...seems like a good drink for toasting the last month of 2020!
Perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm a big fan of all things coconut. While there are plenty of drinks that blend coconut with fruit juices or use cream of coconut for its rich sweetness, the Kick in the Coconuts stands out to me for its use of ancho chili syrup. I'm not sure why the idea of spicy pepper with creamy coconut took so long to come to fruition but we can thank Kelly "Hiphipahula" for finally putting it all together.
Despite it's complete lack of brown sugar, the Kick in the Coconuts can come off a bit caramel forward. While the Cruzan Blackstrap Rum is the source, I think the key is getting the chili syrup right. As it's homemade the strength can vary from batch to batch. If it comes of too caramel-y just take note to make your syrup a bit spicier next time around. If that's still not in your wheelhouse, you can substitute another blackstrap rum, Bacardi Black, or even Lemon Hart 1804 for the Cruzan Blackstrap rum. All three make a good Kick in the Coconuts (IMHO), just a bit different from one another. I don't think that you want the drink to be sugary or spicy; you're aiming for a balance between the two where the emergent property is a new flavor that is better than either alone.
Kick in the Coconuts
Source - Home Bar Guide to Tropical Cocktails, Kelly "Hiphipahula" Reilly & "Trader" Tom Morgan
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce Real Coconut Squeeze
2 ounces Ancho Chili Syrup
2 ounces Cruzan Coconut Rum*
1 ounce Cruzan Blackstrap Rum*
Add all ingredients to a mixing tin and shake with crushed ice. Typically served in a coconut mug. Garnish is a pineapple leaf and a cocktail spear with a lime wedge, pineapple wedge, and a cherry.
*Bamboo Sam's customizations: Aside for the aforementioned rum choices, I don't change much here excepting that I will often use a spindle mixer if I'm making several of these as it can take quite a bit of shaking to get the coconut cream to fully mix into the drink. If you are looking for another place to take some sweetness out of this one, try substituting Rum Haven for the Cruzan coconut rum.
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