Honey rounds out three kinds of citrus, and a good aged rum gives the drink warmth and depth. Served over crushed ice with a crown of mint, it has the easy charm of a daiquiri with more fruit and more perfume.
2 oz
aged rum or light rume.g. Havana Club · Diplomático · Mount Gay · Appleton Estate · Bacardi
¾ oz
honey syrup honey and warm water 1:1
¾ oz
grapefruit juice freshly squeezed
¾ oz
orange juice freshly squeezed
½ oz
lime juice freshly squeezed
Garnish: Mint sprig, lime wheel and pineapple fronds · Ice: Crushed ice
Sumatra Kula
Bright and fruity with tart grapefruit and lime, rounded by floral honey and a warm, lightly oaky rum. Refreshing and medium strength.
The Sumatra Kula is one of the drinks associated with the early years of Don the Beachcomber, the Hollywood bar that Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, later known as Donn Beach, opened in the 1930s and which launched the tiki style. Tiki historian Jeff Berry, who reconstructed many of Donn's recipes, counts it among his earliest creations.
The structure shows where tiki came from: at heart it is a Cuban-style daiquiri of rum, citrus and sweetener. Donn swapped sugar for honey and added grapefruit and orange, a hint of the layered citrus and syrup combinations that would later define his more elaborate drinks such as the Zombie.
It is simple enough for a home bar and a good introduction to classic tiki.
It is credited to Donn Beach of Don the Beachcomber and counted among his earliest tiki drinks.
A lightly aged rum works best. The drink is also good with a light rum, as in some historic versions.
Yes, but the drink loses its floral depth. Honey is what sets it apart from a plain daiquiri.
The perfect sound
A tiki lounge in the 1950s with bamboo, torches and tropical fruit.
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