Originally served at the Luau Room in the Hotel Del Coronado in the middle of the last century, the recipe for the Coronado Luau Special was unearthed by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry in his book, Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log. Mixologist Martin Cate freshened it up with his own improvements and serves it like this at his bar, False Idol in San Diego.
The recipe actually calls for two equal portions of aged rum: one made in a pot still, the other in a column still. Pot stills are said to produce deeper, more complex flavors, while column stills are better at producing a purer, more consistent final product. You can just use any two aged rums you like, or even a single aged rum; the final result will still be gorgeous.
Cate uses VSOP Armagnac, a sibling of cognac made in a neighboring region of France, with different grape varieties. They’re both brandy types, and either one is fine.
