The history of the Missionary’s Downfall

There is no great story behind this tiki cocktail. What is clear, however, is that it was invented by Donn Beach, better known as Don the Beachcomber. Donn Beach’s most famous cocktail is probably the Zombie. He invented the lesser-known Missionary’s Downfall in the 1930s.

How much rum Missionary’s Downfall?

A white rum and up to a dozen mint leaves make a refreshing cocktail, while peach liqueur and honey syrup sweeten the mix. Pineapple and lime juice give it a fruity, sour note. Compared to other tiki cocktails, which are often very strong, the Missionary’s Downfall has a relatively low alcohol content. That’s great in itself, but in the original recipe the white rum goes down too much. I like to give my Missionary’s Downfall a little more edge by increasing the amount of white rum by 10 ml and adding 3-4 dashes of peach bitters on top. My preferred rum is either the Compagnie des Indes Tricorne or the Tiki Lovers White Rum, which I also like to use in my Fog Cutter or Mr. Bali Hai Tiki drinks.

Had enough peach in the original recipe?

Peach liqueur, a relic from the 90s and yet no bar should be without this bottle. De Kuyper Peachtree in particular is a classic peach liqueur and sits right between Cointreau and Blue Curaçao in my liqueur cabinet. It does what a peach liqueur should do – taste wonderfully like peaches.
As already mentioned, I’m adding a cocktail bitter to the recipe. The Bitter Truth Peach Bitters blends harmoniously with the Missionary’s Downfall, adds even more peach and enhances the complexity of the tiki cocktail.

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