The “Swizzle” is a whole class of cocktails named after the stick of the same name. The original swizzle sticks were created in the 18th century at a rum plantation in the West Indies using the branch of the Quararibea Turbinata (also known as the “swizzle stick tree”). This recipe is a fine example of the genre. Found on the KaiserPenguin.com website (is there a better drink blog name than that?), the recipe is amped up by the inclusion of jet fuel J. Wray & Nephew overproof rum.
For my Savannah friends, I’ll admit the word “daiquiri” evokes a vision of River Street’s Wet Willies and their dozens of whirling slushie machines. Little did I know that in reality, a true daiquiri is a classic and balanced cocktail driven by a traditional Caribbean rhyme – “One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak.” The Aku Aku is a classic tropical play on the daiquiri, created by Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron as a direct, riff-style adaptation of Don the Beachcomber’s famous 1930s cocktail, the Missionary’s Downfall itself a daiquiri variant. Trader Vic officially first published the recipe in his 1972 Bartender’s Guide, swapping out honey and lemon for demerara and Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice,
