Shrunken Skull
COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 30 ml Demerara Rum
- 30 ml Blended Aged Rum
(Gold Rum)
- 30 ml Fresh Lime Juice
- 30 ml Grenadine
GARNISH:
- Pineapple Spears
- Dehydrated Lime Wheel
- Lime Twist
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
• Add a bit of crushed ice and give it a quick shake.
• Strain into a cocktail glass over fresh crushed ice.
• Garnish with pineapple spears, dehydrated lime wheel and a lime twist.
Cocktail author: unknown, Jeff "Beach Bum" Berry attributes it to the 1950s cannibal themed cocktail craze.
Tiki cocktails are usually known for their expansive lists of difficult to source ingredients. In this context Shrunken Skull quickly stands out. Only four ingredients mixed in equal parts, it cannot get any simpler than that. This makes Shrunken Skull a perfect drink for home-bartenders, that do not stock an extensive inventory.
Base of the cocktail in a true tiki tradition is split between demerara rum and golden rum (I used blended aged rum in place of golden rum). Combined these rums bring notes of dark chocolate, coffee, delicate vanilla and tropical spices, laying a solid and complex foundation. Lime juice adds the familiar zesty tartness that works so well in rum based drinks. Grenadine balances out the cocktail while at the same time steering it into a distinctly fruity direction.
Shrunken Skull is one of those rare, easy to make tiki cocktails and it will not disappoint you. I highly recommend trying, it will surely infect you with a tiki fever.