Early last year, just as the pandemic was taking hold, plucky start-up British company, Big Wave Brands, bravely went ahead and launched Spirit of Aloha 65, its refreshing new pineapple and scotch bonnet infused spirit in its distinctive blue bottle, shortly followed by their mild Sun on a Beach Hot Sauce, a spicy sauce made from the same ingredients as their spirit minus the alcohol with just enough heat to give you a nice tan rather than a nasty sunburn. Undeterred by the sudden closure of bars and restaurants where they had intended to ply their wares, they quickly switched to an online strategy to brings some of their Aloha spirit and magic to back gardens across the country. Surviving on online sales, they’ve kept their heads above the COVID waves and they’ve started this year with a bang with their pickled pineapple DETONATORS.
So, what on earth are their pineapple “Detonators”? Well, they are pretty much what they sound like: bite sized, hand-cut, chilli-infused fresh pickled pineapple chunks that might just blow your mouth off, in the nicest possible way. Bauce Brothers rate these little firecrackers as a two/three on their heat scale, so they pack more of a punch than Aloha’s Sun on a Beach mild hot sauce, but they’re so moreish you are going to go back for more, more, more!
Spirit of Aloha 65, the 27% ABV drink that started to make waves last year in the UK, had its origins back in the mists of time (the early 1990s) with the homemade tipple first created by British ex-pat barman, Stephen Thorp, at a beach bar in Florida, where his unique concoction enticed and then refreshed and revived the surf crowd after a long day catching waves. However, their novel, hand-made, small batch, “Detonators” were born closer to home, in a kitchen here in the UK. Not quite by accident, but almost, the adventurous souls at Big Wave Brands used the time wisely during Lock-Down’s I and II and when they weren’t flogging their spirit and hot sauce they were experimenting and innovating. They continued riffing on their signature pineapple and chilli theme and “boom!”, their pineapple DETONATORS were born.
What do you do with them? Start a fire? Set off a firework? Well maybe, they’re pretty punchy, but we’d recommend eating them just on their own as a snack on a cocktail stick or you could of course go the full retro and add a cube of cheddar cheese, but they also work brilliantly with all sorts of things you might be cooking up and inventing during Lock-Down III. There’s the whole pineapple on pizza thing of course – these babies might just persuade the Hawaiian Pizza naysayers of its merits – albeit in a spicier form. Then there’s the ham and pineapple rings thing – a modern spicier take? Why not?
Apparently, they’re also amazing on tacos and will cheer up any rice dish. With pancake day fast approaching, they’re the perfect twist for the Shrove. They’ll spice up any salad no end! Anyway, I’m sure you get the picture: as it says on the jar “Handle with care, Detonators can set off cheese, pizzas, burgers, kebabs and other common food items. Do NOT keep away from barbecues”. Of course, with the Spirit of 27% ABV marvel, Aloha 65 are into their cocktails, so why not say garnish smarnish to that boring old slice of lemon, up your garnish game and challenge yourself with a spicy, chilli-infused pineapple wedge, aka a Detonator, the perfect addition, naturally, to many of Aloha 65’s cocktails.
Knowing they were on to something, Big Wave Brands launched their BBQ Box last summer (spirit, sauce, detonators, mixer and some BBQ essentials including wooden tongs, citrus reamer and basting brush) that sold like… hot dogs. So, look out for it this spring and summer, or why not just go ahead and snaffle yourself this trio, sold as the “Ultimate Combo” in their website shop now. It really is, “Chefs hats off” to Big Wave Brands and their must-have BBQ trio of Spirit of Aloha 65, Sun on a Beach Hot Sauce and Pineapple Detonators, a must-have for your BBQ this year.
