Oh Noa!

When you visit Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, there are a number of drinks on the menu that trigger “shows” inside the bar that involve lights, sound effects, rain and animations. One favorite is the Uh-Oa!, a bowl that is meant to serve at least two drinkers, that is accompanied by some dynamic chanting and a blaze of cinnamon-spiced fire. It’s a lot of fun to watch, even if you’re not drinking it. That said, the drink is a tasty one and we often order it when we’re visiting.

We decided to make a tribute to the Uh-Oa! at home and dubbed it the Oh Noa! The menu for the original drink indicates that it includes the following: Light and Dark Rums, Orange, Passion Fruit, Guava, Pineapple, Grapefruit Juices, Falernum, Cinnamon and fresh Lime Juice. That is quite the list of fruit juices and while it would be worth taking the time to combine them all for a punch intended to serve a big crowd, we don’t always need a gallon of extra juice blend in the fridge, so we opted to bring in tropical flavors from some other sources, including passion fruit syrup, X-Rated liqueur (a tasty but strangely named liqueur that uses blood orange, mango and passion fruit) and grapefruit rum (more intense than fresh grapefruit juice), along with fresh orange and lime juice. We added falernum for spice (we preferred Lucky, but Taylor’s Velvet Falernum works, too) and, of course, lit the finished drink up with some overproof rum and cinnamon.

This recipe makes a drink that two people can share, so be prepared to divide it into two glasses if you don’t have a big tiki mug or a bowl available! It’s not quite what you’re going to get in the Uh-Oa! at Trader Sam’s, but the drink is complex and fruity without being too sweet, making it easy and refreshing to drink. It’s also a lot of fun to serve when you light it up.

OH NOA!
1 1/2 oz white rum
1 1/2 oz dark Jamaican rum
1 oz X Rated liqueur
1/2 oz grapefruit rum
1/2 oz Falernum (recommend Lucky)
1 oz lime juice
1 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz orange juice
1/2 oz passion fruit syrup
151 + cinnamon (for garnish)

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into two poco grande glasses filled with crushed ice, or one large tiki bowl/mug.
Top with a spent lime shell, a sugar cube and about 1/4-oz of overproof rum (151). Light the 151 and throw a generous pinch of cinnamon on top. Blow out flames before drinking.

Serves 2