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 fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then typically left unaged or briefly aged and filtered to develop a light, spiced flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with demerara sugar and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a sweet, caramelized flavor.

Peach Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with peaches, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, stone fruit flavor.

Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.

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

Brands I Used

• 🔗 BACARDÍ Superior White Rum
• 🔗 Mathilde Pêche Liqueur

Bartending Tools

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

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Chef’s Knife: This is a large kitchen knife with a broad, sharp blade that’s used for chopping and slicing ingredients.

Pineapple Corer: This is a kitchen tool with a circular cutting blade that’s used for coring and slicing pineapples into rings or chunks.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Blender: This is an electric kitchen appliance with rotating blades that’s used for blending, puréeing, and emulsifying ingredients.

Coupe Glass: This is a stemmed glass with a shallow, wide bowl that’s used for serving shaken cocktails and sparkling drinks without ice.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 Ninja UltraCrush Professional Blender
• 🔗 Vintage Coupe Glass Set

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
“After a little wrestling with my fine mesh strainer to make sure the flecks of mint filtered out, the Aku Aku proved well worth the effort. Pineapple and mint come together in a bright, refreshing way that feels perfectly at home in a tiki-style rum drink. The touch of peach also adds a welcome subtle fruity note that lingers nicely at the end. It’s a really well-balanced tropical cocktail and a fun one to mix up when you’re in the mood for something fruity with a zing.”

Recipe

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