The Hinky Dinks Fizzy was created in 1984 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Trader Vic’s, the classic chain of escapist restaurants that helped to fuel the tiki craze. In this version, as preserved in the Smuggler’s Cove recipe book, it has all the elements of a tropical punch in a light, drinkable format.
The Smuggler’s Cove version calls for a lightly-aged rum like Plantation 3 Star, and it’s a good suggestion. A darker, vanilla-soaked aged rum (like the Zaya 12 Year we tried it with first) fights with the effervescence of the sparkling wine and the crispness of the lime and gin; a rum with less character provides the necessary backbone without overwhelming the delicate balance.