally. As Rick over at Kaiser Penguin suggests when making cinnamon syrup, Ceylon cinnamon is ideal. Ceylon is comprised of many thin layers of bark which makes it really easy to crush up either by hand or in a coffee grinder. This makes it ideal for making cinnamon syrup.

Jet Pilot

1 oz dark Jamaican rum

3/4 oz gold Puerto Rican rum

3/4 oz 151-proof demerara rum

1/2 oz lime juice

1/2 oz grapefruit juice

1/2 oz cinnamon syrup*

1/2 oz falernum

1 dash Angostura bitters

6 drops Herbsaint or Pernod

crushed ice

Mix everything and pour over crushed ice in your favorite Tiki mug. Garnish with cherry.

Luau Restaurant (Beverly Hills) via Kaiser Penguin

The first sip is knock your socks off wow good. While there's no denying the similarities between the Jet Pilot and the Test Pilot, they have very distinct flavor profiles. The culprit (or hero): the cinnamon syrup.

The combination of the earthy richness of the cinnamon syrup with the floral, but powerful falernum is a match made in Tiki heaven. The herbsaint and bitters draw out every last flavor from the falernum as well. The citrus provides perfect balance while the rum colada does its thing. I use Coruba Dark, Bacari 8 Gold Puerto Rican and of course Lemon Hart 151 for the overproof Demerara. Now I've got to find more ways to use this cinnamon syrup.

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Navy Grog

The Navy Grog! This is a drink that I've been meaning to make for a while. After I triumphantly completed my month-long quest to find Coruba Dark in the Boston area - I wanted to give it a spin.

The list of ingredients doesn't overwhelm, but it is certainly intriguing. Aside from being excited to give the Coruba a spin, the honey mix intrigued me the most. I find that honey tends to disappear innocuously into drinks, but with a full 1 oz, I was excited to see what the honey could do with the rum and citrus combo.

Navy Grog

3/4 oz lime juice

3/4 oz white grapefruit juice

1 oz honey mix (1:1 water & honey)

1 oz light Puerto Rican rum

1 oz Demerara rum

1 oz dark Jamaican rum

3/4 oz soda water

Shake everything except soda water with ice and pour over crushed ice. Garnish with grapefruit zest, mint and a parasol

Don the Beachcomber via Beachbum Berry Remixed

Whoa. Amazingness. The first sip nails you with a nice combination of the molassesey-richness of the Coruba and honey. After that I really get some good grapefruit flavor which works so well with the Flor de Cana that I used in place of light Puerto Rican.

As I continue to sip, I'm finding that it's the grapefruit juice that is really tying the drink together. It's sweet and tart but doesn't overdeliver on either. I strongly recommend garnishing with a healthy cut of grapefruit zest (easy with a channel knife). The zest adds some awesome grapefruit aroma that really helps set the stage for each sip.

A note on the soda water. Just as with the Sidewinder's Fang, the soda water really helps cut back on the tartness of the citrus. If you find keeping bottles of soda water on hand annoying as I do, I'd recommend springing for a soda siphon. They're not prohibitively expensive, and you can buy the seltzer cartriges in bulk and make a liter of soda water at a moment's notice.

OK enough writing. Time to make another!

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Sidewinder's Fang

Back to the animal dentition theme. After visiting the Cobra's Fang a while back, I thought it would be good to try out its close relative the Sidewinder's Fang. The drink was created at the Lanai in San Mateo California.

Sidewinder's Fang

1 1/2 oz lime juice

1 1/2 oz orange juice

1 1/2 oz passion fruit syrup

1 oz Demerara rum

1 oz dark Jamaican rum

3 oz club soda

Shake everything but club soda with ice. Pour unstrained into a glass of your choice and top with club soda

Lanai (San Mateo, CA) via Beachbum Berry in Remixed

It's nice. I used an El Dorado Demerara and Appleton Extra Dark Jamaican. The El Dorado imparts a rich, smokey flavor, while the Appleton leaves hints of caramel. The fruit and soda water also work their magic to create a nice balance. The soda water works really well to bring out the sweet, floral aromas of the orange juice and passion fruit syrup while cutting the tartness.

Though nicely balanced, the Sidewinder's Fang doesn't create a lasting impression on me. Beyond the sweetness from the orange and passion fruit, there isn't a single defining flavor. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you're on the prowl for a complex Tiki drink with layers of flavors, this isn't the one for you.

A note of advice: the Sidewinder's Fang is on the weak side, so shaking and pouring over crushed ice is optimal. Also, don't dilly dally. Drink this one up with haste and move onto something more interesting.

