A Spiritous Journey through Remixed - From the Astro Aku Aku to the Zadaran Storm - Tiki Drinks and Food

D Destro100 Tiki Socialite Joined: Jun 28, 2012 Posts: 137	D Destro100 Posted posted on Thu, Feb 27, 2014 7:16 AM Magical Ratios: Drink 38: Chief Lapu Lapu Ingredients I used: Fresh orange juice Fresh lemon juice Simple syrup (1.5-1 / sugar-water ratio) Passion Fruit Syrup (from Goya 100% puree/concentrate) Coruba Dark Jamaican rum Flor de Cana 4 year - Light rum What a fantastic surprise. Surely a case where simplicity trumps complexity. If you get the right oranges, the right lemons, decent (or better) liquor, the correct dilution, and perhaps most importantly - the right passion fruit syrup - you have a rare gem on your hands. It has the quintessential tiki-passionfruit flavor that so many drinks aspire to capture but fall short due to less than perfect ratios or ingredient combinations. While it's true that I didn't use passion fruit syrup derived from "fresh" ingredients, I love working with the fruit concentrate because I can really control the sweetness, tartness, and concentration. In this case, I tend to leave my syrup extra tart. I actually use 2 parts concentrate to 1 part sugar to 1/2 part water. This creates the combination I like and I can also easily adjust from there as needed. This combination allows the tartness and distinct passion fruit flavor to distinguish itself without being confused for sweetness. If more sweetness is needed, it is easy enough to add a bit of simple syrup. The fruit flavors are in perfect harmony, yet I'm sure that others may want to reduce the lemon (I don't), The rums compliment each other delightfully, and the dilution keeps the drink tasting great to the last sip. I can't wait to try this with some higher-end rum to see if the drink gets even better. I'm giving this a rare 4.5 rating based on getting everything right - including the setting you enjoy this in. Otherwise, it's just a measly 4. My personal rating: **1/2 (4.5) out of *** (5) SCORECARD: 4.5 ALMOST PERFECT - 1 drink so far Chief Lapu Lapu 4 - EXCELLENT - 6 drinks and counting Colonel Beach's Plantation Punch /Aurora Bora Borealis / Outrigger / Bourbon Special / Beachcomber's Gold (Hollywood and Palm Springs) / Hell in the Pacific 3.5 - VERY GOOD - 10 drinks and counting Beachcomber's Punch / Coronado Luau Special / Hawaii Kai Treasure / Coconaut / Castaway (slightly modified) / Don's Special Daiquiri / Banana Daiquiri / Captain's Grog / Viking Fog Cutter / Navy Grog 3 - GOOD - 11 drinks and counting Eastern Sour / Astro Aku Aku / Kapu Kai / Western Sour / Beachcomber's Gold (Waikiki) / Red Tide / Samoan Fog Cutter / Gold Cup / Headhunter / Fogg Cutter / Noa Noa 2.5 - ABOVE AVERAGE - 4 drinks and counting Jasper's Jamaican / Derby Daiquiri / Carioca Hawaiian Cocktail / Hawaiian Room 2 - AVERAGE - 5 drinks and counting Beachcomber's Gold (Chicago) / Lychee Nut Daiquiri / Fog Cutter / Von Tiki / Planet of the Apes 1.5 - BELOW AVERAGE - 1 drink and hopefully not too many more Boo Loo

Magical Ratios:

Drink 38: Chief Lapu Lapu

Ingredients I used:

Fresh orange juice
Fresh lemon juice
Simple syrup (1.5-1 / sugar-water ratio)
Passion Fruit Syrup (from Goya 100% puree/concentrate)
Coruba Dark Jamaican rum
Flor de Cana 4 year - Light rum

What a fantastic surprise. Surely a case where simplicity trumps complexity. If you get the right oranges, the right lemons, decent (or better) liquor, the correct dilution, and perhaps most importantly - the right passion fruit syrup - you have a rare gem on your hands. It has the quintessential tiki-passionfruit flavor that so many drinks aspire to capture but fall short due to less than perfect ratios or ingredient combinations.

While it's true that I didn't use passion fruit syrup derived from "fresh" ingredients, I love working with the fruit concentrate because I can really control the sweetness, tartness, and concentration. In this case, I tend to leave my syrup extra tart. I actually use 2 parts concentrate to 1 part sugar to 1/2 part water. This creates the combination I like and I can also easily adjust from there as needed. This combination allows the tartness and distinct passion fruit flavor to distinguish itself without being confused for sweetness. If more sweetness is needed, it is easy enough to add a bit of simple syrup.

The fruit flavors are in perfect harmony, yet I'm sure that others may want to reduce the lemon (I don't), The rums compliment each other delightfully, and the dilution keeps the drink tasting great to the last sip. I can't wait to try this with some higher-end rum to see if the drink gets even better.

I'm giving this a rare 4.5 rating based on getting everything right - including the setting you enjoy this in. Otherwise, it's just a measly 4.

My personal rating: ****1/2 (4.5) out of ***** (5)

SCORECARD:
4.5 ALMOST PERFECT - 1 drink so far
Chief Lapu Lapu

4 - EXCELLENT - 6 drinks and counting
Colonel Beach's Plantation Punch /Aurora Bora Borealis / Outrigger / Bourbon Special / Beachcomber's Gold (Hollywood and Palm Springs) / Hell in the Pacific

3.5 - VERY GOOD - 10 drinks and counting
Beachcomber's Punch / Coronado Luau Special / Hawaii Kai Treasure / Coconaut / Castaway (slightly modified) / Don's Special Daiquiri / Banana Daiquiri / Captain's Grog / Viking Fog Cutter / Navy Grog

3 - GOOD - 11 drinks and counting
Eastern Sour / Astro Aku Aku / Kapu Kai / Western Sour / Beachcomber's Gold (Waikiki) / Red Tide / Samoan Fog Cutter / Gold Cup / Headhunter / Fogg Cutter / Noa Noa

2.5 - ABOVE AVERAGE - 4 drinks and counting
Jasper's Jamaican / Derby Daiquiri / Carioca Hawaiian Cocktail / Hawaiian Room

2 - AVERAGE - 5 drinks and counting
Beachcomber's Gold (Chicago) / Lychee Nut Daiquiri / Fog Cutter / Von Tiki / Planet of the Apes

1.5 - BELOW AVERAGE - 1 drink and hopefully not too many more
Boo Loo

Post #709531 by Destro100 on Thu, Feb 27, 2014 7:16 AM