Post #718360 by Destro100 on Tue, May 27, 2014 1:48 PM

Drink 61: Polynesian Spell

Ingredients I used:

Welch's Grape Juice
Fresh lemon juice
Controy (Triple Sec)
Rothman and Winter - Peach liqueur
Simple Syrup (1.5 to 1 sugar to water ratio)
Broker's Gin

I can't hide it; I was pretty excited to see a junky-grape juice as an ingredient. Without even reading the rest of the ingredients, I pictured a wacky and fun grape-flavored tiki cocktail. Instead, I got a wannabe classic sour.

This drink vexes me. It has a strange combination of ingredients and doesn't really balance well. It's not a true tiki-drink, as it's lacking rum, special syrups, and/or juices. It's not a true classic sour, as it is overly sweet, and incorporates unusual ingredients including the grape juice and the peach liqueur.

The appearance is beautiful. The combination of the grape and peach creates this pinkish-purple hue that I have never seen before. It's almost worth saving for the color alone. It is gorgeous. Then I tasted it. The drink tastes stronger than you would expect considering there is only an ounce and 1/2 of gin. I would definitely not serve this drink to a person that dislikes gin, as the juniper flavor is quite pronounced. The peach, grape, and simple syrup blend together without distinguishing themselves. All you get is sweetness, with minimal fruit on the palate. I only truly tasted the grape on the swallow. It provides an interesting subtle tartness.

Additionally, the instructions suggest straining into a specialty glass. The drink seems far better suited for a cocktail coup. There is very little actual liquid.

I will say that the drink does taste better the more you drink. Yet not enough for me to truly enjoy it.

My personal rating: ** (2) out of ***** (5)

SCORECARD:

4.5 ALMOST PERFECT - 3 drinks so far
Chief Lapu Lapu / Kikuya Lapu / Mai Tai (Trader Vic)

4 - EXCELLENT - 11 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 / Mai Tai Swizzle / 151 Swizzle

3.5 - VERY GOOD - 17 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 / Mai Tai (Stuft Shirt) / Never Say Die / Pago Pago / Painkiller

3 - GOOD - 16 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 / Mai Tai (Royal Hawaiian) / Missionary's Downfall / Strip and go Naked / Polynesian Paralysis

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

2 - AVERAGE - 8 drinks and counting
Beachcomber's Gold (Chicago) / Lychee Nut Daiquiri / Fog Cutter / Von Tiki / Planet of the Apes / Rum Runner / Pieces of Eight / Polynesian Spell

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