I tend to favor this variation when I’m bartending, as the consistent 1 oz measurement makes it real easy to put together in a hurry.

Zombie, 1950 (from The Barbecue Chef, by Louis Spievak, submitted by Donn Beach)

• 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice
• 1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
• 1 oz White Puerto Rican Rum
• 1 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum
• 1 oz 151 proof Demerara Rum
• 1 tsp Brown Sugar
• dash Angostura Bitters

Stir sugar in Lime juice until dissolved.  Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with lots of crushed ice and pour into a tall chimney (Zombie) glass, usually 14 oz.  Garnish with a mint sprig.

With this chain, known as Kon-Tiki Ports, Stephen brought all his best bartenders and their recipes to help open each location.  One of the drinks developed and served at the Luau was their own version of the famed Scorpion Bowl from Trader Vic’s.  One of the first known communal tropical drinks, Vic had been slinging this “thing” since at least the early 1940s, having written about it in his Book of Food and Drink.  Stephen Crane’s version takes a few liberties, changing Lemon to Lime and omitting one of the ingredients from Vic’s version, an ounce of white wine.

A single-serving Scorpion these days is a bit… okay, a lot like a lightly tamed FogCutter, with a bigger dollop of Orgeat and omitting the Sherry Float.  This version from the Luau, circa 1958 is… well, one of the best.  It was served at the recent Tiki Night at Teardrop Lounge, and I see little reason not to serve it again at the next one!  The Volcano effect wasn’t on the original recipe but… hey, if Stephen Crane can embellish his restaurant with $1,240 door handles, I think I can embellish the drinks with a splash of 151.

Scorpion from Steve Crane’s Luau, 1958  (recipe courtesy Rick Stutz and Jeff Berry)

• 1oz Lime juice
• 2oz Orange juice
• 2oz Gold Puerto Rican rum
• 2oz Gin
• 1oz Brandy
• 3/4oz Simple syrup
• 1oz Orgeat
• 8oz Crushed ice

Donate everything to a blender. Spin up like the devil for 3 seconds. Pour, unstrained, into a wisely sized bowl. Drink by yourself or with friends.

I’ve been putting this drink on my Tiki Night menu for the past few years, and it’s always an easy sell.  Fruity, elegantly sweet, and a beautiful shade of pink, it’s one of the few drinks I always get asked “What’s that!” that doesn’t come with a backscratcher or in a flaming volcano bowl.

Leilani Volcano

• 3 oz Guava Nectar
• 1 ½ oz Pineapple Juice
• ¾ oz Lime Juice
• ¼ oz Rock Candy Syrup
• 1 ½ oz Coconut Rum

Combine ingredients in mixing tin and shake with 1 cup crushed ice, or use a handy dandy top-down mixer for 3 seconds.  Pour into your nearest coconut shell or chimney glass.

As I like to say on the menu, despite being developed  at Disney’s Polynesian resort, this ain’t no Mickey Mouse cocktail.  For all the fruit juice and flavored rum, that lime cuts through like a knife, adding balance to all the flavors.  It’s certainly still on the sweeter side, but will certainly please even the most refined tropical palates.

Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole is a cane-juice based rhum from Martinique, following the strict guidelines that allow it an AOC designation as a Martinique Rhum Agricole.  The Depaz estate was founded in 1651, though when it started producing rhum is a good question.  The Depaz Blue Cane began its introduction to the U.S. market around 2006.

I had purchased this a year or so back for curiosity’s sake, and to put a bit of a bigger bump to my collection of Rhum.  I am fairly unsure I had tasted a drop (my bottle remained unopened until recently) until Ed Hamilton came to town, sampling some local bartenders on about 28 different rums… that was a fun lunch indeed.  Upon tasting this, I knew I had made a mistake having not opened that bottle, and oh how quickly it would be drained.

Appearance: The color is a pale straw yellow, with an almost golden sheen in the glass.  Very nice clarity with no particulate in the bottle.  Strong legs stick to the glass, only after a few agonizing seconds giving way to gravity.

Nosing: There is an immediate grassy funk to the nose, almost rising out of the glass.  Like its fresh cane juice cousin Cachaça, it’s a note that’s inescapable, and can vary between marvelous and disgusting, depending on the quality of the distillate.  Once that smell has passed, there is a brief note of cinnamon and a bit of honey.  The aroma is lovely, with a nice floral quality to it, and that 90 proof really helps it leap through the nose.  Don’t sniff too hard, there are demons lurking under the loveliness.

Tasting: Mildly sweet and smooth, moving to a burn at a nice even pace, not all-at-once in the back of the throat like some might do.  There is a lot going on in this, with some smoke, some sweetness, a bit of baked goods, bacon fat, some fruit… this is either a master blender’s dream to pull flavors from, or nightmare to have to recreate.  There’s even the mildest flavor of a smoked gouda.  As a sipper, this is enjoyable and even refreshing, but left on the tongue, gives you plenty to think about.

On Mixing: I’ve found that the higher proof funkier rums have a very easy time standing out in drinks, and this is no different.  With its high proof and distinctive Martinique notes, it’ll power through in a Mai Tai (highly recommended) when paired with, say, an Aged Barbados or Jamaica Rum.  I wouldn’t muddy it too much with anything over 5 ingredients, but a Donga Punch or Last Rites suits it fine, dandy, and then some.  Of course, if you want simple and authentic, there’s always Ti’ Punch!

Score: 5 Ti’PONSCHes out of 5.  It’s an outstanding savory and thoughtful sipper, and shines through postively in mixed drinks.  Depaz Blue Cane is a Rhum any rum lover should have on their shelf, and on their breath.

(5/5)

Other Information on Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole:

• Depaz Rhum Agricole
• Ministry of Rum
• RumDood
• Slashfood
• Drinkhacker

But seriously folks, as part of the “make great cocktails done right” sort of outreach I’ve got going here, I decided to take on the task of Tiki when asked to do some video for the Oregon Bartender’s Guild.  This is one of a series of two so far, with more on the way.

In this video, I put together a Mai Tai, using a blend of Appleton Extra and Rhum Barbancourt.  It was a damned tasty blend, and that I got to share it with some friends afterwards made it even better.  The edits leave out a bit of info, but I don’t blame anyone, I sure can blather.  And for those pickers of nits out there, yes, the I misstated the Orgeat measurement, the lime shell wasn’t shown going into the shaker and yes, the mint garnish (necessary for a proper Mai Tai) was left out of the recipe at the end.  Please forgive me, I offer only my knowledge, my love, and my stash of rum.

The Orgeat, if you were wondering, is from a test batch for… well, I’ll be discussing that later.  The mug comes from Portland’s own Thatch, and the shirt… is just awesome!

Mai Tai

2 ounces 17-year-old J. Wray Nephew Jamaican rum*
1/2 ounce French Garnier Orgeat
1/2 ounce Holland DeKuyper Orange Curacao
1/4 ounce Rock Candy Syrup
juice from one fresh lime

Hand shake and garnish with half of the lime shell inside the drink and float a sprig of fresh mint at the edge of the glass.

* – no longer available.  Try a blend of Aged Jamaican Rum with an Amber Martinique for some depth and funk.

Mount Gay Extra Old is a 86 proof rum originating from Barbados, often considered the birthplace of rum (albeit with some others who would contest that), and proven as one of the oldest distilleries in the Americas, having started in 1703. It is a blend of copper-pot and column distilled rums aged for 8-12 years (according to Chester, others note 12-17 years) in former Bourbon barrels, and mixed to proof with coral filtered spring water. It is certainly the pride of the distillery, if you’ve ever met Chesterfield Brown, Mount Gay’s mixologist and brand ambassador, he will tell you all about it, for as long as you care to hear it. Here’s an example of Chester talking at Tales of the Cocktail from 2008…

I’ve had a few bottles of this in my private collection ever since I had a private collection. I just remember it as being recommended by a rum-loving friend, and thought the box looked nifty. Many moons have passed since then, and that original bottle has been replaced again and again. So is there a reason I now keep a bottle in my Emergency Preparedness Kit? Read on.

Appearance: In the bottle and glass, a rich red and brown oaky color, wonderfully translucent and almost shimmering. In the glass, the legs give way quickly to dimpling.

Nosing: A great warmth fills the glass, with touches of banana, roasted coconut, touches of sea salt and even a hint of a wood fire. Lots of the expected rum notes, with plenty of vanilla and caramel.

