Post #711413 by Destro100 on Mon, Mar 17, 2014 1:37 PM

What? No coconut?:

Drink 49: Kikuya Lapu

Ingredients I used:

Fresh lime juice
Fresh orange juice
White grapefruit juice (bottled 100% pure unsweetened)
Cranberry Juice Cocktail (Oceanspray)
Pineapple juice (Dole unsweetened canned)
Passionfruit syrup (Goya pure pulp-based)
Honey mix (3-1 honey to water)
Coruba Dark Jamaican Rum
151 Bacardi Rum
Pernod
Angostura bitters
Pure almond extract

This simply shouldn't work. Twelve ingredients could not possibly combine to create this harmoniously marvelous concoction. It's a symphony of flavor that blends into one beautiful chorus. At the same time, this might be the most labor-intensive drink I've ever had to create. It was definitely worth it.

The combination of six juices create a unique fruit punch flavor and owes much to the indespensible honey background notes to elevate the drink to another level. I'm not quite sure how the cranberry juice contributes to the overall flavor, but I don't feel very guilty using the Ocean-spray cranberry cocktail juice because at such a small percentage, the effect must be minimal.

I always appreciate the Pernod and Angostura additions to a tiki drink.These additions were made famous by Donn the Beachcomber. They add a lovely bitter complexity with an anise background. In this drink the two flavors remain very subtle but do add to the whole. I'm also not sure how the almond extract contributes as I couldn't identify it in the finished product.

The drink reminds me of a drink from the Mai Kai. Unfortunately, I can't put my finger on which one specifically. Perhaps someone else can help me identify it on their menu.

If I had to criticize the drink, I'd point to the rum. It simply doesn't push through the drink and gets a bit lost. Even with the addition of a 151, I found the drink slightly weak. If you're looking for a strong rum drink, this may not be for you; especially not when you consider the additional dilution generated by a full glass of ice. I'm not sure how much rum to add or even what type as I definitely don't want to ruin the beautiful balance the drink achieves. I think I would probably try adding an additional 1/2 ounce of dark Jamaican and a 1/4 ounce of 151.

This drink is the perfect secret weapon to wow the tiki neophyte. At the same time, you better have an extra free 10 minutes for each batch you put together.

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

SCORECARD:

4.5 ALMOST PERFECT - 2 drinks so far
Chief Lapu Lapu / Kikuya 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 - 13 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 / Mariposa Fizz

3 - GOOD - 12 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 / Aku Aku Lapu

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 / Rum Runner

1.5 - BELOW AVERAGE - 2 drinks and hopefully not too many more
Boo Loo / Royal Daiquiri