Because of the pioneering cocktail archeology of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry and others, tiki fanatics get pleasure from a considerable library of golden-era recipes. New recipes from Don and Vic are vanishingly uncommon. So, I used to be fairly shocked to return throughout Dealer Vic’s recipe for “Maori Punch” in a 1949 newspaper.
Be aware: The right spelling is Māori, and refers back to the indigenous folks of New Zealand. Right here, I exploit the spelling as used within the 1949 article.
The recipe is so easy that I first thought it was simply one other recipe with a distinct identify. However after looking throughout many archives, I uncovered nothing with the identical identify or considerably the identical components. It’s solely doable I ignored one thing, however why not share what I discovered?
The recipe appeared in a number of California newspapers and Idaho’s Pocatello Publish in July 1949. The article features a photograph of Commerce Vic sipping what we will presume is the Maori Punch, because the glassware matches the recipe description. The caption beneath the photograph reads:
HOT? —Dealer Vic, Oakland, Cal., restaurateur, affords this “cooler” which he calls Maori punch. Right here it’s: one ounce ardour fruit juice imported from Australia, two ounces gin, sprint of angostura bitters and the juice of one-half lime. Combine in tumbler and serve in giant, wide-mouthed goblet crammed to brim with chopped ice. Vic warns it DOES have a punch.
The recipe, as written, raises an fascinating query, because it requires one ounce of passionfruit juice. The uncooked passionfruit juice and/or puree obtainable to most of us is kind of tart. If we made the Maori Punch as specified, it will be bracing because it has no different sweeteners. Maybe the Australian passionfruit juice Vic used was both a nectar or a syrup, i.e., sweetened. As I realized, the which means of “juice” isn’t constant worldwide.
All of the Maori Punch’s components — lime, passionfruit, gin, and Angostura bitters — are generally utilized in golden-era recipes. It might be proper at house within the Minimalist Tiki Traditional 30 Drinks checklist. The mixture of gin and passionfruit additionally seems within the Saturn, however the latter got here a lot later and makes use of lemon relatively than lime and provides orgeat and falernum.
Firmly believing Vic used sweetened juice or syrup, I rewrote it for at this time’s tiki drink makers.
Maori Punch – Dealer Vic, 1949 (Tailored by Matt Pietrek)
- 1 sprint Angostura Bitters
- 0.5 oz lime juice
- 0.5 oz ardour fruit syrup
- 2 oz gin
Shake with ice and pressure right into a stemmed vessel with a large mouth, e.g., a big martini glass or related. A medium-sized snifter will work as nicely. Fill with crushed ice.
Vic didn’t specify a garnish, so garnish at your whim, e.g., a lime wheel and umbrella. If in case you have candy passionfruit juice available, strive substituting an oz. for the 0.5 oz of passionfruit syrup I specified.
How is the Maori Punch? Delightfully easy and refreshing. The gin makes its presence recognized with out being overwhelming. Do you have to need extra spice, improve the Angostura bitters to 2 or three dashes.
Extra importantly, what of Mrs. Wonk’s verdict? “I’d drink a whole lot of these.”
