Because of the pioneering cocktail archeology of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry and others, tiki fanatics take pleasure in a considerable library of golden-era recipes. New recipes from Don and Vic are vanishingly uncommon. So, I used to be fairly stunned to return throughout Dealer Vic’s recipe for “Maori Punch” in a 1949 newspaper.

Word: The right spelling is Māori, and refers back to the indigenous individuals 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 substances. It’s totally potential I missed one thing, however why not share what I discovered?

The recipe appeared in a number of California newspapers and Idaho’s Pocatello Put up in July 1949. The article features a photograph of Commerce Vic sipping what we are able to 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 stuffed 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 accessible to most of us is sort of tart. If we made the Maori Punch as specified, it might 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 discovered, the which means of “juice” isn’t constant worldwide.

All of the Maori Punch’s substances — lime, passionfruit, gin, and Angostura bitters — are generally utilized in golden-era recipes. It could be proper at dwelling within the Minimalist Tiki Traditional 30 Drinks record. The mixture of gin and passionfruit additionally seems within the Saturn, however the latter got here a lot later and makes use of lemon reasonably than lime and provides orgeat and falernum.

Firmly believing Vic used sweetened juice or syrup, I rewrote it for right this moment’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 properly. Fill with crushed ice.

Vic didn’t specify a garnish, so garnish at your whim, e.g., a lime wheel and umbrella. When you’ve got candy passionfruit juice readily available, attempt 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. Must you 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.”