Updated March 13, 2012
See below: Our S.O.S. review | Ancestor recipe | Tribute recipe
Related: Mai-Kai cocktail guide
Most classic Mai-Kai cocktails can be traced back to tropical drink pioneer Donn Beach (aka Don the Beachcomber), and the S.O.S. is no exception. Most are easy to spot due to the similar names (Cobra’s Fang = Cobra Kiss, Pearl Diver = Deep-Sea Diver). But others are a little harder to trace.
From a 1950s Don the Beachcomber menu.
The clue to the origins of S.O.S. is actually the garnish: the distinctive three speared cherries. In reviewing old Don the Beachcomber menus, it’s hard to miss the classic Three Dots and a Dash, a tribute to Americans fighting overseas. “Three dots and a dash” was Morse code for “victory” during World War II, when Donn Beach created the drink. Beach served in the Army and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Thanks to tropical drink historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry and his 2007 book, Sippin’ Safari, we also have the recipe to compare. Mai-Kai mixologist Mariano Licudine, who knew Donn Beach’s recipes well from his days slinging drinks at Don the Beachcomber in Los Angeles and Chicago, simply changed the name to S.O.S. and tweaked the complex recipe to make it a bit more user friendly.
The result is a highly recommended cocktail from the mild side of The Mai-Kai’s menu, full of nuances yet still not too overpowering.
The official menu description
S.O.S.
A spirituous blend of full flavored Martinique Rum, tropical juices and West Indies syrups.
Okole Maluna Society review and rating
S.O.S., April 2011. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
Size: Medium
Potency: Mild
Flavor profile: Lime, falernum, orange juice, just a hint of rum.
Review: Sweet, dry and tart. One of the best mild drinks at The Mai-Kai.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars (see how it ranks)
Ancestry: The S.O.S. dates back to the The Mai-Kai’s opening in 1956 and is based on Don the Beachcomber’s Three Dots and a Dash.
Bilge: If you’re looking for an authentic version of Three Dots and a Dash, you have several excellent options in the Tiki cocktail mecca (California). It’s one of many Donn Beach originals served at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach, the only restaurant in the mainland United States to bear the historic name. Also highly recommended is the version served impeccably at Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco, the neo-Tiki craft cocktail bar that not only carries Donn Beach’s torch but also is pushing the envelope of mixology in great new ways.
Agree or disagree? Share your reviews and comments below!
ANCESTOR RECIPE
Three Dots and a Dash
(1960s era Don the Beachcomber recipe, from Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
Three Dots and a Dash by The Atomic Grog, January 2012. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
* 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
* 1/2 ounce orange juice
* 1/2 ounce honey mix
(equal parts honey and water, mixed until liquid)
* 1 1/2 ounces amber Martinique rum
* 1/2 ounce Demerara rum
* Dash of Angostura bitters
* 1/4 ounce falernum
* 1/4 ounce pimento liquor
* 6 ounces (3/4 cup) crushed ice
Blend at high speed for no more than 5 seconds. Pour into a specialty glass, adding more crushed ice if necessary. Garnish with three speared cocktail cherries (the “three dots and a dash).
As served at Don the Beachcomber in Las Vegas, circa 1965.
Notes and tips for home mixologists
* It’s very tricky to balance the flavors in this classic, which likely changed slightly over the years. Donn Beach was known to tweak his recipes often. The falernum, pimento liquor and Martinique rum all compete for your palate’s attention. Our best advice is to not skimp on getting quality ingredients. Beachbum Berry recommends Fee Brothers falernum. We enjoy this drink mixed with premium rums such as Rhum Clement VSOP (Martinique) and 15-year-old El Dorado (Demerara).
* Pimento liquor, made from allspice berries in Jamaica, pops up every so often in both Don the Beachcomber and Mai-Kai cocktails. We recommend St. Elizabeth and Wray & Nephew as the best sources for this spicy, obscure ingredient.
Tribute to The Mai-Kai’s S.O.S.
By The Atomic Grog
S.O.S. tribute by The Atomic Grog, March 2012. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
* 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
* 1 ounce fresh-squeezed orange juice
* 1/2 ounce rich honey mix
(2 parts honey to 1 part water, mixed until liquid)
* 1/2 ounce white Martinique rum
* 1 ounce sweet gold rum, such as Mount Gay
* 1/2 ounce falernum
Pulse blend with 1 cup crushed ice for no more than 5 seconds. Pour into a stemmed glass, adding more crushed ice if necessary. Garnish with three speared cocktail cherries.
The Mai-Kai’s S.O.S. is a milder version of Three Dots and a Dash, yet no less tasty. I actually prefer it to the strong and spicy classic. It really goes down smooth and is arguably the best cocktail on the mild menu.
Notes and tips for home mixologists
* More juices and syrups and less rum give the S.O.S. an altogether different flavor profile than Three Dots and a Dash. The Mai-Kai’s orange juice is very sweet and distinctive, with a rich orange color. We’re not sure of the source, but we’re guessing it’s fresh-squeezed in house or at a nearby Florida grove. We were able to come close to the taste with fresh-squeezed Valencia, though the color is not quite as bold.
* Just a touch of white Martinique rum, such as Rhum Clement Premiere Cane, seems to provide the correct spicy notes. A sweet gold rum such as Mount Gay makes this cocktail complete. The new Mount Gay Sugar Cane Rum seemed to be the appropriate choice and indeed works perfectly as the base rum.
Okole maluna!
