A newer drink from Brian Maxwell
My long awaited copy of Minimalist Tiki arrived last week as they released a third printing that is updated with some additional recipes and a welcome addition to my ever growing libation library. As you can imagine, I started trying new drinks as fast as I could.
One of the interesting things about Minimalist Tiki, is that it focuses on individual bartenders that are currently active in the exotic cocktail scene and then lists several of their recipes. While I'm sure this is only the first of many drinks that I will feature from this 300+ page tome, I did want to talk a bit about the creator of the Second Rummer Up, Brian Maxwell.
Mr. Maxwell, is perhaps best known for running the Shaker of Spirits site which is a wonderful blog about exotic cocktails from an active bartender perspective. He's also known as an historian of mixological interests and it definitely shows in his own creations. I was told this past week that the best presentations are when someone gives you a glossy overview of a subject they know much more about. It's a thought that returned to mind as I tried a few of Brian's drinks.
As for the Second Rummer Up, it introduces a new shaking style (well new to me, at least) called the Whip Shake. Basically, you shake it with less ice. This style became popular with the craft cocktail and pre-prohibition types as a way to froth up drinks containing egg without having to shake for minutes on end. It also reduces the dilution (less ice to turn into water) which is handy in tropical cocktails that are being poured over crushed ice.
As for flavor, well you have three of my favorites all together, cinnamon syrup, passion fruit syrup, and Jamaican rum. It's hard to go wrong with a base like that! One note of interest is that it's a short drink of only 4 1/2 ounces(not counting the ice). While the container of choice is a Pearl Diver glass, they are 12 ounces which means you get a lot of ice. So, maybe just mix up a double for fast refills?!
Second Rummer Up
Source -Brian Maxwell; Minimalist Tiki by Matt Pietrek & Carrie Smith
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 1/2 ounce pineapple juice
1/2 ounce cinnamon syrup
1/2 ounce passion fruit syrup*
1 1/2 ounce Jamaican blended rum*
Pour each ingredient into a shaker and Whip Shake with one cup of crushed ice. Open pour into Pearl Diver glass* and top with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and a smoking cinnamon stick.
*Bamboo Sam's customizations: For the passion fruit syrup I use BG Reynolds. For the Jamaican rum Brian recommends Rum-Bar Gold. I haven't been able to find it locally, but it is a blend of pot still rums from the Worthy Park Estate in Jamaica that have all been aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 4 years. My understanding is that it's low in esther funk so I went with Appleton Reserve as a substitute. I'm about a loaded with glassware as I can manage and still do not have a single Pearl Diver glass. So, I opted for a Tiki mug. If it was good enough for the pic in Minimalist Tiki, it's good enough for me...