Tasting: One of the first things I notice is the extremely buttery texture. Go ahead, melt some butter and take a sip, then take a sip of the Mount Gay XO, you’ll see where I’m going with this. The wood and heat continue, as though you’re sipping the experience of a barbecue on the beach with good friends, anticipating the cool of night as the fire keeps you warm. Lots of coconut and wood notes in this, without getting bitter or harsh, a sign of masterful aging and blending! I’m almost tempted to say it’s like drinking smoked honey, but not having drank smoked honey… well, it sounds like an experiment for a later time.  Hints of spice stay on the tongue long after the last taste.

On Mixing: For all of its sippability, it’s a powerhouse mixer too.  The woody-sweet characteristics give it the ability to play classy or exotic, lending itself as easily to an Old Fashioned or Manhattan variant as it does to being used like an Aged Jamaican in your favorite Tropical Libation.  I’ve even made a few nifty potables, the Bimbolada and the Pride of Barbados, specifically featuring Mount Gay XO, playing up the fruitier notes in the rum, while holding strong to the aged rum characteristics.

Score: As a sipper it’s top notch, and as a mixer it’s liquid gold.  How could I not give this rum the love it deserves with all 5 guns a-blazin’.  My favorite Barbados rum… for now.  I’m definitely hoping to get my hands on its older brother, the 1703.  Someday… a rum lover can hope!

(5/5)

Other Information on RUM NAME:

• Mount Gay Rum
• Ministry of Rum
• RumDood
• Bilgemunky
• El machete
• Art of Drink

Tropical Itch

• ½ oz Lime Juice
• ¼ oz Cinnamon Syrup
• 1 ½ oz crushed mango (sub mango puree)
• 1 oz Gin
• 1 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum
• 2 drops almond extract

Blend quickly in a top-down blender for three seconds, serve tall, and garnish with a backscratcher, and kumquat and pineapple slice.

Sadly, Kumquats were a bit out of season while I was serving those, so a cherry did quite nicely. The backscratcher, oh the backscratcher. Give people something fun to play with while drinking, and funny things will happen (and, hopefully, noone’s eye will get poked out).  The Mango adds a nice, and frankly, rather rare touch to the drink.  Fresh Mango has a nice sweet but mostly tart flavor, and was a joy to use in this drink. If you happen to run out of Almond Extract, a few drops of Orgeat adds a nice touch, without being overpowering.

The backscratchers, in case you were wondering, are available at Oriental Trading Company.  The TraderTiki.com branded backscratchers, well, you had to be there, I suppose.

The Tropical Itch is, however, one of “those” drinks, in the same vein as the Mai Tai and Zombie, invented at one place by some grand mixologist, in this case Harry Yee, and imitated over and over until it became a shadow of its former self.  Luckily, Crane’s version is still damned tasty, and just a joy to make, and to drink!

Come one come all for the tastiest tropical libations this side of the 1970s.

Got a Tropical Itch? Ever made your own Mai Tai? Need a Jet Pilot to take you away? Well come on down to Teardrop Lounge this Sunday for a night to remember!

The evening starts at 4pm.  Teardrop Lounge is located at 1015 NW Everett St, Portland, OR.

Need something for your home bar? Come on down and pick up some hand-crafted syrups from Trader Tiki!  Orgeat, Cinnamon Syrup, Don’s Mix and Don’s Spices #2 will be available for sale.

See you there!

English Harbour is a rum hailing from the island of Antigua, named for the town of English Harbour, a town and port used heavily by the British Navy during the time of Admiral Nelson.  The rum is molasses based, distilled in copper,  and aged 5 years in used Bourbon barrels.

Antigua Distillery is the only distillery on the island, having been started by a group of plucky Portuguese  (as my dad would say, “Port-a-/ɡ/ees”)  in the early 1930s.  Here in the U.S., it may be hard to get your hands on a bottle of anything other than the 5 year, which seems a darned shame, as the 5 year is, well… I suppose you should continue reading to find out!

Appearance: A lovely pale golden in the glass, with the usual firm sticky legs that a good aged rum should have.

Nosing: It’s a powerful nose that can be detected from a good distance away, making sure you know there’s an open glass nearby.  There’s a bit of dust (smells like old!), a good amount of burnt wood, and something that really had me confused for a bit, but I finally keyed in to… Banana Bread!  That is, with nuts, of course.  It’s very obvious even from the nosing that I’m going to really like this one.

Tasting: The nose runs into the flavor with ease.  Not the heaviest rum in texture, sitting on the tongue the initial tastes are of vanilla and honey.  There is a bit of a creaminess, almost akin to carrot juice.  It can be quite sweet on top of the tongue, but on the sides shows a bit of bitter tannin, a lovely blend of youthful vigor and aged calm.  It’s overall quite a smooth rum, that gives its heat only at the end of the experience, with quite a bit of fruit and nut flavors to it.

On Mixing: For all its flavor, this is not a killer diller of a mixing rum, with flavors being easily lost amongst the other ingredients.  This is best served, for my taste, with just a spot of spiced syrup, lime, and a few ice cubes for Maximum pleasure.  For classic tiki drinks, keep it to the simple side of things (Donga Punch, Jasper’s Jamaican) to really let this rum shine through.

Score: It’s a lovely little sipper, but not of much use in mixology.  For scoring it as a sipper, it’s got quite a bit going for it, but there’s just a certain wowee-zowee that I’m not feeling with it.  An exceptional rum, and highly recommended, but there’s just something that won’t let me give it that fifth star… barrel… okay, it’s a Trader Tiki head.

(4/5)

Other Information on English Harbour:

• English Harbour at Antigua Distillery
• Ministry of Rum
• Scottes’ Rum Pages
• Art of Drink
• BilgeMunkey

So, if you’ve haven’t heard it said around here before, Martin Cate, my ultimate H-bomb when it comes to name dropping, has been known to drop down a damn golden nugget of a drink when he cares to.  I’m not saying all that comes from his brain his golden, he just has the wherewithal to really figure out what makes a drink tick, and keeps on trying ’til he gets it right.

The following drink, the 2070, was introduced to me by Paul Clarke through his article in last year’s Sept/Oct. Issue of Imbibe (yes, it took me a year to post on this… I’ve perhaps enjoyed them a few too many times).

2070

• 1 oz Angostura 1919
• 1 oz Lemon Hart 151
• 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Rich Simple Syrup
• 1/2 oz Honey Mix
• 1/4 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
• 4 drops Pernod
• 2 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Build ingredients with Crushed Ice in a Chimney glass.  Insert barspoon or lele stick and gently twirl spoon between the palms of your hands until a frost forms on the outside of the glass.  Serve with Straw.

Honey Mix is a mix of even parts honey and warm water, stirring until the honey is completely dissolved.

Rich Simple Syrup is a 2:1 Demerara Sugar to Water Simple Syrup.

Says Martin of the origins of the drink,

The recipe was inspired by a regular at FI who always had me make him swizzles. I usually freestyled based on several recipes, and some were better than others. So I wanted to really get down a firm version of what I liked that was true to its Trini roots, but also mindful of the drinks eventual tikification.

I sat down one night at the bar and whipped up every swizzle recipe I could find- three different QPSs [Queen's Park Swizzles], some stuff from Barbados, etc.. I wanted to see what flavors and rum combos I really liked, to sit down and make what would be, for me, the ultimate swizzle. So it’s really just a showcase for some of my favorite flavors.

This is something of a “superswizzle”- usually they have far fewer ingredients. But you get honey/pernod (more tiki) and Angostura/allspice/nutmeg (more Caribbean) and I like to think they can be friends…much like the farmer and the cowman.

And its the “2070″ not “20-70″ Swizzle. Or “Twenty Seventy” or “Two Thousand Seventy”, but that doesn’t sound as good.

note: some editing, partially sourced from the Cocktailnerd.com 2070 post.

This is a lovely and flavorful sipper. Definitely heavy on the ingredients for your standard swizzle, but oh the flavor combinations. Have you figured out the origins of the name? Give it a guess. First to comment with the correct origins of the name (that I haven’t drunkenly explained it to already) will be shipped a bottle of Trader Tiki’s Orgeat and Cinnamon Syrup, to make up your own tropical concoctions!

Angostura 1919 is a rum from Trinidad and Tobago.  As you may have guessed, it is distilled by Angostura, one of two distilleries there, the other being Caroni, which makes the Scarlet Ibis.. This molasses based rum is a blend of light and dark rums aged American Bourbon Barrels for a minimum of 8 years, and bottled at 80 proof.