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Pieces of Eight

Tonight I was on the prowl for a drink that featured passion fruit syrup. Over the weekend, I had bottled some homemade stuff as per Beacbum Berry's directions in Remixed (equal parts thawed passion fruit pulp and sugar syrup).

The final syrup product was delicious and took a whopping total of 3 minutes active prep time. The only hard part was tracking down the passion fruit pulp, but after my third try, I was able to find a Haitan grocery in Cambridge that carried Goya (still on the lookout for La Fe brand).

Anyways, back to the drink. The Pieces of Eight recipe jumped out at me because of the 1 1/2 oz passion fruit syrup. The cocktail itself was the creation of its namesake, a bar in Marina del Rey, California around 1962. There are some great photos of the bar over at Tiki Room, including the original cocktail menu on which the drink is described as "A combinaiton of fruit, juice and imported Virgin Island rum. The perfect nectar from the Voodoo gods."

Pieces of Eight

1 1/2 lemon juice

1/2 lime juice

1 1/2 oz passion fruit syrup

1 1/2 oz light Puerto Rican rum (I used Flor de Cana)

4 oz crushed ice

Toss everything in a blender and spin on warp speed for 3 seconds.

Pieces of Eight (Marina del Rey, CA) via Beachbum Berry's Remixed

My first sip was really tart and the lemon juice is attempting to overpower the drink. The passion fruit syrup does manage to fight back a little bit, but the Flor de Cana that I used just gets drowned out by the lemon. A shame. I should have taken the hint when I had to bust out a second lemon, that the lemon juice would hog the stage. I may revisit this someday and try to fix, but for now, pass.

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Port Light

Last night definitely felt like a Bourbon kind of night. I had done plenty of research on Bourbon-based Tiki drinks in the past, but I wasn't smitten with any of the options on my list. So I fired up the Grogalizer, updated my liquor cabinet and lo and behold, there was the Port Light staring me in the face. I had seen the Port Light mentioned in a number of places, but guess I had never put it in memory as a Bourbon drink.

For your dose of history, the Port Light was invented in 1961 by Sandro Conti of the Kahiki Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. Sadly, the Kahiki is no longer with us, but the Port Light is a worthy legacy.

Port Light

1 1/2 oz Bourbon

1 oz lemon juice

1/4 oz grenadine

1/2 oz passion fruit syrup

8 o crushed ice

Toss everything in your trusty blender and give it a quick spin. Pour into an old fashioned glass or similarly appropriate small Tiki Mug

Sandro Conti of Kahiki (Columbus, OH) via Beachbum Berry Remixed

What a great smelling drink. The bourbon and passion fruit syrup have such great aromas. The first sip hits you with a great combination of sweet and tart from the grenadine and lemon juice. Next the bourbon and passion fruit kick in and provide great depth. If anything, next time (and there will be a next time) i'll cut down the Grenadine to a few dashes; while it does add some great color to the drink, it was a little overpowering.

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The Morning After

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Test Pilot

Finding a recipe to test out my new batch of homemade Falernum turned out to be a difficult choice. The Jet Pilot tempted me, but I didn't want the cinnamon syrup that I had made to compete with the Falernum. Wanting to find a drink that gives Falernum a chance to star on its own, I opted for Don the Beachcomber's original, the Test Pilot.

Test Pilot

1 1/2 oz dark Jamaican rum

3/4 oz light Puero Rican rum

1/2 oz lime juice

1/2 oz Falernum

3 tesspoons Cointreau

dash Angostura bitters

1/8 teaspoon Pernod (sub Herbsaint)

8 oz crushed ice

Combine everything in Blender and spin for 3 seconds. Garnish as desired.

Don the Beachcomber via Beachbum Berry's Grog Log

Success! The Falernum is out of this world delicious. The first sip gives you a really nice strong shot across the bow of Falernum. The nutmeg, cloves and ginger really jump out nicely.

And as so many Don the Beachcomber originals seem to do, the Test Pilot delivers layer after layer of intricate and balanced flavor. The lime juice kicks the Falernum into another gear making sure that the tartness of the citrus balances the sweet, spicy Falernum. Meanwhile, the Angostura compliments the dark, spicy dance going on between the rum and Falernum. And last, but not least, the Herbstaint adds dimension to the dark rum (a tactic used often by Don the Beachcomber as noted by Beachbum Berry) and finishes things off with a sweet, floral, anisey note.

