Recipe comes from the Nov 1959 issue of Esquire magazine, attributed to mixologist Mariano Licudine himself:

Moonkist Coconut

Half ounce lime juice
Quarter ounce simple syrup
Quarter ounce honey
Quarter ounce Falernum
Half ounce coconut milk(fresh or powdered)
Three-quarter ounce West Indies rum
One and a half ounces Puerto Rican light rum
Three-quarter ounce Barbados rum
Two dashes Angostura Bitters
Put all the ingredients in a mixer with crushed ice; strain and serve cold in a topped coconut, or suitably attractive glass.

Compare it to the dumbed-down recipe from Benson and Hedges "100 Recipes from 100 of the Greatest Restaurants" booklet:

The Mai Kai's Moonkist Coconut

3/4 Cup Light Rum
3/4 Cup Dark Rum
1/3 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Coconut Syrup
2 Tbs Fresh Lime Juice
2 Tbs Sugar
Several Dashes of Aromatic Bitters
2 Cups Crushed Ice

Combine all ingredients in blender; blend for ten seconds. Pour over ice in glasses or coconut halfs. Makes four servings.

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I'm anxious to hear from anyone who has the ingredients to the 1959 Licudine recipe and who can compare it to the actual Moonkist Coconut that they currently serve at the Mai Kai.

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2010-10-23 00:39 ]

Sabu,

Thanks for posting this vintage Mai Kai recipe. I recently posted a thread about my trip to the Mai Kai 3 weeks ago:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=38010&forum=1&12

In the thread I asked how the Mai Kai gets that super-silky, unctuous texture in their drinks. While neither my Wife nor I had this particular drink, I wonder if they are using coconut milk, or maybe coconut snow powder in many of their drinks? I tasted a lot of honey in all of the drinks that I enjoyed at the Mai Kai, but honey alone doesn't explain the texture that the Mai Kai manages to obtain in their drinks. And then there is the unique spiciness in their drinks......it's enough to drive a Tikiphile mad, really!

[ Edited by: CincyTikiCraig 2010-10-23 00:43 ]

Thanks Sabu! I will make it a point to try this at home as well as on my next trip to The Mai-Kai. Just need to figure out exactly which West Indies and Barbados rums are being used. Anyone have any guesses?

FYI, if anyone's looking for that Esquire article, it's down at the bottom of this page:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=21971&forum=1&start=120

I just tried the 1959 recipe and it is one of the best rum drinks I have made in a long time. I was not sure what to use for the West Indies rum so I used Pyrat Pistol, and then a combination of Mt. Gay and Cruzan Aged Rum, it came out really tasty. Thanks Tim. :)

And the article is on my site HERE.

The Atomic Grog's Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide this week takes on the Moonkist Coconut, with photos and drink history plus our take on the classic recipe.

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2011/07/12/mai-kai-cocktail-review-in-search-of-the-elusive-moonkist-coconut/

It only took 13 years, but here's the intriguing back story of the Moonkist Coconut ...

In the updated story and review on The Atomic Grog, I unravel the history of this cocktail created by legendary mixologist Mariano Licudine. It begins in the 1930s with a distinctive drink by Donn Beach served in a coconut, decades before the Piña Colada. The Coconut Rum likely inspired Licudine to create the White Cloud in the 1940s, revealed by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry in the Sippin' Safari 10th anniversary edition.

Hired away from Don the Beachcomber by The Mai-Kai, Licudine put his new Moonkist Coconut on the 1956 opening-day menu, where it has remained for nearly 70 years. Founding owners Bob and Jack Thornton gave Licudine creative control of the menu and put him in the spotlight, unprecedented in the mid-century.

I review the recipe published in the 1950s, adding my own spin that gives it a modern Mai-Kai flavor profile. All this and more at AtomicGrog.com or https://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2011/07/12/mai-kai-cocktail-review-in-search-of-the-elusive-moonkist-coconut/