Angostura may be a name you’ve heard before, and you’d be correct in recalling their infamous and ubiquitous brand of aromatic bitters, now including a fantastic Orange bitters. Angostura has been in the rum game for well over a few decades now, but has only recently been releasing their branded products, the 1919 and 1824. Most of its former products were distributed only in the Caribbean, or exported as a bulk product. Not satisfied with releasing their local product for international tastes, they decided to go branded, and with such a recognizable name, it was quite the wise business decision.

But does this rum truly stand up to the legacy of Dr. Johann Siegert? Let’s see what’s going on in the bottle.

Appearance: I don’t always like making a statement about the bottle, but on the shelf, this one really stands out. It’s short and squat, but not overly intrusive, with distinctive rounded shoulders and a big fat cork. But what really makes me happy is the bottle numbering. This review comes from bottle 169916, a fine bottle if ever I’ve seen one. I love batch/bottle labeling, as it allows for comparison, quality control, and damn right I’ll say it, even one-upsmanship. Even what’s in the bottle stands out though, as a beautiful orange-copper hue shines out from within. With that color, it still has some of the best clarity I’ve ever seen, and in the glass I swore I saw something floating, but it was just a reflection of sunlight in the rum.

Nosing: The nose is lovely, with marshmallow and butter and hints of orange blossom water and toffee, even an oddly appealing touch of warmed plastic. This nose definitely feels like I could pick it out of a lineup. The legs in the glass are quite gummy, indicating a potentially lovely texture.

Tasting: Oh my Dr. Siegert, if only you knew how smooth this would come out. The rum on the nose and rum on the tongue are truly one in the same, as a smooth marshmallow/butter flavor starts in, leading into a savory spice, with a big smokey finish on the end, even a bit of gingerbread. The heat is minimal at best, and almost has to be searched for to find it. As a sipper, this is both enjoyable and thoughtful. It’s like a puzzle putting together all the flavors, one I just can’t draw myself away from.

On Mixing: Rum is often an excellent mixer, whether it be with just a splash of tonic, or with 3 other rums and a range of fruits from remote jungles and islands. This rum, however, takes the cake in its versatility and flavor. One of the best drinks I’ve had with this is Martin Cate’s 2070 Swizzle, a tall and potent combination of Angostura 1919, Overproof Demerara Rum, allspice, honey, and a few other bits. It’s tall, satisfying, a bit savory, and wonderfully complex. Another style of drink I’ve had this in was at Beaker and Flask, where bartender Tim set me up with a combination of Angostura 1919, Benedictine, and Cream Sherry. It was a bit like the rum had jumped into an old New Orleans drinking book, and decided it would be the forerunner for a number of cocktails intrinsic to the city’s history. The drink tasted a lot like wet brown sugar, and oh my was that good.

Score: With its versatile use in mixology, unique character, and as a thoughtful sipper, I have to give Angostura 1919 a 5 out of 5. This is a rum any rum connoisseur should be proud to have in their collection, and even better, in their glass.

(5/5)

Other Information on Angostura 1919:

• Angostura 1919 home page
• Ministry of Rum
• Scottes’ Rum
• El Machete
• Refined Vices

If you haven’t picked up a tome from this silver-tongued devil of the south pacific, well, you’re just not getting the full picture of the tiki drink phenomenon.  Jeff’s books have sent many a mad mixologist through the pantheon of exotic cocktails, with few turning back.

Jeff’s first book, Grog Log, was released in 1998.  It contains over 80 tropical drink recipes, and includes many well loved classics, such as the Mai Tai, Navy Grog, Fog Cutter, and Missionary’s Downfall.  This book really focused on unlocking the more well known of the Vic and Don cocktails, including a very interesting take on the Zombie.

Intoxica!, the next tiki tome, came out in 2002, and also features just over 80 exotic libations, including the unearthed 1950 “Spievak” Zombie.  This book brings in more classics, but also includes quite a few original drinks, often the bum’s interpretations of recipes that were still under lock and key.

After nearly 7 years of mixing and making these classic drinks, Tiki Drink enthusiasts were full of knowledge, and rum, but needed a little something more… solid.  So, taking a look at some dusty old books of Trader Vic’s, and researching “authentic” Polynesian cuisine, Jeff brought out his Taboo Table, featuring Tiki Cuisine from Polynesian Restaurants of Yore.  Some of the more famed recipes being the Luau Spare Ribs, and Trader Vic’s Bongo Bongo Soup (no baby food spinach included).  Of course, there are a few whistle wetters in here as well, including quite a few punches… to help with digestion, of course.

All of the above are now modern day classics, researching down a rich vein of recent history that had faded to its last glimmer.  The recipes are there, a lot of lovely illustrations, and even sources and a paragraph or two of the history of the drinks, but what about the restaurants and mixologists behind them?  What was it really like “back in the day”, when people were looking forward to the next Martin Denny album, or making reservations at Don the Beachcomber’s.  Jeff’s 2007 book Sippin’ Safari finally got Jeff deep into the text.  Sippin’ Safari holds within its cover many interviews with Donn Beach’s former bartenders, and other historic figures who may never have graced the headlines, but sure gave the customers a thing or two to talk about.

The Bum’s next book, Beach Bum Berry Remixed, will feature a revisit of recipes from the Grog Log and Intoxica, new photography, modern exotic cocktails, and we’re sure a few other surprises. There’s no set publishing date just yet, but “before the end of the year” is all we’ve gotten so far. What can you expect from a Bum? Well, a lot of good reading and drinking material, that’s for sure. Pre-order Beach Bum Berry Remixed from Amazon.com.

St. James Royal Ambre has been readily available on the shelves for the past few months here in Oregon. After drinking my dear departed bottle of Hors D’Age until it was no more, I was happy to see its younger brother on the shelf of my favorite liquor store.  Not every Donn drink calling for Martinique requires long-aged rhum, so I was hoping this would add a bit of that fiery Martinique kick some drinks, and maybe provide a rather spirited sipper.  At 45%, this definitely has a bit of punch to it, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

The Royal Ambre, one of a damned decent product line from St. James, is the second blend out of the Limousin Oak barrel, having an aging of 18 months to two years.  This Rhum is distilled as an agricole, and follows the strict regulations required to approve its A.O.C. labelling under French law.  The cane in Sainte Marie is grown exclusively for the use of the distillery, as is most cane on Martinique.  Once the homeland French found out how to make sugar from locally grown beets instead of island grown cane, sugar refining on the island became a much less profitable enterprise.

And what an enterprise it has been, with some of the finest and most unique rums on the market (including what may just be my all time favorite of all time ever) being produced on the island.  So, what does this bottle hold in store?

Appearance: It’s a lovely golden amber color, with lots of oak color in it, but hints that it is still a bit young.  A light hue of copper on the inside makes it quite a pretty rhum.  It leaves a strong residue after spinning it in the glass a bit, definitely potent.

Nosing: Strong alcohol on the nose, with a bit of a scent like you’d imagine a burning cane field, grassy, light amber caramel, and that touch of oak tannin. The ethanol can be a bit overpowering, so it’s good to let it sit a few minutes to let it air out.  After it calms down, there’s actually a lovely lilting flowery scent to it.  Don’t sniff too deeply though, that high proof is still ready to knock the wind out of your sails.

Tasting: This has a good fatty viscous texture, and combined with the brick oven tasting notes almost gives it an animal skin feel going on.  Go ahead, sit it in your mouth for a few seconds, you’ll see what I’m getting at.  There’s a bit of sage in there, plenty of char, and only the lightest bit of honey sweetness.  The declared fruitiness of the rhum is missing for my non-taster palate.  The aftertaste has plenty of burn, and leaves a bit of a bittersweet chocolate chalkiness on the palate.  It’s interesting to be sure, but not something I find myself wanting as a sipper.

On Mixing: The Bottle notes “Saint James Royal Amber can be sipped by itself, but is the special secret of a true Planter’s Punch: 1/3 Saint James Amber [sic], 1/3 orange juice, 1/3 pineapple juice, a dash of grenadine.” Well, I gave this a shot and found it.. pretty damned sippable.  A bit of a sweet and modern take, but the rum still shone through the sweet flavors, not shabby.  I have also used this as the Aged Martinique in Donn Beach’s Donga Punch, where it works fairly well with a bit of spice and citrus from the Don’s Mix and Lime Juice, though honestly, using the Hors d’age knocks this drink really out of the park.