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Fog Cutter

The Fog Cutter is one of the oldest Tiki drinks around, but it also happens to be one of my least favorite. Every time I've tried it, the lemon has simply been too overpowering. While I don't intend to dig every Tiki drink, it just doesn't feel right to have such disdain for a classic, so I thought I'd give it another shot.

The origins of the drink are, as usual, highly contested. While most accounts credit the original Fog Cutter to Trader Vic, others, notably Sven Kirsten as documented by Dr. Cocktail in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, suggest that the drink was forged by Tony Ramos (the original bartender at Don the Beachcomber). There is no definitive answer, and as much fun as speculation is, as David Wondrich notes, "spending too much time with the history of cocktails can give you as big a headache as spending too much time with the drinks themselves."

As for the recipe itself, Rick over at Kaiser Penguin was generous enough to donate his liver to test a few recipes, and the verdict was a decisive victory for the Trader Vic version.

Fog Cutter

2 oz light Puerto Rican rum

1/2 oz gin

1 oz brandy

1 oz orange juice

2 oz lemon juice (suggest cutting back 1/4 oz)

1/2 oz orgeat syrup (suggested slight overpour)

1/2 oz sherry

Shake everything except sherry with ice and strain into glass filled with crushed ice. Float sherry over top.

Trader Vic via Beachbum Berry's Grog Log

Holy lemon. It's still not quite there. I cut down the lemon juice from the original and overpoured the orgeat and it was still too tart. I ended up using Pisco for the Brandy and Cherry Heering as the float. This decision was based on those two used in other Fog Cutter recipes. Next time (if there is one), I'll follow the Trader Vic recipe more closely.

As a final note, if you can't tell from the recipe, it's real strong. Containing a full 2 oz of rum, gin, brandy and a sherry float, Trader Vic noted that "after two of these, you won't even see the stuff."

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Cobra's Fang

According to the history books, the Cobra's Fang was one of Don the Beachcomber's original go-to recipes. There isn't much of note written about the origin of the name other than Beachbum Berry's observation that animal dentition was a "go-to theme for Donn."

The recipe is appealing for a number of reasons. The small portion of rum makes the Cobra's Fang a handy drink to have in your arsenal; this is especially true if you are introducing someone to Tiki drinks. Along the same lines, it's a great drink to introduce someone to the flavors of falernum. Even though there are lots of other lovely ingredients, it's the falernum that really sings in this recipe. Final bonus points for being damn easy to remember. It's pretty close to an "equal parts" recipe, which makes it easy to just grab your bottles and measure. Just remember to go easy on the passion fruit syrup and you're golden.

One question you will likely have is WTF are "selected herbs"? Well, no one is quite sure of Donn's intent, but the discussion over at Tiki Room concludes that a dash of Herbsaint is the best option.

Cobra's Fang

1/2 oz dark Jamaican rum

1/2 oz Lemon Hart Demarara 151

1/2 oz lime juice

1/2 oz falernum

1/2 oz orange juice

1/4 oz passion fruit syrup

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 dash grenadine

1 dash "selected herbs" (Herbsaint)

Blend all ingredients with crushed ice. Serve in a tall glass with fresh mint and lime wheel.

"Hawai'i Tropical Drinks & Cuisine," Don the Beachcomber.

The drink itself is fantastic. Even though it's lighter on the rum than most drinks it certainly doesn't feel it due in large part to the LH151 punch that you get with every sip. As I mention above, the falernum really asserts itself and combined with the LH151 makes for a very aromatic, almost clovesy sip. The citrus does its part admirably and provides fresh bursts of tart along the way. A really nice drink for the tiki novice and the veteran.

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Singapore Sling

Ah, the Singapore Sling: a cocktail with plenty of intrigue, a healthy dose of history and a whole lot of disagreement on how to make it.

When it comes to the Singapore Sling, the breadth of written history is both a blessing and a curse for the liquid product. We know more about the drink than arguably any other Tiki drink; but with that knowledge, we also have more recipes than we know what to do with. While the range of recipes borders on comedy, it’s not all that surprising given the history of the Singapore Sling.

Gin slings were a dime a dozen in Singapore at the turn of the century, but the Raffles Hotel was said to have the best. Described as a “pink sling for pale people,” the Raffles Gin Sling soon took on legendary status and a new name.

But, the original recipe was lost sometime around 1930 and things got ugly. Like many classic Tiki drinks that have suffered abuse over the years (the Scorpion, Hurricane and Mai Tai to name a few), the Singapore Sling was a victim of its own success. Imitations, mutations and abominations sprouted up, leaving in their wake, lots of confusion and plenty of unsatisfied customers.

