Recipe
- 3oz aged rhum agricole (Trois Rivieres TRSR)
- .75oz lime juice
- .5oz passionfruit syrup (I used Small Hand Foods)
- .25oz falernum (John D Taylor)
Shake all ingredients vigorously with lots of ice (better yet, give it a quick whirl in a blender for just a few seconds). Pour into a tall glass, and top off with more ice.
About
This is a historic drink that hails from the famous Mai Kai during the original era of tiki.
I have a fond spot for tiki drinks, though I tend to prefer the boozier ones where the fruit and spice are merely the supporting cast for the star of the show: good delicious rum. This one checks all the boxes, leaning on the tarter end, with the spice-filled aromatic aged agricole rhum taking center stage. Getting sufficient dilution (from ice) in this drink is key, as without that this will taste unbalanced.
I mentioned this drink is an original from ah, the Mai Kai! The Mai Kai in Ft. Lauderdale is literally the Mecca of all tiki bars, originally opened in 1956 as a Polynesian tiki palace with 5 dining rooms. During its time, this was one of many large scale excessive tiki havens Americans flocked to in search of exotic paradise, popularized by Hollywood and stories of the Pacific from returning WWII veterans.
As the era of midcentury tiki declined with changing tastes and the growing perception of tiki as “kitsch-y,” almost all the grandiose tiki palaces across the country shut down. Somehow the Mai Kai survived, and today has not only retained the magic of the classic tiki era haunt, but has grown and now has 8 dining rooms, complete with nightly fiery Polynesian dance performances.
