STRENGTH

 

RUM SPEC

 

EARTH’S LARGEST PREDATOR

The megalodon, a prehistoric shark that would dwarf even the largest great white, hasn’t roamed the seas for millions of years. However, our fascination with the largest shark that ever lived is timeless and alleged megalodon shark sightings over the years have led to the legend of a massive, prehistoric shark that still patrols the oceans of our world.

For reasons that are still unclear, megalodon went extinct about 2.6 million years ago, during the middle Miocene era.

Carcharocles Megalodon, meaning “big tooth,” could reach lengths of up to 60 feet and an estimated maximum weight of over 60 tons, making it the largest known predator in Earth’s history. In fact, the size of the megalodon is still one of the greatest debates in marine paleontology.

In tribute, we have created the ‘Megalodon’ cocktail using some of Tiki’s oldest ingredients, as the memory of this colossal being is one that definitely deserves to be respected.

 

 

 

TIKI’S OLDEST INGREDIENTS

Lemon Hart & Son rum and Jonathan English fassionola syrup both have a very intimate and storied past with Tiki; both products were used famously by Don the Beachcomber (aka Donn Beach) in the 1930s and can be found on cocktail menus the world over.

Lemon Hart & Son, stretching back two centuries to 1804, was notable for being the only rum specifically called for by name in many of Don the Beachcomber’s so-called “Rhum Rhapsodies,” which attracted a who’s who of post-Prohibition Hollywood and kick-started the midcentury Polynesian Pop craze.

Similarly, fassionola has been around for over a hundred years, since 1916, with many different versions of the fruit punch concentrate being passed down and put into use. However, the one true recipe to rule them all is Jonathan English® Fassionola. Popular in the 1920s in California, the intensely-flavored, bright red syrup was championed by Donn Beach in his original 1930s cocktails (the Cobra’s Fang, Pi-Yi, Cherry Blossom Punch, and Q.B. Cooler, to name but a few) and was famously used in Pat O’Brien’s original Hurricane recipe in the 1940s.

Both ingredients are still faithfully used today at the legendary Mai-Kai Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

 

Being the only rum called for by name in classic Tiki, Lemon Hart & Son Rum has a long, rich history filled with tradition. This Holy Grail of mixing rums became the subject of much drama over the past decade as it entered, left and re-entered the U.S. market. However, Lemon Hart & Son Rum is officially here to stay with exciting new plans for expansion in the North American market and beyond.

 

This Holy Grail of mixing rums became the subject of much drama over the past decade as it entered, left and re-entered the U.S. market.

Jim ‘Hurricane’ Hayward

 

From an official purveyor of rum to the British Royal Navy two centuries earlier to the success of the brand’s latest release, Blackpool Spiced Rum, Lemon Hart & Son has earned the respect of historians and mixologists alike from around the world and has proved to be one of the most enduring rums of its kind.

Demerara (Guyana) rums are typically dark rums with a high proof (usually 151 proof), yet they’re medium-bodied. In addition to being the official bracer of the British Navy for several hundred years, it was also the original spirit called for in a Zombie cocktail.

 

FASSIONOLA

Originally developed in 1916 as a flavoring agent for fanciful drinks, fassionola was widely marketed as the “Taste Thrill of the Century” and was available in gold, red, and green varieties. The gold was reminiscent of passion fruit, while the red had an intense fruit punch flavor, and the green a tangy, lime-guava mix. However, it was the red variety that caught Beach’s eye (perhaps, due to the striking color) and was used extensively in his oeuvre of cocktails.

The origin of the Jonathan English Company was a San Diego bar owner (and former Navy Captain) named Pat Rose (Patrick W. Rose, Sr.) who advertised that he began bottling in 1967, but actually, had been bottling one product, Jonathan English Lime Juice, since 1952. This product was designed to compete with Rose’s Lime Juice, which at the time, saw its market share grow in Europe after World War II.

 

 

NOTE: though Jonathan English has only been ‘officially’ producing fassionola since the early 1980s, the same reference standard for the formula (which they religiously follow) has remained unchanged since 1916. In fact, the same contract bottler has remained the original source from day one, however, during the 1930s (when Beach would have had access to the syrup) there simply would have been another distributor in charge of the product at the time.

 

 

The Megalodon cocktail was designed specifically to showcase not only Tiki’s oldest ingredients but also to display the classic hallmarks of a typical 1930s Donn Beach cocktail: multiple rums and citrus, plus an obscure syrup to keep people guessing.

Ironically, it is only now that bars are fully embracing Beach’s earlier alchemistic tendencies by blending their own in-house rums. This trend started back in 2017 with bartenders around the country experimenting using existing products with many creating customized flavor profiles to suit their menus and personal tastes.

 

Spotlight Cocktail: Megalodon

 

 

FORMULA

• 1 oz Bacardi Superior

• 1 oz Lemon Hart® 151*

• 1  1/4 oz Lime Juice

• 1 oz Reàl Agave Syrup

• 1 tsp. Jonathan English® Fassionola (Red)*

Method: Flash-blend with 1 cup of crushed ice for 3-5 seconds. Add additional ice if needed. Garnish with cinnamon stick and (optional) edible orchid. Pour unstrained into a 10 oz Rocks glass.

*Absolutely no substitute.

 

 

A melange of tart, sweet, and strong flavors, the Megalodon perfectly showcases the dark and smoky character of Lemon Hart & Son® 151 Rum with a punch of spicy agave to balance things out.

The classic Beach approach of blending light rums with rich, dark rums was so that the former would actually ‘lift’ and accentuate the notes of the dark rum (much like an ice cube with a good single malt scotch whiskey), thus enhancing its flavor and impact.

The subtle sweetness of the fassionola-agave combination counteracts perfectly with the tart citrus to really accentuate the characteristically rich Demerara profile. The key to this drink, however, is in the lime-tangy element which really lifts the profile to new heights.

Ultimately designed as a refreshing summertime hoist, this grog-style cocktail displays a unique flavor profile that goes all the way back to Don the Beachcomber classics such as the Zombie and 151 Swizzle.

Grog was originally a mixture of rum and water that was issued to sailors in the Royal Navy and later improved with the addition of lime juice and sugar. Now a grog is any kind of drink, usually made with a rum base, fruit, and various sweeteners, and served either hot or cold in a large mug or glass.

Especially recommended for all the seafarers out there!

 

 

NOTE: A strong recommendation for agave is Reàl Agave squeeze syrup; this extremely authentic and intensely flavored gourmet syrup should be used in place of bland and generic supermarket syrups whenever possible. It shines particularly well in this cocktail, where it blends perfectly with the sour lime juice and overproof rum.

 

DOES THE MEGALODON STILL EXIST?

We’ll let you decide for yourselves …

Okole Maluna!