Despite the best efforts of many, the original recipe is most likely lost for good. The version currently served at the Raffles Hotel is said to be teeming with pineapple juice and is assuredly not the original recipe. But with a few tweaks it’s not beyond salvage.

Singapore Sling

2 oz gin

3/4 oz Cherry Heering

2 tsp Benedictine

2 tsp Cointreau

2 oz pineapple juice

3/4 oz lime juice

2 dashes grenadine

1 dash Angostura bitters

soda water

Shake all ingredients except soda water with ice. Strain into highball glass with ice. Top with soda water and garnish with a cherry, pineapple slice, and an orange wheel.

Ted Haigh (aka Dr. Cocktail) in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails

The flavors come together to form a sweet drink, but also one that has a deep complexity to it. Each sip affords you multiple tastes; from the sweet of the pineapple, and the tart of the lime, to the aromatic and herbal flavor of the Benedictine. The Cherry Heering brings it all together with a final touch of sweetness and imbues the drink with the signature, deep pink color.

The single most remarkable thing about the Singapore Sling is how you can pick out ingredients one-by-one and understand how they come together to form such a delicious drink. For my money, the Singapore Sling is one drink that has no trouble living up to its legendary name.

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Zombie

The Zombie: a drink with just as many great stories as it has bad recipes. The Zombie was invented by Don the Beachcomber in 1934. Due in large part to Don's much documented secrecy, the true recipe was almost lost for the ages. Thanks to the hard work by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, we have a version which (apparently) does Don's 1934 Zombie justice.

A few words to the wise when it comes to the Zombie: (1) don't let it be your first drink of the night or your last, and (2) even Don the Beachcomber knew the limits of his prized drink and was said to refuse to serve more than 2 to a customer per night.

Zombie

1 oz Lemonhart 151 Demerara rum

1 oz light Puerto Rican rum

1 oz gold Puerto Rican rum

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 oz lime juice

1 oz lemon juice

1 oz pineapple juice

1 oz passion fruit syrup

1 dash Angostura bitters

Dissolve the brown sugar in the lemon juice. Combine everything in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, and strain into glass of crushed ice. Garnish with sprig of mint

Don the Beachcomber, via Ted Haigh (aka Dr. Cocktail) in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails

It really is a marvelous drink. It is quite strong, especially when you first sip into it, but you don't get any lingering alcohol flavors. The tart from the lemon & lime in addition to the sweetness from the sugar, pineapple and passion fruit syrup really create a nice balance. The Angosutra and LH151 really add dimension to the drink. The longer you sip the better it gets.

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Aperol Sun

Some of my favorite Tiki drinks are those that stray from the rum, rum and more rum theme and incorporate spirits that aren't often though of as traditionally Tiki. Aperol, a spirit most often mentioned in the same breath as Campari, is found in many highballs such as the Aperol Spritz or as a flavoring agent.

While Aperol and Campari should indeed be closely linked, I feel that Aperol has so much more to offer. Aperol has a much more mild bitter flavor and the alcohol content (11%) is nearly half that of Campari. The bitter orange is the dominant flavor, but you can also pick up on subtle hints of rhubarb, gentian and cinchona (ok, maybe just the rhubarb). To top it off, the radiant orange from the bottle is beautiful and adds a lot of color to any drink. 

Aperol Sun

2oz white rum

1oz Aperol

1oz grapefruit juice

1/2oz falernum

1 dash Angostura bitters

grapefruit peel and mint, for garnish

Shake with ice and strain into your favorite tiki mug with crushed ice. Garnish with grapefruit peel and mint.

Recipe via Kaiser Penguin

The Aperol Sun is a gorgeous color. The Aperol immediately comes forward, but the bitter flavor is quickly balanced by tart and sweet notes from the grapefruit and falernum respectively. Being the only sweet thing in the drink, the Falernum really has an opportunity to sing. And sing it does. The quality of your falernum will make or break this recipe, so don't bother with Velvet or poor commercial alternatives. This drink isn't for everyone, but if you're a fan of bitter digestif flavors and are in the mood for a different type of tiki drink, give it a shot.

A note on rum choice. I opted for Flor de Cana Extra Dry 4-Year. I'm not sure this is the absolute best choice, but I thought the subtle hints of fruit and the dryness of this rum would make a good base to the Aperol Sun. I'm sure a nicer rum like Oronoco would do other, greater, things to the Aperol Sun, but I was pleased with the Flor de Cana.