Tiki Central / Tiki Drinks and Food / Updates to The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide on The Atomic Grog
Post #771349 by Hurricane Hayward on Wed, Dec 21, 2016 10:36 AM
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Wed, Dec 21, 2016 10:36 AM
I've been hinting at something big to reveal, so here we go. Research is still ongoing, but I thought it would be cool to get the word out before the 60th anniversary … BREAKING COCKTAIL NEWS: Three secret mixes that date back to Don the Beachcomber and Mariano Licudine have returned to The Mai-Kai's bars In September, managing owner Dave Levy revealed that three of The Mai-Kai's old secret mixes, which were originally created by mixologist Mariano Licudine in the early days of the restaurant based on similar Don the Beachcomber mixes, are back in operation and being featured in multiple cocktails. Just a bit of background for those who may not know the arcane history of Tiki cocktails: In the 1930s, when Donn Beach (aka Don the Beachcomber) created the template for faux Polynesian tropical cocktails that we all know and love, he put a great deal of effort into keeping the recipes secret. This included putting ingredients in unmarked bottles so his bartenders couldn't take his recipes and use them elsewhere. Licudine worked for Beach as far back as 1939 in Hollywood, Calif., so when he came to The Mai-Kai in 1956 from the Don the Beachcomber in Chicago, he employed a similar system. Remarkably, it's still followed to this day in The Mai-Kai's back bars, which are hidden from view just as Donn Beach did ...
One of Beach's other innovations, among many, was to feature esoteric syrups and mixes in his cocktails. The recipes to these blends of flavors were typically only known by Beach and a few key barmen. He went as far as to have them made off-site by a third party to avoid having anyone crack the code. They typically had cryptic names such as Don's Mix or Don's Spices #2. We can thank Beachbum Berry for revealing those in Sippin Safari in 2007. The biggest revelation was Don's Mix, a key ingredient in the legendary Zombie. The real original recipe remained secret for more than 70 years until Berry was able to determine that it included Don'x Mix, a blend of 2 parts grapefruit juice and 1 part Don's Spices #4. Beach had ingeniously double-coded that mix, but Berry was able to determine that #4 was actually cinnamon syrup. The rest is history, and the original Zombie featuring Don's Mix is now served at bars across the globe. Don's Spices #2, is also a popular mix, combining equal parts vanilla syrup and pimento liqueur, as published in Sippin' Safari. In trying to figure out The Mai-Kai's recipes over the years, I came to the conclusion that some variation of Don's Spices #2 (a sweeter version of pimento dram) is probably used in such iconic drinks as the Black Magic, Special Planters Punch, Yeoman's Grog, and Deep Sea Diver. I also assumed that Don'x Mix was employed in the Zombie and other classic drinks. But this assumption was debunked by general manager Kern Mattei back in June 2015 and I've been updating the many drinks that I assumed featured cinnamon. Most are done, but a few (Black Magic, Mutiny, The Hukilau, Kona Coffee Grog, Hot Buttered Rum) remain and will be updated in due time. It's unclear if Licudine ever used cinnamon or his own version of Don's Mix, so we don't know the history. But Levy is known to not like cinnamon syrup, and it has been banished during his tenure, which began in 1989 when his stepfather Bob Thornton passed the torch.
As keeper of The Mai-Kai's secret recipes, Levy is also by proxy the keeper of Don the Beachcomber's secret mixes. Or at least the Thornton-Licudine version of them. So it was very exciting news to hear of the return of not one but three apparently long-dormant mixes. Levy said that missing ingredients were recently acquired, and an expert was retained, to help him bring back versions of the mixes that may not be 100% true to the originals, but taste very similar. According to Levy, only he and his source know exactly what's in these exotic mixes. According to Berry in Sippin' Safari (due for its 10th anniversary re-release next year), Donn's mixes were made secretly by the long-defunct Astra Company in California. Tim "Swanky" Glazner, author of Mai-Kai: History and Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant, has revealed that The Mai-Kai used the same source. Levy told me that The Mai-Kai's secret mixes have only been changed twice. Once, I assume, was when the Astra Company went out of business. The other, presumably, is this recent update. It's unclear how long these mixes have been sidelined. I don't recall any of the drinks that I'll soon reveal tasting the way they do now at any point over the past 10 years.
So enough buildup and suspense. Please welcome back secret mixes #4, #5 and #7 to The Mai-Kai. So what's in them, and what drinks feature them, you may ask. Not so fast. First, a little background about each, and details on what I know so far. Research is still ongoing, so you'll have to be patient. Also, it's worth noting that we're not claiming to have cracked any codes. Mssrs. Levy and Mattei are happy to throw me a few clues, answer a few questions and (if I'm lucky) confirm which drinks are affected. It's up to me to attempt to recreate the flavors. #4 - No relation to Don's Spices #4, of course. It does have lineage that can be traced back to Donn Beach. It's also mentioned in Swanky's book on pages 14, 28, 138 and 141. I've confirmed its presence in just one cocktail so far, so we're hoping to determine if it's in any others before I can make an accurate guess on what it may include. But I think I may have a good lead. #5 - This is a mysterious one. I don't think I've seen any references to a Don the Beachcomber mix by this name. It's used in only two cocktails at The Mai-Kai, both on the sweet side but with different flavor profiles. I need to do some more research on this as well. #7 - This is the one that will be of most interest. It's featured in five strong and one mild cocktail, and I've nailed down an approximation of the flavor profile. I'm in the process of updating all the recipes and hope to post all the updates by the 28th, in time for the 60th anniversary. I believe this can be traced directly back to Don the Beachcomber since he used something called #7 in his version of at least two of the same drinks. It's referred to on pages 14, 16, 31 and 138 of Swanky's book, plus page 166 of Sippin' Safari. It's unclear, however, how close the current #7 is to either Don's mix or Licudine's previous versions. Levy tells us his flavor expert came as close as he could, but it's not exactly the same as it used to be. When I told him what was in my attempt at a tribute, he pooh-poohed. But Mattei later told me that while my version is different, the flavor should come close. First up, Bora Bora, aka Don the Beachcomber's Donga Punch ...
There's now a third version of the tribute recipe featuring #7 ...
It includes details on how to make the mix, plus tasting notes and all the previous recipes for reference. There's no guarantee #7 will stay in service, but it certainly gives Bora Bora an extra kick of flavor. Stay tuned for updates on the other drinks now featuring this classic ingredient returning from the grave to spice up our beloved cocktails. [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2016-12-21 23:45 ] |
