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 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 Rum, 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’s® 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, and Cherry Blossom Punch, 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.

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.

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. The same contract bottler has remained the original source from day one, however, during the 1930s there simply would have been another distributor in charge of the product at the time.

 

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

 

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 White Puerto Rican Rum

• 1 oz Lemon Hart & Son® 151*

• 1.25 oz Lime Juice

• 1 oz Reàl Agave Syrup

• 1 tsp. Jonathan English® Fassionola*

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 cocktail displays a unique flavor profile that goes all the way back to Don the Beachcomber classics such as the Zombie and 151 Swizzle.

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 MEGALODON STILL EXIST?

We’ll let you decide for yourselves …

Okole Maluna!