hanalei moon

1 1/2 oz Koana Kea Agricole Rum (Uruapan Charanda)
1/2 oz Fed Street Gin (Tanqueray Malacca)
1/2 oz Strega
1 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Coconut Cream (Coco Lopez)
1/2 oz Honey-Ginger Syrup (fat 1/4 oz each Honey Syrup & Ginger Syrup)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
4 dash Absinthe (24 drop St. George)
1 pinch Seat Salt (4 drop 20% Saline)

Whip shake and pour into a pineapple glass (coconut Tiki mug). The earlier garnish instructions were mint and an orchid and later ones were pandan, lemon wedge, and basil sprig (mint sprigs and ornamental pea blossoms). Two Fridays ago, I was in a tropical mood, so I revisited the online recipe flashcards for Skull & Crown Trading Co. in Honolulu, and I was able to find the Hanalei Moon in two sets of different vintages. I found Yelp photos as early as 2023, and it appears on the current menu. One Yelp review described it as "a spicier Piña Colada on steroids. Delicious." Perhaps the drink was named after the popular 1974 Bob Nelson song that describes the beauty of Hanalei Bay on the island of Kauai and that later frequently got covered by other artists. Once prepared with the older garnish set, the Hanalei Moon rose to the senses with mint over coconut and rum funk aromas. Next, a creamy lime and pineapple sip cast a glow on funky rum, star anise, and ginger flavors on the swallow.