Score: The St. James Royal Ambre is, for my palate, not much of a sipper.  It’s interesting, but has a bit much burn and not enough flavors for me to reach for just to sip.  For mixing though, it can add a bit of that unique martinique cane flavor and a bit of punch to your potion, which for me is its saving grace to give it a 3 out of 5.

(3/5)

Other Information on St. James Royal Ambre:

• InterBev USA St. James Rhum Info
• Ministry of Rum
• Scotte’s Rum Pages

1/3 Rhum

1/3 Orange Juice

1/3 Pineapple Juice

dash of Grenadine

This got me to thinking a bit about Planter’s Punch.

The name itself is evocative, recalling the history of the five ingredient punch, as well as the planter… who was the proverbial Planter who would drink this potion on sweltering days spent under the sun.  It’s a simple drink we all seem to know of, and maybe have heard a recipe or two. This seems to be a drink without origin, not attributed to any person in particular. In the late 19th century, the drink starts to appear in a few London periodicals, typically in reference to Jamaica or some parts of South America.

The earliest reference I could find comes from an 1878 edition of Fun, a satirical magazine published in London.

The next few references I found in my library have fairly similar concepts, albeit different names.  In Modern American Drinks (1895), it is referred to as “Jamaican Rum Punch“, and by the time the Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) rolls around, it’s become the Planter’s Cocktail #2.  Planter’s Cocktail #1 is a variation skipping the sugar and adding orange juice.  Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide (1948) gives 4 variations, changing up the lemon to mostly lime, and with 3 of the recipes calling for grenadine.  As we can see, the recipe starts morphing and evolving through the decades.

When looking to consider how drinks are being made nowadays, I like to reference the “Big Book of Dumb Drinks” (aka – The Bartender’s Black Book ), which starts off with something similar to the original recipe, but veers into the realm of today by, after mixing the other ingredients, pouring in Orange Juice and Pineapple Juice.  I am starting to see where adding Orange juice started, but have yet to find the origin of the Pineapple Juice.

Well, apparently the label makers for this rhum that so got me to thinking are of the modern school of this classic concoction, albeit keeping the proportions still very simple, a classy maneuver if ever there was one.  I took a few sips and found their version, while quite sweet, rather refreshing, and certainly evocative of a more tropical clime than here in Portland, OR.

Do you have a favorite Planter’s Punch recipe?  Have you tried a few?  Found an early reference that asks for pineapple juice?  Let me know in the comments!

The Scarlet Ibis is a rum I kept a distance from for quite awhile, but just recently became very good friends with. Originally produced for use at Death & Co. in New York, this rum is now in limited quantities across the country. Even in Oregon we got a special order approved for this steamroller of a rum that’s put out by Haus-Alpenz, Eric Seed’s little magical goodies factory.

The Scarlet Ibis is a custom blend of 3-5 year White Oak aged rums, copper-pot distilled from molasses in Trinidad by the Rum Distillers of Trinidad and Tobago, and bottled at 98 proof. The distillery, it appears, is now solely in the bulk rum business. I’ve never gotten a chance to try any of the Caroni rums, but will definitely keep an eye out, as, from what I’ve tasted and will review below, I seem to have a fondness for anything Trinidadian.

Appearance: The Color is a very pale hay, which becomes a light copper when in the bottle. It leaves a real sticky layer on the glass, and takes quite a while to bead. What this is indicative of, I’m still learning… either high alcohol or high sugar. I think I know the case in this instance.

Nosing: Straight after pouring, the nose is very rough, like a big funky fist to the face of ethanol and copper. It’s not unpleasant, it’s just extremely intense. Use your best open mouth, lightly breathing in with your nose technique on this one… or perhaps, as in Chemistry back in High School, you’re best to waft it towards your nose. This rum makes no means to hide its proof. Given about 10 minutes in the glass, it’ll start to calm down, and gives of some very light cane, and hints of orange flower petals, citrus, and just a touch of white soap.

Tasting: On the tip of the tongue, there are notes of lavender and honey, very herbal, sweet, and inviting. The millisecond it hits the back palate though, it starts wrestling with your tongue, telling off your palate’s mother, and in general becomes one helluva rough customer. The Sweet and floral tones become ten times more intense, allspice joins in the flavor mix, and a light gasoline-like vapor rises through the nose. This rum is loaded with copper pot still funk, and gives off some extremely intense flavor. The finishing flavors are a bit of coffee, a continuity of allspice, and of course, the ethanol. From what I’ve stated, this might not sound entirely pleasant, but I find myself reaching for this rum constantly when I’ve got a glass out. It’s definitely a thinker’s rum, confusing the senses and challenging the palate to find what flavors it’s putting out next, or just put out on the tip of your tongue a second ago.

On Mixing: Forget liqueurs and mixers, this sucker needs ropes to tie it down. Okay, okay, really, a daiquiri with a slightly higher proportion of sugar can tone it down quite a bit, allowing more of its natural character to come out without any of its harsher tones. But why tame such a beast? For fun, I decided to go with a FogCutter made with the Scarlet Ibis, Martin Miller’s Westbourne Strength Gin, and just a splash of BarSol Quebranta. This was not a smooth drink by any means, and neither was the night that followed it. I’m not sure who remembers that particular evening, but I do hope they can, in their hearts, forgive me for it. What can I say, when some of my best friends are in town hanging around, it can get a little rowdy.

Score: I’m not entirely sure what you may glean from the above review.  I don’t seem to have sung its glowing praises, but the overall affect, with all its harshness, funk, and big flavors, is that I am in serious man love with this rum.  The character is so full, so unique that the rum almost personifies itself in my mind, and I keep hoping I’ll see it again in the next bar I belly up to.  Let’s just hope those limited quantities last just a little longer.

(5/5)

Other Information on The Scarlet Ibis:

• Haus-Alpenz Portfolio Page (Scroll down)
• Ministry of Rum
• Drink A Week
• Save the Drinkers!

This drink utilizes two of the Mount Gay Rum product line, combining the rich oak and tropical notes of the XO, with the young springy cane in the Eclipse.  I developed this drink specifically for Mount Gay Rums, and think it’s a real winner, and hope you’ll think the same.

Pride of Barbados

• 1 ½ oz Mount Gay XO
• ½ oz Mount Gay Eclipse
• 1 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
• ¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 oz Allspice Syrup
• 4 drops Vanilla Extract
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with 6 ounces of Crushed Ice and pour into Chimney Glass. Garnish with Orange Ribbon and serve with a straw.

Ron Abuelo 12 años is a rum I recently received from Panama.  Panama, is not an exceptionally well known rum producer, but the distillery there, Valera Hermanos, does have several product lines available, most of which are never seen stateside.  Abuelo in Español means “Grandfather” in English, and the label depicts the drawing of an elderly gentleman.  Is this the grandfather of the Valera brothers?  Perhaps.  But would this be the rum he drank?  Probably not, considering it’s new to the market as of 2009.  Let’s see what ol’ grandpa’s got going on in the bottle though.

Ron Abuelo 12 años is a molasses based spirit, aged for 12 years in former Bourbon or Whiskey barrels, bottled at 80 proof.  If you weren’t aware, Bourbon requires the use of new charred White Oak barrels to be legally designated as Bourbon in the good old US of A.  That’s why this, that and the other distillery tends to use former Bourbon barrels for their own aging purposes.  Hell, I’ve got a chair in the basement that’s a former Bourbon barrel, and a few planters outside that once held gallons of the stuff too.  Be patriotic, and keep those Coopers employed by drinking the good stuff!

As I may have said here before, or just in passing conversation, 12 years of aging is usually the “Sweet spot” to hit my palate just right.  Will this match the rest?  Let’s read my tasting notes.

Appearance: A lovely pale straw color coming from the barrel aging, edged with a coppery hue.  The legs leave quickly, but show where they’ve been.  Not an exceptionally viscous rum, but not too watery either.

Nosing: The nose surprisingly matches the color, giving the lightest hints of vegetation and straw, as well as an indistinguishable citrusy note I might attribute as Grapefruit, but a bit rougher. The Ethyl Alcohol note is present, but not unpleasant,  and almost subtly sweet.  After a few minutes out, the nose simplifies and tones down to mostly the sweet alcohol scent, with a touch of honey.

