Diki-diki

This special cocktail perfectly fit right in any Tiki bar menu.

Words: 400

Pages: 1

Along with drinks like the Doctor Cocktail, this oddly named drink is one of a few classic cocktails most associated with the long lost spiced Nordic liqueur, Swedish Punsch. Credited with the creation of this combination of apple brandy, Swedish punsch, and grapefruit juice; bartender Robert Vermiere included the Diki-Diki in his 1922 book Cocktails: How to Mix Them, mentioning that he introduced the cocktail at London’s Embassy Club that same year. Just one year later, Harry McElhone included a stiffer version of this drink in his ABC of Mixing Cocktails, noting its great popularity in London. While it predates the movement, its name seems right at home in the world of tiki where it was embraced by Trader Vic and is now often served alongside other oddly named drinks with questionable etymology and origin stories. The recipe of the cocktail is quite simple if the ingredients are procured.By shaking 1 and a half oz of apple brandy, half oz of swedish punsch and the same amount of grapefruit juice over ice. This recipe is a slight modification of Vermiere’s original ratio. This drink really delivers the essence of apple, it smells like apples and it tastes like apples. There are some funky ingredients blended here alongside the fleshy apple brandy, but they all seem to find a way to support the apple. The nose delivers hints of vanilla and sugarcane from the rummy Swedish punsch. On the tongue it’s fleshy and applied, with a finish of heat from the strong booze. Sweetness and spice from the punsch and acidity from grapefruit punch up the apple flavor, resulting in an impressively balanced drink that’s reminiscent of a more complex Jack Rose.You can make it yourself if you feel inspired: David Wondrich provides a recipe in his Punch. While many recipes call specifically for Calvados, you don’t have to use Calvados, there are many other apple brandies. It ultimately will come down to what you want out of the drink, but definitely don’t shy away from it.