Diki-Diki

 

From the name, you might guess that this is a tropical drink. And I would say you're not quite wrong. Swedish punsch isn't exactly a Nordic ingredient--it's a recipe. A punch cocktail known as caloric or Swedish punch was popular at the beginning of the 20th century. Eventually it was bottled like a bottled cocktail or a punch ingredient that had wide distribution. Prohibition ended this, however, and now the only Swedish Punsch you can find is in the Scandinavian countries. (Note: this is not the modern Kronan Swedish Punsch but a recipe I've made that replicates it in a bottle with a fake lablel.)

The Diki Diki is very tropical in fact. Swedish punsch includes cloves and cardamon, so it has that equatorial bitter note. There's also black tea and lemon scent sweetened with brown sugar. The spirits are a combination of rums, but in this case, my recipe involves mixing MurLarkey lemon and three tea whiskies with rum. 

• 1 1/2 oz. applejack (Laird's applejack 86 used)
• 1 oz. Swedish punsch (homemade recipe used)
• 1 oz. grapefruit juice 

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Buddha Punch

This photograph is of Buddha Punch made as a single serving. This is my punch of the week at work and the large batch doesn't look that appealing in a large plastic container. But if you do choose to make this punch, it will come out fine according to the recipe from the New York Bartender's Guide from the 90's, which is for a crowd of about 20 people.

The fun thing about this punch is that it involves, among other things, a sweet wine base and champagne or sparkling wine top. It's pretty much a white wine punch with fizz, but there is a lot going on underneath. There's light rum, cherry brandy, triple sec and orange bitters. It's really a fruity punch!

• 16 oz. sweet white wine like Riesling (Fox Run used)
• 8 oz. light rum
• 8 oz. orange juice
• 4 oz. lemon juice
• 4 oz. triple sec
• 1/2 oz. cherry brandy
• 1/2 oz. sugar syrup
• several dashes orange bitters
• 1 bottle of champagne or sparkling wine
• lime slices

Pour all ingredients except champagne into a large punch bowl and refrigerate. Before serving, add a block of ice, stir and top with champagne.

Hula Hula

As the name suggests, this is a tropical-themed drink. For some reason orange flavor is associated with Hawaii or the Pacific. More than likely this is a 1930s drink that used a commonly available fruit and triple sec to make a classic cocktail that tasted a little exotic.

Strange Monkey gin is pretty exotic too. There's a burst of fruit flavor behind the usual juniper gin flavor that reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum. I'm glad I picked this gin up!

• 2 oz. gin (Strange Monkey used)
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1 tbsp. triple sec

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

East India

A spicy and tropical brandy cocktail, the East India seems to hint at colonial drinks of the broader British Empire. Really, though, I think that it is a pre-tiki cocktail because of its use of triple sec, pineapple juice and Angostura bitters. This combination is really different and strikes the drinker as exotic, not at all colonial American. But of course, all of these ingredients would have been available in the Caribbean, though not so much in East India.

• 2 oz. brandy
• 3/4 oz. triple sec (Luxardo Triplum)
• 3/4 oz. pineapple juice
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

 Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.