Tasting: As in the visual notes, the texture on the tongue shows it’s a really low viscosity rum, not coating thickly on the tongue, or leaving any residue once removed from the mouth.  There are a few strange, unexpected flavors in the rum, such as that of sea salt and a musty oak flavor that speaks of maybe a year too long in the barrel, or maybe a bit of intense heat at some point during the aging process.  Tannins and a burnt oak flavor dominate the mostly bitter aftertaste, with a bit of a vegetal quality not unlike a Cachaça.  Is this indicating a few negative congeners sneaking in during the distillers cut, perhaps.  It’s a bit off putting, and not something I expect from a fine aged rum.

On Mixing: Giving that I found some flavor similarities between Ron Abuelo and Cachaça, I thought it might suit well with some bitter lime to dominate its own bitter notes, and some sugar to sweeten the deal in a Caiprinha variation, the Caiprissima.  This definitely strikes the right cords with this rum, and makes for quite a nice drink.  If I may so advise, pick up some Demerara Sugar or other natural cane sugar to use.  It adds the sweet richness to the drink that I was expecting to come from the rum.

Score: This rum gets 2 out of 5 of my stamps of approval. It stands out negatively or doesn’t contribute well to most mixed drinks, and just isn’t enjoyable as a sipper.  There are some notes that make me think the rest of the Ron Abuelo line would be interesting, but this perhaps sat too long in the oak, or just wasn’t cut right during distillation.  Why 2 out of 5?  Because it’s not entirely bad, just… not quite there.  Have you tried it?  Got some nicer things to say?  Let’s hear it in the comments!

(2/5)

Other Information on Ron Abuelo 12:

• Ron Abuelo Website
• Ministry of Rum

Pernod-Ricard just launched BarSmarts Wired, a way to make sure you can get all the spirits and cocktails knowledge you need without leaving your keyboard. Based on materials from the BarSmarts Advanced Program, BarSmarts Wired is entirely internet based, meaning reading materials, videos, quizzes and even a “virtual bar” are at your disposal online.  The only thing that’s not online is a lovely bartending kit, endorsed by Dale DeGroff and emblazed with many a BarSmarts Logo.  The kit includes a computer bag, muddler, shaker, mixing glass, spoon, hawthorne and julep strainers, jiggers, and this great little combo knife/channel knife/zester.

BarSmarts was a program developed by Pernod-Ricard, bringing in the fellows from B.A.R. to develop the materials, intended to bring this exclusive program to the masses of bartenders who can’t fly to New York for a week.  The Wired program goes even further, allowing even the embittered imbibers in such cocktail dead zones as Tulsa, OK to get some much appreciated spirit and cocktail  learnins.

The program is suggested at 4 weeks, focusing on distillation and spirits production, the history of spirits and cocktails, cocktail development, and bartending service.  There is a good 16 hours of combined reading and video watching, and a 25 question test at the end of each section.  Reading material can be printed for offline reading, and the BarSmarts bartending kit can be used for offline drinking (highly suggested).

I just took and passed the course myself, which officially designates me as BSWC (BarSmarts Wired Certified).  What does this mean for the bartenders out there?  Realistically, not a lot of bar managers will have any clue what this means.  But, explained well enough, this can be a “one-up” on the competition when you hand in your résumé.  And the cocktail enthusiasts, well, you’ll definitely find a vast level of knowledge when it comes to spirits production and history.  The 25 drinks every bartender should know is a great way to find the basis of popular drinks, as well as finding new favorites, and can very well surprise house guests and even your favorite bartender.

The Wired program runs through September 30th.  At $45, the bartending kit alone is a deal.  The knowledge that comes along with reviewing the materials and videos, absolutely priceless.  What are you waiting for?  Register now!

New Orleans was, how can I say, absolutely outstanding.  I really didn’t get any time to post, as I was involved in the Tales of the Cocktail Apprentice program.  I don’t know if you know, but that thing was work like noone’s business.  I put a write-up of the Apprentice Program on the Tales blog that gives a bit (and just a bit) of insider info.  I wish I could remember more, but there was a lot of mezcal being passed around.

Tiki Night at Vessel in Seattle was an absolute blast.  Now, mind you, I’m not always known as a Tiki Aficionado when I’m behind the stick.  I make the house drinks, any classics called upon, or whatever is popular that evening.  Hell, ordering a Dark and Stormy gives me the giddies.  That Sunday, I think I must’ve made at least a dozen each of Nui Nuis, Pearl Diver’s Punches, Zombies, Mai Tais, Scorpion Bowls, and even a few 151 Swizzles.  What a blast we had.  Thanks to the proximity of Archie McPhee, we had a metric ton of fun plastic stuff to garnish with too… and a few ounces of Stroh 80 for flame.  I’ll just let you know now, the two don’t mix too well… best to go with one or the other. The good news?  There will be another Tiki Night at Vessel!

Thanks to a morning back spasm, I was able to attend more of Tiki Kon 2009 than I thought I would be able to.  Also, did you know a pitcher of PBR makes for a wonderful muscle relaxant?  Two even moreso.  Friday the 7th was a night of local fun, with bowling, beer, and that other B word… sounds like “rubies”.  Saturday was a working night for me, so I had to miss out on the trip to the fabulous Tony Starlight’s.  However, Sunday was in full effect with a few visitors coming in to the Galley!  I held a rum tasting in the Galley, opening up my private selection, while upstairs my wife manned the pre-mixed Zombies and my world famous P.Y.O. Punch* Station.  Mount Gay ponied up some of their finest, and some of our finest polished off the bottles!

After a long slew of fun, and a bit of a breather, it’s time to get back rolling into regular content.  Expect a few more rum reviews this month… lord knows I’ve been drinking my fare share of it, I might was well drink with pen in hand!

What’s left for the rest of the year?  A trip to New York in September, Tiki Night at Teardrop Lounge September 20th, perhaps a brief trip to South America in November, a dash to Vegas in December… there’s still a few good months to squeeze out of 2009.

In all seriousness, after working the Cocktail Apprentice Program at Tales, coming back to Portland and hosting a Grand Marnier tasting, then finding myself wrapped in the opening of a new lounge & bar (not my own), I’m a short leap from locking myself down in the galley with my stash of rum and a bar knife in case of intruders.  I’ve got a few little nifties up my sleeve though, for example…

Tiki Night at Vessel!  The fine folks at Vessel in Seattle, WA and I will be behind the stick there Sunday August 2nd, whipping up a fine selection of Tiki Drinks for the Seattle Crew, and anyone else who might care to join.  The event is open to the public, doors open at 2pm!  Come on down (up for me, in this case) and have a Nui Nui, or a Pearl Diver’s Punch!  It’s going to be fun!

Is that not enough Tiki excitement in the PNW for you?  Well, the weekend after that, August 7th – 9th is the annual Northwest Tiki Kon!  This year’s theme is Tiki-Speakeasy, keeping the lowdown on the rum!  Join us in Portland for a tiki bar crawl, the classic home bar crawl, and a big swanky event at… well, you’ll find out, if you’ve got the right password.  Buy a ticket now and get clued in!

In other other news, Tiki mayhem is picking up again in Portland.  Besides the Tiki Kon, there may be a return of the Tiki Nights at Teardrop Lounge!  Stay tuned for more info as things pick up steam!

Sunday morning, around midnight, I’m catching the Red Eye and spending 8 hours on a plane headed out to 90+ degree weather and 90+% humidity.  I am totally my wife’s favorite husband for her to be accompanying me.

At Tales, I’ll be taking part in the Cointreau Apprentice Program, a sort of who’s who of who wants to work while on vacation.  I can be found at the Molecular DNA of Classic Cocktails, Sugar: Science of Sweet, and Are your Bitters Better sessions, as well as a few parties and other events.  I’m really looking forward to working with some of the best bartenders/suckers from across the country!

I’ll also be doing a piece or two for Tales Blog, a collaboration of cocktail bloggers from across the country getting together to drink, write, and sweat out a week of summer down in New Orleans.

I’ll be posting tweets from the events over on the sidebar, or follow me on twitter.

Hope to see you there!

Thatch Tiki Bar will be hosting a party to celebrate the release of their new Marquesan Baby Eater Tiki Mug on July 1, 2009 at 4 p.m.  The mug is Designed and manufactured by Tiki Farm, based on the first of the bar’s vintage “baby eater” tikis.  You can see the inspiration for the mug behind Thatch’s Bar.

