Post #705383 by Destro100 on Wed, Jan 22, 2014 7:37 AM

Interesting - 2 drinks in one?

Drink 21. Hawaii Kai Treasure

Ingredients I used:

Fresh lime juice
White Grapefruit Juice (bottled - didn't have any fresh)
Heavy Cream diluted to light (with addition of milk)
Pierre Ferrand Curacao
1833 Routin Orgeat
Honey mix (homemade)
Flor De Cana 4 year Light Rum

Seriously, 2 ounces of lime juice for one serving? I was skeptical. And then I was pleasantly surprised. I like this drink. I really like it. It's sort of a - two drinks in one - type of experience.

Let me explain. The first thing that hits you is clearly the lime juice and grapefruit. For a brief moment it is very reminiscent of a summer homemade lime-aid. Then everything changes. In a good way. The second drink has a lovely orange-honey-cream flavor that coats the back of your throat and lingers delightfully. If you don't pay attention, you may not notice how well these two different types of drinks coexist in perfect flavorful balance. Not quite yin and yang, as they aren't natural opposing forces, but still, more like a "buy one-get-one free" type of deal at the local tiki market - man, I wish such a thing existed!

Some additional notes - The rum truly takes a backseat here. It does a perfectly adequate job of providing potency, but at the same time, it doesn't stand out at any point. Which leads me to think that this drink would make a good vehicle for experimentation. I can see how the addition of different rums could add some nice complexity to the drink.

I also thought this would be a good point to advocate for:
1 - Pierre Ferrand Curacao. A great spirit with a lot of interesting flavor notes going on. Worth researching
2 - Routin 1833 syrups - I'm really enjoying this brand of syrups. I use them for the few syrups I don't want to make at home: orgeat and grenadine. I find the ingredients and taste to be superior to many other brands I've experimented with. Has anyone else tried their products?

My personal rating: *** 1/2 (3.5) out of ***** (5)

SCORECARD:

Colonel Beach's Plantation Punch: 4
Aurora Bora Borealis: 4
Outrigger: 4
Bourbon Special: 4
Beachcomber's Gold (Hollywood and Palm Springs): 4
Beachcomber's Punch: 3.5
Coronado Luau Special: 3.5
Hawaii Kai Treasure: 3.5
Coconaut: 3.5
Castaway: 3.5 (slightly modified)
Don's Special Daiquiri: 3.5
Banana Daiquiri: 3.5
Eastern Sour: 3
Astro Aku Aku: 3
Kapu Kai: 3
Western Sour: 3
Beachcomber's Gold (Waikiki): 3
Jasper's Jamaican: 2.5
Carioca Hawaiian Cocktail: 2.5
Beachcomber's Gold (Chicago): 2
Boo Loo: 1.5