on christmas island

1 oz El Dorado 8 Year Rum (Hamilton Demerara River 86°)
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Donn's Spices #2 (1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup + 1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's))
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a glass or mug (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish in tropical fashion (mint and nutmeg). Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing the Pandemic-era Lost Lake email recipe collection when I spotted the On Christmas Island created for their first Christmas Pop-up in 2017 alongside drinks from Boilermaker in Manhattan and Latitude 29 in New Orleans. I also found this in the Sippin' Santa recipe collection which attributed it to a year earlier in 2016. The lemon juice balanced by ginger and passion fruit syrups reminded me of Lost Lake's No Bye/No Aloha but with Donn's Spices #2 instead of orgeat and vanilla. It turned out that this recipe made good use of the last of this season's mint before a killing frost took out every last plant in the yard soon after. In the mug, On Christmas Island presented mint, woody spice, and hints of caramel, rum funk, and passion fruit to the nose. Next, lemon, caramel-molasses, and hints of passion fruit on the sip flowed into funky rum, ginger, and allspice flavors with a vanilla-passion fruit finish.