The mugs sell for $15; for an extra $5 they come filled with a new drink devised just for the mug.  The band Walking in Alaska will be showing up with some festive tunes around 8pm.  There will be a Tiki Outfit costume for a FREE mug, starting at 9pm.  Wear your brightest Aloha wear and boars teeth necklace!

I’ll be there, you should be too.

Thatch is located at 2733 NE Broadway, Portland, OR

Ginger Beer is a nice and spicy ingredient, of which there are about 3 choices in any regional market, for a total of about 50 billion or so.  I’m sure you’ll see a few recipes out there even just in this wrap up. I was almost half-tempted just to make this post a redirect to Jeff Morgenthaler’s How to Make your own Ginger Beer.  But, since I started using his recipe to make my own (others have… failed), I have come across a few changes I like to make in mine to make it my own.  I haven’t gone back to buying Ginger Beer yet.

Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Blair’s Ginger Brew

• 1 part Ginger Juice
• 2 parts Lemon Juice
• 2 parts Simple Syrup
• 1 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp yeast (brewing or champagne preferred, but anything will work) per liter

Juice your Ginger fresh in any convenient juicer.  It takes awhile, and thanks to the fiber, your juicer will likely get jammed a few times.  The effort is rough, but worth it.  Stir all ingredients together in a large foodsafe plastic container, such as used in kitchen prep.  Top with a lid and sit in a room temp, slightly dark area, such as on a shelf or under a counter, for 72 hours.  Once your time is up, uncap, filter, and put in cold storage to inhibit the yeast growth.  After a few hours in the fridge, you should hear a nice burp.  EZ-cap bottles are definitely the bottle of choice.  This creates a super spicy, super sharp ginger brew.

So,  at this point you’ve either made that (recommended), or picked up some store bought.  Well, if you don’t think 3 hours of effort, 3 days of waiting, and the cost of fresh ingredients is worth it, so be it.  I’d recommend Ginger People, Cock and Bull, or Bundaberg.  Now you’re hip for nay Dark and Stormies, Moscow Mules, Mamie Taylors and so on.  But if you’re here and into Tiki, I think you know what may be coming next… you BASTARD.

One of my favorite Tiki Drinks, if only for the name (the flavors, if mixed wrong can be… off-putting) is the Suffering Bastard.  We featured these drinks during last years Tiki Tuesday events, and the reception was warm for this slightly bitter strongly cooling drink.  Thinking that was the end of its story, I then chanced upon Robert Simonson’s post on the Beachbum’s Visit to NYC.  Here, he described the Dead Bastard, another drink by master mixologist Joe Scialom.  This is the third of its cousins (the suffering and dying being the other), and I think it’s just… tops.  As Robert Describes it, it’s a bit of a Tiki Long Island, featuring four types of booze, a few other knick-nacks, and finished off with a generous dallop of ginger beer.

Dead Bastard

• 1/2 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Brandy
• 1/2 oz Bourbon
• 1/2 oz Rum
• 1/2 oz Rose’s lime juice
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 4 ounces of chilled ginger beer

Shake Gently with 1 cup Crushed Ice, pour into Goblet or other large vessel.  Garnish with whatever the hell, it’s dead and doesn’t care.  I used a whole lime.  It’s a big drink.

Combined with the Ginger Beer above, this makes for a killer diller of a drink, like a feather that knocks you flat on your feet.  If you’re questioning the Rose’s Lime, see Robert Simonson’s post above. Just about everything has its place, and in respect to the original recipe, I used Rose’s Lime Juice. If it makes you feel any better, I garnished with an entire freaking lime, so at least some fruit was destroyed for the sake of the drink. For some reason, I couldn’t find the Brandy today, so I reached for Brandy of the apple variety (Laird’s) instead, and oh what a wonderful difference, adding a bit more fruit to the drink.

Well, here’s to hoping you go through the heck of a process to make Ginger Beer (or Brew, whatever), to see what the fuss is all about.  Worth it in my opinion, but, even better if you can get someone else to make it for you.  Cheers!

El Dorado 15

One of the unique qualities about Demerara Distillers is their use of a wooden continuous (coffey) still, the Enmore still, which has (reportedly) been operating since around 1880, and is still in use today. This still produces the smokey rich quality enjoyed in the rums from Demerara Distillers. One of their finest being the El Dorado 15. I thought I’d sit with this one for a bit, and give my thoughts.

El Dorado 15 is a blend of rums aged up to 25 years in oak casks. Something you may notice about rums are the inconsistencies in aging. A 12 year could be an average age, the full age of the rum, or you could throw Solera method into that and really get the math boggling. Some countries have laws regarding the aging and labeling of rums, some don’t. Some distillers will put misleading numbers on the bottle (8, for example) with no note that there is any meaning to said number in order to skim around any laws.

Moving back to the rum, For one, I love the bottle. Images of seafaring adventures, a wax seal, lots of gold and emblems, it’s just plain nifty. Very rummy images. Please note, the bottle means nothing in the final score (unless it’s Pussers), but is certainly worth a mention.

Appearance: Visually, the rum is a rich and dark golden brown, with a bit of a coppery hue to it.

Nosing: The nose of this rum brings a lot of caramel, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, though it does fade within a few minutes in the glass.  There’s something to the smell that reminds me of a warm and sunny morning.  There’s just about everything you would expect in a high quality rum in the nose.

Tasting: Taste wise, this rum is packed to the gills with flavor.  The nose leads right in to the palate with lots of honey, vanilla, caramel, and a hint of banana, all packed into a rich creamy texture.  There’s a bit of the signature Demerara smoke to it on the back of the palate, and a finish that is extraordinarily smooth.  This is a rum without much at all in the way of burn.

On Mixing: Mixing with this rum is tough to think about, which I say only because I could see myself easily finishing a bottle straight with no need for ice or any other fixings.  Being an exceptionally sweet rum, the sugar of an Old Fashioned mixed with my favorite bitters for an O.F., Fees Barrel Aged, can be a bit much.  An Improved Cocktail with Angostura or Angostura Orange bitters does work wonders with El Dorado 15, like framing a master rum blender’s work of art.

Score: I have to give this rum 5 out of 5 for this rating.  It’s of exceptional quality, an extraordinary sipper, and something I would be happy to hand to anyone looking to get into aged or Demerara rums.

(5/5)

Other Information on El Dorado 15:

• Demerara Distillers Website
• Ministry of Rum
• Art of Drink
• RumDood
• RnD Rum Reviews
• On Demerara Rum (Trader Tiki)

In bigger news then when Martin Cate stepped down as Manager/Co-Owner of Forbidden Island Alameda, Martin Cate to open new Rum Bar in San Francisco, Smuggler’s Cove!

The Press Release is below, I’ll leave any additional comments/answers to Martin, rum connisuer extraordinaire.

SMUGGLER’S COVE COMING FALL 2009 TO SAN FRANCISCO

SAN FRANCISCO, CA- This fall, San Francisco will become home to Smuggler’s Cove, a new bar designed to celebrate the incredible diversity and versatility of the world’s most exciting spirit: Rum. Smuggler’s Cove offers a whole new approach to rum by featuring a vast array of traditional Caribbean drinks, classic libations of Prohibition-Era Havana, and famous exotic cocktails from legendary tiki bars- all under one roof. In addition, Smuggler’s Cove will offer an unparalleled selection of rare and premium rums from around the world carefully selected for enjoying on their own or skillfully blended into cocktails. For over a decade, owner and creator Martin Cate has been passionate about rum & tropical cocktails. He was the co-creator, designer and chief mixologist for Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge in Alameda, CA. He has judged in international rum competitions, met with over a dozen rum distillers in five countries, and lectured at Bourbon and Branch’s Beverage Academy, Tales of the Cocktail, and Tiki Oasis. “I am very excited to help showcase this wonderfully varied spirit both on its own and in delicious cocktails. A great rum drink can be simple and elegant, or complex and dynamic, but it must always be balanced, approachable, and just a pleasure to drink,” says Martin Cate. “Too often, people associate rum with syrupy and artificial drinks and we’re here to change that.” Martin has traveled the world to learn the rich history and explore the traditional spices and regional ingredients of the world’s rum producing countries in order to feature them in the cocktails of Smuggler’s Cove. As an award-winning mixologist and member of the United States Bartenders Guild for the last four years, Martin is committed to using only the best quality spirits, fresh-squeezed juices, and housemade ingredients. But while Martin is serious about the drinks, he knows that people are looking for a memorable and fun experience as well. “Smuggler’s Cove will be more than just a tiki bar, but it will feature the kind of dramatic, mysterious, and escapist atmosphere that makes a tiki bar so special- and makes rum taste better!” Smuggler’s Cove will include waterfalls, vintage nautical décor and rum memorabilia, and relics from some of San Francisco’s most famous historic watering holes. Smuggler’s Cove will open November 2009 in San Francisco, CA.

