Tiki Mug – Aku Aku – Rum Barrel – OMC Japan

The Aku Aku was a Polynesian restaurant inside the Stardust Casino, at the North end of the Las Vegas strip. The restaurant opened in 1960 and closed in 1980. Some of the interior carvings were done by famed carver Edward Brownlee. The iconic moai statues that stood guard over the Aku Aku were carved by Eli Hedley (grandfather of Bamboo Ben). These statues became famous symbols not just for the restaurant or the Stardust Casino it resided in, but Las Vegas itself. One of these statues can be viewed today at Sunset Park in Las Vegas.

Otagiri Mercantile Company (OMC). The company was an importer of porcelain, stoneware and giftware in the San Francisco area for more than 46 years. The products were made in Japan and were imported for distribution and sold to high end Restaurants, Bars, Department Stores and Gift Shops worldwide. Otagiri products were handcrafted, hand painted and highly sought after.

Rum Barrel – The Rum Barrel is another one of Don the Beachcomber’s wonderful creations. Don invented this cocktail, but he was not the only one to offer a Rum Barrel. The Aku Aku was one of many Polynesian Tiki Bars to offer this famous cocktail.

Demerara Rum – 2 ounces
Gold Jamaican Rum – 1 ounce
Light Puerto Rican Rum – 1 ounce
Allspice Dram Liqueur – 1 teaspoon
Falernum Liqueur – 1 teaspoon
Pernod Liqueur – ⅛ teaspoon
Fresh Grapefruit Juice – 1 ounce
Fresh Lime Juice – 1 ounce
Fresh Orange Juice – 1 ounce
Fresh Unsweetened Pineapple Juice – 1 ounce
Grenadine – ⅛ teaspoon
Angostura Bitters – 1 dash
Honey Mix – 1 ounce

Add all ingredients into a blender, saving ice for last. Blend at high speed for no more than 5 seconds. Pour the contents into the Rum Barrel Mug filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge speared on a cocktail pick, plus a mint sprig.

Origin – Don the Beachcomber, Las Vegas, circa 1965
Source – Unpublished recipe from Hank Riddle’s personal papers.