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Cocktail History
The Donga Punch is a classic tiki recipe that was originally created in the 1930s by Don the Beachcomber at his bar in Hollywood, California. This is one of the recipes that was revived when Jeff “Beachbum” Berry dug into tiki history when writing his book Sippin’ Safari. Unique to this category, this cocktail calls for a simple mix of rhum agricole, a type of rum made from sugarcane juice, as well as Don’s Mix, and citrus to balance out the spirit’s sharp flavor.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Rhum Agricole: This is a type of rum made in the French Caribbean Islands that is distilled from freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. We used Clément Rhum Vieux Agricole VSOP because it has a distinct taste with notes of brown sugar and cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rhum agricole.
Don’s Mix: This is a sweetener made with grapefruit juice, cinnamon sticks, and sugar. We made ours at home using Alex’s recipe.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Grapefruit Twist: This is the peel of a grapefruit that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.
Cinnamon Stick: This is a dried spice that has been rolled into a stick. We used cinnamon sticks from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Orchid Blossom: This is the flower of an orchid plant.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
The Donga Punch features fresh aromas of grapefruit and has a flavor that marries sweet citrus with the fascinatingly complex rum and a cinnamon zing, all with a bit of tart lime after the swallow.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: The phrase “rum funk” gets a little overused, in our opinion, but this cocktail is about the best example of it we’ve ever tried. In fact, as much as we both found the Donga Punch very interesting, we think a split base with something else a little less funky might do this recipe a service!
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“At first, I was a little put off by the slightly dry, complex, and weird taste of this drink that I initially attributed to the lime; I initially thought there might be too much of it. After a few sips, I realized that wasn’t it at all, and instead the spirit was what was resulting in the crazy flavors. The rhum agricole we used from Martinique is one of the most fascinating rums I’ve ever had. I do think using a full two ounces of just that rum in this drink was a bit much, and though I haven’t tried it yet to be sure, I think balancing it out with a half to full ounce of another rum would be even better.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“I’m with Alex. This tiki cocktail is a weird one thanks to the rhum agricole. It has a rather bitter yet sour aftertaste that made me wince a little when sipping the drink. I thought it was the lime juice at first, and then Alex had me try the rhum agricole on its own. I think I might like this better with a milder dark rum, but it’s worth trying if you’re already a fan of rhum agricole’s unique flavor!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.
Add rhum agricole, Don's mix, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a highball or tiki glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with grapefruit twist, cinnamon stick, and orchid blossom.
Ingredients
Directions
Add rhum agricole, Don's mix, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a highball or tiki glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with grapefruit twist, cinnamon stick, and orchid blossom.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rhum agricole to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Shop Glassware & Tools
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More Tiki Cocktails
If you like this tiki-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Iron Ranger (Variation): A whiskey cocktail made with pineapple juice, lemon juice, velvet falernum liqueur, cinnamon syrup, Angostura aromatic bitters, mint, and a cinnamon stick
Ginger Inferno: A rum cocktail made with ginger liqueur, velvet falernum liqueur, lime juice, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, a lime slice, and candied ginger
Staycation: A rum and whiskey cocktail made with lemon juice, coconut cream, apricot liqueur, passion fruit syrup, a lemon slice, and mint
Jamaican Mule: A rum cocktail made with ginger syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, Angostura aromatic bitters, candied ginger, a lime slice, and an orchid blossom
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