Don the Beachcomber, spearheading the golden age of tropical cocktails in the 1930s, birthed an alluring array of concoctions. One of the most intriguing among these was the Nui Nui, a harmonious blend of rum, lime juice, orange juice, cinnamon syrup, allspice dram, and Angostura bitters. While simple at face value, the Nui Nui’s deceptively basic formulation held an unparalleled fullness of flavor. Yet, following the regression of the tropical cocktail wave in the mid 1900s, the recipe sunk into obscurity, partially due to Beach’s protective stance over his unique creations which he cloaked through a system of coded ingredients and tight-lipped preparation techniques.

Through piecing together archives and interviews with the Beachcomber’s former retinue, cocktail historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry painstakingly resurrected the Nui Nui recipe. Revealing it for the first time in his piece, 'Sippin’ Safari', Berry returned the Nui Nui to its deserved place in the modern drinks pantheon. Encapsulating Beach’s signature style, the Nui Nui stands proudly as a testament to his innovative mixology.

The skeletal structure of the Nui Nui, like most of its contemporaries, borrows from the basic Daiquiri formula: rum, lime juice, and sugar. This cocktail goes a level deeper, adding Gold Virgin Islands rum for its structural perks and vanilla undertone, while dark Demerara rum imparts a heavier body, bringing to the blend caramel sweetness and a hint of smokiness. The interplay of the two rums work magic, achieving a heightened complexity neither could possess on their own.

Fresh lime juice invigorates the cocktail, accompanied by orange juice which tempers the mix with rounded sweetness. The cinnamon syrup and St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, performing double-duty as sweeteners and as the aromatic foundation, emboss the beverage with the quintessential baking spice notes. Angostura bitters bring it full circle, amplifying the spice palette and extending the finish.

Tradition dictates you blend the ingredients with ice for a brief span, a method that aerates the drink and initiates dilution without pulverizing the ice fully. This results in a cocktail with a pleasingly light, well-rounded texture, though shaking the mixture also gives satisfactory results.

Finally, the Nui Nui’s components include: 1 1/2 ounces of gold Virgin Islands rum, 1/2 ounce of dark Demerara rum, 1 teaspoon of St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, 1/2 ounce each of lime juice and orange juice, 1/2 ounce of cinnamon simple syrup, and a dash of Angostura bitters. For garnish, use an orange peel and a cinnamon stick, then blend all ingredients (excluding garnishes) for no more than five seconds. Pour into a tall glass, add ice, then finish with your garnishes. Presto, you’ve created your very own Nui Nui.