Aku Aku

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Cocktail History

The Aku Aku is a vintage tiki cocktail that was created in the 1930s by Victor Bergeron at Trader Vic’s in San Francisco, California. Similar to Don the Beachcomber’s Missionary’s Downfall, the recipe calls for rum and peach liqueur blended with mint and pineapple, but Trader Vic’s version mixes in demerara syrup and lime juice instead of honey syrup and lemon.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

White Rum: This is a type of rum made with molasses or sugar cane juice and alcohol that is filtered and bottled right away without the aging process. I used BACARDÍ Superior White Rum.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with Demerara sugar and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Peach Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with peaches, spices, sugar, and alcohol. I used Maison Ferrand Mathilde Pêche Liqueur.

Mint Leaves: This is an herb. I used Mojito mint leaves.

Pineapple Cubes: This is a pineapple flesh that has been cut into a cube shape.

Mint Sprig: This is an herb. I used Mojito mint.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut larger fruits and vegetables into slices. I used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.

Pineapple Corer: This is used to remove the core of the pineapple so the flesh can be cut. I used the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer.

Blender: This is used to blend up ingredients. I used the Cuisinart SPB-7CH SmartPowder Electronic Bar Blender.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright yellow color

• Aroma: Obvious mint and citrus

• Taste: Pineapple-forward flavor with hints of tart lime and sweet peach

• Finish: Spicy rum notes with more zesty mint

Kendall’s Take: “A good fight was fought with the strainer to make this drink, so I’m glad to say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I think the Aku Aku is a pretty delicious drink that does a good job of mixing pineapple and mint in a tiki-style rum recipe without them being overpowering. The peach is also a nice touch that comes through in the aftertaste. It’s a toss-up because they’re both great, but I think I do like this one better than the Missionary’s Downfall, which is the sister to this recipe.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Steve The Bartender’s Cocktail Guide by Steve Roennfeldt.