Post #669122 by TropicDrinkBoy on Thu, Feb 28, 2013 9:54 AM

I happen to have Trader Vic's rock candy syrup and grenadine and made a Tiki Puka Puka using the recipe that came with the concentrate. I think it was too heavy on the grenadine and too red instead of amber, at least when using the current version of the TV grenadine. It didn't look or taste much like the many Tiki Puka Pukas I've had in the NorCal Trader Vic's restaurants. Next time I use that recipe I'll up the concentrate to 1/3 oz and reduce the Trader Vic's grenadine to 1/8 oz. I used Lemon Hart 151, El Dorado Silver and Coruba.

My usual Tiki Puka Puka follows the 1972 Bartender's Guide recipe (which lacks the lemon juice, maybe it is in the retail mix specified in that recipe?), except I use 1/3 oz of concentrate instead of 3 oz of retail grog mix and Small Hand Foods high-end grenadine. When mixed in an electric drink mixer with finely crushed ice it makes a fine Tiki Puka Puka that tastes very similar to and as good or better than the Restaurant version. Unfortunately they no longer sprinkle the Orange Flower Water on the gardenia. I find that a liberal dose floated on top of the drink adds an exotic bouquet to a potent drink. I'm going to try applying the Orange Flower water with an atomizer next time.

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-02-28 09:58 ]

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-03-02 13:37 ]