For more information, please visit http://www.smugglerscovesf.com/ and sign up on our mailing list to get all the latest news.

About Martin Cate: http://www.martincate.com/press.php

Contact Martin Cate at info@smugglerscovesf.com or 415-999-7929

Venezuela has been producing some exceptional rums, which I’ve really grown quite fond of in the past few years.  Some will tell me Pampero tastes like lighter fluid, but I beg to differ (or perhaps I like lighter fluid), but anyhow.  Onto the Rum!

Appearance: The rum has a nice ruddy amber color when held to the light, its legs stick to the sides like any spirit of its proof.

Nosing: The nose on the Reserva Exclusiva is particularly powerful, leaping out of the glass, though without any strong alcohol punch. The first things that comes to the nose is maple sugar, followed with a light honey, some sap and marshmallow. Giving it a few minutes to sit leaves it with an almost floral quality.

Tasting: This rum has an incredibly smooth palate entry, without any initial burn. The nose and flavor match perfectly, with the maple, honey and sap being the first initial flavors coming forth. It’s not a particularly viscous rum, but does have a nice texture, staying readily on the tongue. The smooth envelope soon becomes a bit harsher as the alcohol evaporates into the nose. There is quite a bit of oak to the mid-palate, and a lovely creamy butter feel on the swallow. It’s a sweet rum, for sure, but not sugary in any sense, and has a very gentle heat to it. The aftertaste gives a bit of burnt wood in the back of the throat, which I’m not sure I like. There’s something in the aftertaste that is not entirely appealing, but is easily remedied with another sip.

On Mixing: This rum is intended as a sipper, but as a mixocolologist, I have to think about what this would go well in. Perhaps with some maple syrup and Fees Barrel Aged Bitters in an Old-Fashioned style cocktail. I don’t see citrusy drink pairing particularly well, though in my opinion, that’s true for pretty much any Ron out there. A nice rich cigar definitely accompanies well, particularly my favorite, a Partagas Black.

Score: I’m giving Diplomática Reserva Exclusiva a 4 out of 5. It’s an exceptional rum, that’s for sure, but the bitter/burnt note on the after taste leaves me with… well, a bad taste in my mouth. It’s a lovely South American Ron that I place highly in its class, but it is just missing that extra special something for the fifth “star”.

(4/5)

Other Information on Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva:

• Diplomático Website
• Ministry of Rum
• Scottes’ Rum Pages
• Refined Vices

Appleton Estate Extra

It is a blended rum made of 12 to 30 year rums aged in former Bourbon barrels, and is bottled at 86 proof.  Why not 80?  If I could answer that question, maybe I’d be a master distiller, and not just writing about rums now, eh?

Appearance: Visually a nice dark copper color, moving to blonde as the glass empties, but since we can’t drink the color, lets move on.

Nosing: There’s a warm sensation to the nose. Not in the sense of an overpowering alcohol, but more like instant transportation to a tropical beach. I quickly found myself cupping the glass with both hands, as though I could jump into the glass and wind up at the Estate distillery. Well, I suppose plane tickets will have to do (someday). The nose is fairly delicate, and not overpowering, but carries a nice molassesy funk that spells out its pot still origins. A bit of earth, brown sugar and toast to it. Very rich, warm, and inviting.

Tasting: For the depth and richness on the nose, I almost expected a very sweet rum, but instead found it surprisingly dry, though perhaps the proof has a bit to do with that. There is a nice oak must character to it, and again, the big molasses funk. On my initial tasting of Appleton Estate Extra, I sent my palate searching for flavors, but just kept coming back with RUM. This really is, to me, a definitive aged Jamaican rum, a rum lover’s lifelong answer, and a rum newbie’s definition of what a rum should be. As Paul Pacult said in Kindred Spirits 2, “LUSCIOUS”.

On Mixing: Surely Trader Vic and Donn had crossed something similar in their time, as this rum stands up well in just about anything calling for a rich, dark Jamaican rum. A Doctor Funk is particularly nice, as this rum can stand up to the lime and anise flavors in the drink. Where it really shines though is in a classic Mai Tai, acting as counterpart to, honestly, virtually any rum, but a nice aged Martinique paired with the Appleton Estate Extra is absolute heaven.

Score: This rum gets 5 out of 5 of my stamps of approval. An outstanding rum that defines its genre, and one helluva way to start up a booze reviews section.

(5/5)

Other Information on Appleton Estate Extra:

• Appleton Estate Website
• Ministry of Rum
• RumDood
• Refined Vices
• RnD Rum Reviews

Chuck decided this round should be dedicated to the various Amari of Italy.  Amaro, roughly translated, is Italian for “Bitter”, and Amari are often served as digestivs, straight or with a bit of tonic water.  Bartenders and Imbibers alike have been going pretty crazy about these “interesting” liqueurs for awhile now.  Any bartender worth his salt would do well to keep a bottle or two on their shelves these days.   I tend to keep  a bottle of Fernet Branca on the shelf, for any with the interest to try something different, and something a little more gentle, such as Averna or Aperol, for interesting mixing.

I went a bit of a different route this time, with the lovely and well balanced Amaro Nardini.  It starts off lightly sweet, and ends up with a lovely blend of gentian, peppermint, and licorice.  I first tried this mixed at Teardrop Lounge, in my buddy David’s AKA Burro Punsch, which blends this Amaro with a Reposado Tequila, Carpano Antica, and Batavia Arrack.  The combination of ingredients sounds awful, but the drink is really, really good.

Here’s my original, celebrating a full map of Italian Amari, including the Nardini, some Averna to mellow it out, then some Fernet to pop it back out.  I went through a few gins, and selected Bols Genever as the base, to make it a drink you could really chew on for a bit.  The Pimento Dram… well, we’ve all got to have a signature somewhere.

Amici Cattivi (Bad Friends)

• 1 1/2 BOLS Genever
• 3/4 oz Amaro Nardini
• 3/4 oz Averna
• tsp Pimento Dram
• tsp Fernet Branca
• dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with cracked ice and strain into chilled glass.  Take a slice of lemon peel and rim glass, then express the oils into the drink, and discard.

The drink  comes out with a color about as exciting as a cold cup of coffee, but is packed to the gills with complexity.  The Amari all smooth each other out in a rather interesting way.  The herbs tend to blend a bit better than drinking them straight, nothing too edgy here.  Go ahead and give it a shot, I dare you.  See you next month!

Nevermind the Bollocks

• 2 oz Don Julio Reposado Tequila
• 1/2 oz Martini and Rossi Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 Loft Raspberrycello
• 1/2 tsp Cynar
• barspoon Fernet Branca
• barspoon Balsamic Maple Vinegar
• Orange Zest

Press zest onto bottom of mixing glass to release oils.  Combine all ingredients, stir with cracked ice and strain.

The Hotel Monteleone is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Carousel Bar on May 21, 2009.

From 1949 until about the late 60’s or 70’s there was a drink on the specialty drink menu called the Monteleone Cocktail. Unfortunately, we have no idea what the exact recipe or ingredients were. The Hotel Monteleone is hosting an online contest to accept drink recipe nominations for a new official Monteleone Cocktail.

The recipes will be judged by VIPs who will be at the Carousel anniversary celebration on May 21. There are no requirements on types of liquor or style of drink, but all drink entries must be received by May 18, so that the ingredients may be acquired and drinks prepared at the May 21 event.

Participating bloggers should post their entries online, and all participants should e-mail their drink recipes, along with their name, address and phone number, to athornton@hotelmonteleone.com. The winning entry will become the new official Monteleone Cocktail, and the winner will receive four free nights at the Hotel Monteleone during Tales of the Cocktail 2009.

I know I’ll be getting my entry in lickety split.  Given that the Carousel Bar was the birthplace of the mighty Vieux Carré, I’m guessing Benedictine and Peychaud’s might have their place in the new cocktail.  Well, we’ll see.  Good luck to all who enter!

This drink is inspired by the venerable Piña Colada, with the addition of Passion Fruit, Lemon, and Honey to take on the more floral aspects of the Mount Gay XO.

