First served in Waikiki at the House Without a Key bar, the Halekulani cocktail is tropics driven riff on a whiskey sour. The cocktail benefits from the fruity additions of pineapple and grenadine while keeping the spice of bourbon and bitters. This makes it a friendly way to easy into Tiki for those who aren’t quite there yet with rum, but want to feel the tropics in their glass.
Halekulani Cocktail
The Halekulani Cocktail is a beautifully fruity mix of citrus and tropical fruit brought together by the spices and oak forward flavors of bourbon. The net effect is a drink that’s amazingly refreshing but that doesn’t misplace the underlying flavor of the bourbon. The touch of grenadine adds an additional fruity dimension while the demerara shows some of the caramelized oak flavors from the bourbon. Overall, you might surprise some bourbon lovers with just how well this works.
Drink Notes & Recommendations:
The Halekulani Cocktail is relatively straightforward and doesn’t involve a lot of fancy tips or tricks. The biggest recommendations are to garnish as you see fit and to adjust the sweetness as desired.
- Bourbon – Due to the highly fruit forward nature of this cocktail, you can use something strong like Old Grand-Dad 114 or Makers Mark Cask Strength. That said, choose what you have available, or go with your preferred bourbon. We used Wild Turkey 101 here.
- Pineapple Juice – While you could juice your own, Dole pineapple juice* in the small cans works great and produces less waste.
- Lemon & Orange Juice – Use fresh squeezed for best results.
- Demerara Syrup – Combine 2 parts Demerara Sugar to 1 part water and bring to a simmer stirring over high heat. Remove from heat once the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to cool and bottle. Refrigerate. The high sugar content will work to inhibit bacterial growth for an extended duration – throw out if any clouding or mold develop.
- Grenadine – To make grenadine, combine equal parts by weight pomegranate juice and white sugar in a sauce pot. Heat until almost simmering and all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add ½ oz of neutral spirits (vodka / overproof such as Everclear) if desired for preservation. Place in a clean bottle and store in the fridge for up to several weeks. Dispose of if any mold or haze develops.
- Dried Pineapple – We purchased ours from Trader Joes, however you should feel free to substitute for orange / cherry flags, pineapple wedges, or edible orchids.
* – This is an Amazon affiliate link – buying something through this will help us to receive a part of the proceeds and keeps First Pour Cocktails generating new content.
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