Aku Aku
COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 5 Fresh Pineapple Cubes (2,5 cm)
- 8 Mint Leaves
- 45 ml Blended Lightly Aged Rum
- 15 ml Peach Liqueur
- 30 ml Fresh Lime Juice
- 10-15 ml Rich Demerara Syrup
GARNISH:
- Twist of Lemon
- Sprig of Mint
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Muddle the mint and pineapple pieces in a cocktail shaker.
• Add rest of the ingredients.
• Add crushed ice and shake until chilled.
• Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
• Garnish with a lemon twist and a sprig of mint.
Cocktail author: cocktail from Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide, Revised adapted by the Smuggler’s Cove. (Based on Don the Beachcomber’s Missionary Downfall).
For me, one of the most enjoyable cocktail categories is Tiki. Tasty, bold, rum filled drinks, that immediately lift your mood and bring the sense of warming sunshine on your face. Aku Aku is one such cocktail – fruity and refreshing.
Base of the cocktail is blended lightly aged rum, a work horse of tiki cocktails, bringing notes of molasses, tropical spices and fruits. Muddled pineapple further reinforces the fruity nature of the cocktail with its signature sweet and tart flavour profile, while mint introduces an element of coolness. A touch of peach liqueur gently increases the fruity complexity, but does not dominate the drink. A healthy dose of fresh lime juice, brightens and livens the cocktail up with its distinct tartness while an addition of rich demerara syrup, bolsters the molasses notes of the base spirit and balances the citrus.
All in all, Aku Aku is a cocktail, that could easy be a signature of the tiki movement, we are slowly rediscovering. Unfortunately, it is often overshadowed by the Zombies and Mai Tais. Therefore, I suggest to give it a try, the next time you are looking for something boozy and delicious.
