tiara tahiti

1 1/2 oz Orgeat (1 oz Orgeat + 1/2 oz Simple Syrup)
3 oz Orange Juice (2 oz)
3 oz Lemon Juice (2 oz)
1/2 oz Brandy (1/3 oz Copper & Kings American Brandy)
3 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum (2 oz Angostura White Oak)

Blend with 1 1/2 oz scoops shaved ice (shake with ice and strain). Pour into a bowl, fill with crushed ice, and decorate with a gardenia (mint, nasturtium and ornamental pea blossoms, and a lemon shell with ignited El Dorado 151 proof Rum).
Two Thursdays ago, I was in a Tiki mood and reached for Trader Vic's 1972 revised Bartender's Guide. There, I spotted the Tiara Tahiti perhaps named after the 1962 movie that reminded me of the classic Scorpion Bowl. I ended up scaling down the drink by a third to make it better for a single serving (also, my orange was not large enough to yield 3 oz of juice), and I added some simple syrup to the mix to better match the tart citrus content in the recipe. Once prepared, the Tiara Tahiti gave forth a lemon and orange aroma with floral and mint notes from the garnish. Next, a creamy lemon sip led into rum, orange, almond, and vanilla on the swallow.