False Idols & False Starts
The Saga of the Aku Aku
The tale begins with heartbreak
Many of the recipes featured in Smuggler’s Cove (which you should buy) are meant to be served in a chilled coupe, and the Aku Aku, the first recipe in the book is no exception. Thus, we spent the weeks leading up to the kickoff of Smuggler’s COVID amassing the commonly used glassware. Because we would rather spend money on ingredients, we have largely purchased glasses from thrift or discount stores for great prices. Coupes, however, are hard to find in the wild (at least in Tucson in the fall).
So, Hazel was pretty proud of herself when she found two amazing, perfect, gleaming coupes at Goodwill for $0.50 apiece. The thrill was not to last, as they met their tragic end falling out of the freezer when it was opened with too much gusto. May they rest in tiny pieces.
This important lesson learned early, we shelled out for a set of four Libbey Tiki Coupes. They’re expensive but on point, and we were eager to get the damn show on the road.
Fresh pineapple FTW
The recipe was not entirely lost on serendipitous finds, as Hazel stumbled upon an IMUSA pineapple coring tool at TJ Maxx for $4. Kevin’s expectations for its survival were low — for those keeping score at home, he has broken no less than two manual citrus presses using brute strength — but we were impressed by how easy and effective it was. Upon further inspection, this looks to be the same tool Martin Cate uses in Smuggler’s Cove (which you should buy) on page 234. Needless to say, we’re looking forward to the recipes that call for DRINKING OUT OF A PINEAPPLE.
Putting it together
The ingredients for this drink are uncomplicated. After we added a little fresh lime juice, a little SC Demerara Syrup, and some fresh mint to a few pieces of the muddled pineapple, we were ready to add the booze.
The recipe calls for a №2 rum — a blended, lightly-aged rum according to Cate’s production method classification system. We happened to have two on hand that are specifically referenced in Smuggler’s Cove (which you should… you know): Mount Gay Eclipse and Plantation 3 Stars. The first time we got drunk together involved an amount (a lot) of Plantation’s Stiggins’ Fancy pineapple rum. Because we’re pretty sure we had a good time that night and are a couple of sentimental schmucks, we tend to favor Plantation if it is among the options.
Both are affordable and easy to source; we picked them up at the smaller of Tucson’s two Total Wine stores for $22.99 (Plantation) and $18.99 (Mount Gay).
That left only the natural peach liqueur. The recipe specifically calls for Maison Ferrand Mathilde Peche, Combier Peche de Vigne, or Giffard Peche de Vigne. This was surprisingly difficult to track down.
A word about shopping: as we often need rum and like to browse the selection, we usually start our search at Total Wine. This is for a number of reasons that conflict with our desire to support local small business (the store is open for browsing during COVID, the hours and location are more convenient, the prices are sometimes — but not always — better). However, when it comes to natural peach liqueur, both of Tucson’s Total Wines and Bevmo came up empty, as did one of the great independently owned package stores. We finally found the Giffard at Plaza Liquors near Campbell and Glenn for $28.00. Not a horrible price for such a rare commodity, and we’re going to need it for other things.
Yeah…about the electric drink mixer…
The recipe calls for flash blending the contents of the tin with an electric drink mixer. We did not buy one, as Hazel’s parents have one not in use and available for our borrowing delight; however, it will not be with us until after the holidays. We will revisit the Aku Aku after this acquisition so we can make it the way the Cates intended. This time, we just shook the hell out of it.
Verdict
We decided that we enjoyed the Aku Aku; however, it’s not one that we’re likely to make for just the two of us when we’re hanging out. The fresh pineapple makes it a little too much in terms of prep, and while we wouldn’t turn our noses up at it, there are other cocktails we would both rather have which don’t require coring a pineapple or having mint on hand or flash blending anything with a drink mixer that we don’t yet have. However, if we’re aiming to impress, this is a good one to tote out, particularly if a guest likes a less sweet (but still delicious) drink.
Oh. And just to do the thing that food bloggers normally do, the name Aku Aku comes from non-immortal spirits of the dead in Rapa Nui mythology. The recipe is adapted from Don the Beachcomber’s Missionary’s Downfall. Julian Cox at Chicago’s Three Dots and a Dash shared his Missionary’s Downfall recipe with PUNCH.
Makers’ Notes
- Secure glasses being chilled in the freezer with rigor! (And not in the door.)
- Blending does not equate flash blending. On our first try, we thought we could get away with using a food processor in lieu of an electric drink mixer. Bad idea. This produced a slushy mixture that couldn’t be strained, much less double strained. Given our options, vigorously shaking seemed a better solution.
- One pineapple yields about 4 drinks, making the Aku Aku unsuitable to batch (unless you love coring pineapple). We are told that you can sub quality pineapple juice (Trader Joe’s or Dole’s not from concentrate variety were recommended) for the fresh pineapple if seeking to produce in quantity.
- The pineapple corer will cut clean through the bottom of the fruit, ruining its viability as a drinking vessel. To prevent leaking as well as adding weight and rigidity, stop short and pull the pineapple leaving some remnants behind at the bottom.
Until next time,
Kevin & Hazel
