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 Mon, Mar 10, 2014 8:02 AM Don't be afraid to embrace the inner craft-cocktail: Drink 44: Lani-Honi Ingredients I used: Fresh lemon juice Benedictine Liqueur Flor De Cana - 4 year light rum This was an interesting drink. At first, I was quite confused. What type of drink is this? It seems to be based upon a classic craft cocktail template, yet turned on its head. First, the proportions are wrong. In a typical classic cocktail, the base spirit dominates the drink, and the sour and sweet components are found in smaller quantities. It usually looks something like 4-2-1 or 3-1-1. In this drink, the Benedictine (a bit of sweet and sour/bitter) is 50% greater in quanitity than the strong (rum) component. Strange. Next, this has too much crushed ice to be a classic cocktail. It would typically be served shaken and strained into a cocktail coup. But - I think it works. I really enjoyed it. Perhaps because Benedictine is not overly sweet, and no other sweetener is added, the drink maintains balance. It tastes like a lemon cough drop. In a good way. The lemon flavor is forward and pleasantly rounded out by the herbal and almost honey-like qualities of the Benedictine. If you're expecting a tiki drink, or for that matter even a tropical drink, you might be disappointed. This drink has a sophisticated flavor that is refreshing, herbaceous, lemony, and very novel. This is a nice dinner-party/cocktail-party style of drink. I was disappointed to see all the low ratings on the Grogalizer. In comparison to other tiki drinks, this is so different that expectations were probably off. Then again, perhaps folks just have different tastes than mine. Either way, you've been warned - not everyone enjoyed this drink as much as I did. My personal rating: *1/2 (3.5) out of *** (5) SCORECARD: 4.5 ALMOST PERFECT - 1 drink so far Chief Lapu Lapu 4 - EXCELLENT - 9 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 / Krakatoa / La Florida / Tortuga 3.5 - VERY GOOD - 12 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 / Hurricane / Lani-Honi 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 - 6 drinks and counting Beachcomber's Gold (Chicago) / Lychee Nut Daiquiri / Fog Cutter / Von Tiki / Planet of the Apes / Rumrunner 1.5 - BELOW AVERAGE - 1 drink and hopefully not too many more Boo Loo

Don't be afraid to embrace the inner craft-cocktail:

Drink 44: Lani-Honi

Ingredients I used:

Fresh lemon juice
Benedictine Liqueur
Flor De Cana - 4 year light rum

This was an interesting drink. At first, I was quite confused. What type of drink is this? It seems to be based upon a classic craft cocktail template, yet turned on its head. First, the proportions are wrong. In a typical classic cocktail, the base spirit dominates the drink, and the sour and sweet components are found in smaller quantities. It usually looks something like 4-2-1 or 3-1-1. In this drink, the Benedictine (a bit of sweet and sour/bitter) is 50% greater in quanitity than the strong (rum) component. Strange.

Next, this has too much crushed ice to be a classic cocktail. It would typically be served shaken and strained into a cocktail coup.

But - I think it works. I really enjoyed it. Perhaps because Benedictine is not overly sweet, and no other sweetener is added, the drink maintains balance. It tastes like a lemon cough drop. In a good way. The lemon flavor is forward and pleasantly rounded out by the herbal and almost honey-like qualities of the Benedictine.

If you're expecting a tiki drink, or for that matter even a tropical drink, you might be disappointed. This drink has a sophisticated flavor that is refreshing, herbaceous, lemony, and very novel. This is a nice dinner-party/cocktail-party style of drink.

I was disappointed to see all the low ratings on the Grogalizer. In comparison to other tiki drinks, this is so different that expectations were probably off. Then again, perhaps folks just have different tastes than mine. Either way, you've been warned - not everyone enjoyed this drink as much as I did.

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

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

4 - EXCELLENT - 9 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 / Krakatoa / La Florida / Tortuga

3.5 - VERY GOOD - 12 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 / Hurricane / Lani-Honi

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

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

Post #710724 by Destro100 on Mon, Mar 10, 2014 8:02 AM