Mai-Kai cocktail review: The Hidden Pearl reveals a long-lost craft

Updated Feb. 22, 2012
See below: Our Hidden Pearl review | Ancestor recipe | Tribute recipe
Related: Mai-Kai cocktail guide

Ice molds and other frozen glassware is kept in a special freezer in The Mai-Kai's kitchen service bar. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, November 2011)

The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale is not only keeping alive the tradition of classic Tiki cocktails, but also the lost art of the ice shell. One of the best examples of this frozen throwback is the Hidden Pearl.

Along with the Gardenia Lei and Shark Bite, the Hidden Pearl is one of the several cocktails featuring glasses fashioned with special ice features in The Mai-Kai’s mysterious kitchen service bar (see photo at right).

And like the others, the Hidden Pearl tastes just as good as it looks.

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The official menu description

HIDDEN PEARL

The delightful tang of fresh juices and golden rums.

Okole Maluna Society review and rating

Hidden Pearl. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, November, 2010)

Size: Small

Potency: Medium

Flavor profile: Honey, passion fruit syrup, light rum, bitters.

Review: A mouth-watering combination of sweet flavors with a healthy dose of rum and bitters.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars (see how it ranks)

Ancestry: An opening-day drink in 1956, the Hidden Pearl is a retooled version of Don’s Pearl by Don the Beachcomber.

Bilge: According to Don the Beachcomber legend, every fifth Don’s Pearl was served with a real pearl.

Agree or disagree? Share your reviews and comments below!

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ANCESTOR RECIPE

Don’s Pearl
(By Don the Beachcomber, from Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)

 
* 1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
* 1/2 ounce passion fruit juice
* 1 ounce guava juice
* 1/4 ounce honey cream mix (see below)
* 1/4 ounce club soda
* 2 ounces light Puerto Rican rum

Pour all of the above into a blender with 1/2 cup of crushed ice. Blend for 15-20 seconds, then pour into a chilled glass with more crushed ice.

Notes and tips for home mixologists

* Honey cream mix is equal parts sweet (unsalted) butter and honey. Heat both separately in the microwave, then combine and whisk until well blended. Use immediately. This old-school ingredient is now rarely used, but it pops up occasionally in Don the Beachcomber recipes. It helps add a sweet creaminess to drinks like this and the Mystery Gardenia.

* You won’t have much ice left after blending for up to 20 seconds, but the drink should not be slushy. The goal is to chill and dilute the drink slightly, dissolving most of the ice. At The Mai-Kai, the Hidden Pearl is served in an ice shell, which eliminates the need for more ice (see above and below).

This is very close to the flavor of the Hidden Pearl, but it doesn’t quite match the intense sweet/bitter combination of The Mai-Kai’s version. With a few tweaks, we came up with …

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Tribute to The Mai-Kai’s Hidden Pearl
By The Atomic Grog

Hidden Pearl tribute by The Atomic Grog, February 2012. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

* 1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
* 1/2 ounce passion fruit syrup
* 3/4 ounce guava juice
* 1/2 ounce honey mix
   (2:1 honey and water, mixed and chilled)
* 2 ounces light and/or gold Virgin Islands rums
* 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

Blend with 1/2 cup of crushed ice for 15-20 seconds, then pour into a medium glass with a frozen ice shell (see story above and tips below).

Notes and tips for home mixologists

* We substituted passion fruit syrup for juice, adding a richer flavor. Be sure to use a high-quality syrup, such as Fee Brothers or B.G. Reynolds. Our personal favorite is the hand-crafted syrup from Hawaii’s Aunty Lilikoi.

* The guava juice is reduced slightly and the honey is increased to push the sweetness to the forefront. Instead of honey cream, we’re using a rich 2:1 honey mix that can be found in other Mai-Kai cocktails such as the Jet Pilot and Rum Julep.

Hidden Pearl ice shell by The Atomic Grog, February 2012. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

* The menu description refers to “golden rums” but it’s unclear if that means “gold rum” is included in the current cocktail. Whatever it is, it’s very mild. A combination of 1 ounce of a mild gold rum and 1 ounce of a sweeter gold rum such as Mount Gay Eclipse yields a nice flavor, although just a bit too strong. A combination of light and gold Virgin Islands rums is probably a better approximation of the Hidden Pearl’s flavor.

* The key element is the addition of some Angostura bitters, which helps offset the sweetness of the honey and passion fruit syrup. It teams with the guava juice to create a distinctive bitter flavor balance.

* Creating an ice shell may seem daunting, but the one pictured at right was quite easy. We packed a glass with crushed ice, then left it at room temperate for around 15 minutes to let the ice melt slightly. We then packed the ice slightly and put the glass in the freezer for 2-3 hours. The melted crushed ice should cling to the sides and bottom of the glass. Remove from the freezer when the cocktail is ready to pour. Take a knife and chip away a pocket in the middle of the glass just large enough to hold the drink. If all goes well, the ice on the sides of the glass will remain intact.

Okole maluna!