No, the flower in the picture isn’t edible, and is possibly poisonous, but it damn sure is pretty.

Bimbolada

• 2 oz Mount Gay XO
• 1 ½ oz Coconut Cream (Coco Lopez)
• 1 oz Honey Mix
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• ¾ oz Passion Fruit Syrup (Finest Call)
• ½ oz Lemon Juice

Blend with 1 cup of crushed ice until smooth.  Pour into Large Goblet or Hurricane Glass.  Garnish with mint and edible flower, serve with a wide straw.

This one’s a Jeff Berry original, out of the Grog Log, the Kapu Kai. In its initial writing, it’s no more than a Daiquiri with Lemon Hart 151 plugged in for a bit of a “supercharge”.  Jeff named this one after the now defunct Kapu Kai in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.  Jeff says…

“Kapu Kai” means “Forbidden Sea.” My thinking was, if you can drink three of these without passing out, then you are permitted to venture on any sea you wish.

I decided to give it a bit of a modification, in homage to this past Thursday Drink Night, and the impending birthday of our own beloved Kaiser Penguin, by upping the portions, per The Bum’s suggestion, and changing the drink up to a swizzle.  Is it still easy tiki?   Well, if you’re lacking forearms, it might be a bit of a bear, but swift feet can still swizzle.

Kapu-Kai Swizzle

• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 3/4 oz Gomme Syrup
• 1 1/2 oz Lemon Hart 151

Build in tall glass, add crushed ice to fill.  Swizzle with spoon or Lele stick until outside of glass begins to frost.  Add more crushed ice if needed.

In fair trade for his knowledge, the bum asked that I don’t hold back on the announcement of his upcoming book, Beachbum Berry Remixed.

The book is a compendium of my first two — the Grog Log and Intoxica!– completely revised, updated, and expanded, with over 70 new and newly discovered vintage exotic recipes.  It’s called Beachbum Berry Remixed, and will be in full color, with lots of new and vintage drink-pic porn.  It’s been 10 years since the Log, and so much has happened since then (including the cocktail revolution that brought us all together) that the books were sorely in need of a makeover.  With any luck it’ll be published before the year is out….

So, good news on that front!  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any more info from the publisher, but just hold onto yer big dirty hat, any info I get will be passed on as soon as I get it.

In the meantime, a discussion of the comings and goings in my life, booze related.

We’ve deployed the Spring Cocktail Menu over at Acadia Bistro, with a few New Orleans classics, and some originals I think you’ll like.  We’ve also been brewing our own ginger brew.  It’s labor intensive, no kidding, but the results are so worth it.  It ain’t the Colonel’s Shandy with no wussy Ginger Ale!

Colonel’s Shandy

• 2 oz Bourbon
• ½ Lemon
• 2 dashes Rhubarb Bitters
• tsp Simple Syrup

Build over rocks in a tall Chimney Glass, and top with 1/2 Pilsner and 1/2 Ginger Beer.  Give it a bit of a stir, and garnish with a Horse’s Neck.

Besides this dandy, you’ll find the classic New Orleans cocktails the P’lace de Armes, a New Orleans Style Jack Rose (with Peychauds Bitters), and Tchoupitoulas Street Guzzle.   The originals Bulle a Monté (the bubble rose), which combines housemade Rose/Hibiscus Liqueur with a lovely Gruet Methode Champenoise, the Fleur de Lis, a take on the Pink Lady with house made Orgeat in place of Grenadine, and featuring a PDT inspired Fleur de Lis stencil on top.  Of course the classic Sazerac and other popular Acadian libations are still there.  Drop on in sometime and say hi.

In other news, I’ve been accepted into the Tales of the Cocktail Cointreau Apprentice Program.  What does this mean for you?  Probably little.  What does this mean for me?  A lot of hard work in New Orleans this year, that’s for damned sure.  I’ll be joining my buddies Erik and David, and a great list of other bartenders in this program.  Like I didn’t sweat enough in New Orleans last year.

And in other other news, I’ve registered for the next B.A.R. 5-day program coming up this Fall in New York.  Again, what this means for you?  Bo diddly, I’m just sharing.  With any luck, I’ll have a nice write up of some places in NY I’ve been itching to go to for the past year or two.

So, it looks like my year is pretty much setup to keep me incredibly busy.  How you doing?

Jasper’s Jamaican
• ½ oz Lime Juice
• ½ oz Pimento Dram
• ¼ tsp Sugar
• 1 ¼ Appleton V/X
Shake with Ice and Strain into cocktail glass, top with grated nutmeg.

Not unlike the previous drink in its Daiquiri origins, this drink adds Pimento Dram, a tasty allspice and rum based liqueur that’s best in small portions.  Again, and I can’t be blunter about this, the basis of the majority of tiki drinks is going to be the daiquiri…  Hmm, a family tree would be a good idea, I’ll have to talk to my graphics department about that.  The Pimento Dram, now avaialable in retail as St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram, adds a lot of rich spice and has elements of clove, ginger…well, it’s called allspice for a reason!  Pimento Dram was a fairly popular ingredient with Don the Beachcomber, making it into a few of his drinks, and even his famed Don’s Spices #2, which makes for a fantastic Nui Nui.

I’ve got a few more drinks coming up for you folks in the coming weeks, stay tuned!

Before I really hunker down and talk about it, I’d thought I’d share one of the drinks I submitted, and made for my consulting lab, the Sweet Ron Swizzle.  This drinks takes a few classic pairings (Herbsaint:Bitters, Orgeat: Rum), and adds a touch of Navan to really drive the Vanilla out of the rest of the ingredients.  Little did I know going into the lab that the Navan formula had recently changed to make it a bit drier.  The good news is, it made the drink better!  There are a lot of sweet ingredients in here, and the drier Navan and a heavy hand of citrus really help to drive the flavor.  I like it, I hope you do too.

Sweet Ron Swizzle

• 2 oz Ron Matusalem 15
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• ½ oz Maple Syrup
• ½ oz Orgeat
• ½ oz Navan
• 2 dash Angostura Bitters
• 4 drops Pastis

Build all ingredients with crushed ice. Swizzle with Lele Stick or bar spoon. Garnish with a ridiculously long Orange Spiral.

Oh, and here’s something fun for you iphone fanatics out there, the GM Cocktails app (link goes to app store).  This little doozy of an app contains all of the winning recipes submitted for the Grand Marnier Mixology Summit.  All of my drinks are in there, and there are a ton of great drinks from all over North America (and occassionally beyond).

I’ve been a busy bastard lately.  I’ve unleasehed a new spring menu upon the patrons of Acadia Bistro, greeted foreign dignitaries (well, from PA and LA), and am now just counting down to hit the Grand Marnier Mixology Summit.  On top of that, there’s the ol’ dayjob, prepping for Tales of the Cocktail 2009 and the CSOWG Summit… yeah, plenty going on, including a few new projects still in the concept stage.

I’ve still got a few posts almost ready to roll for the EZ Tiki series, got in a nice Fugu from Munktiki for a Fugu for Two post, and have gotten sample after sample after sample for participation in the Thursday Drink Night over at the Mixoloseum bar.  I’ll also be setting up a few posts from the Mixology Summit.

Just dropping a line, thanks for reading!

Thanks to Rick for the photography below.

Donn’s Island (concept)

• 1oz Cruzan Dark
• 1oz White Martinique (Premiere Canne used)
• 1oz 10 Cane (or Oronoco)
• 1oz J. Wray & Nephew Overproof
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1oz Don’s Mix (2:1 Grapefuit juice:cinnamon syrup)
• 1d Angostura bitters

Shake all with crushed ice, pour into tall glass, and top with soda water

Though, after a bit more though, and some great input from Chris, and a bit of further home testing, I think this version is a little more… well, freaking delicious.

Donn’s Island

• 1 oz Cruzan Dark (Gold Virgin Islands)
• 1 oz Clemént Premiere Canne (White Martinique)
• 1 oz 10 Cane (or Oronoco)
• 1 oz J. Wray & Nephew Overproof (sub 151 El Dorado… but not Bacardi or any other junk)
• 3/4 oz lime
• 3/4 oz lemon
• 1 oz Donn’s Mix (2:1 Grapefuit juice : cinnamon syrup)
• 1/2 oz Clemént Sirop de Antillais (sub simple)
• 2d Angostura bitters

Shake all with crushed ice, pour into tall glass, and top with soda water

Now THAT is a little more like it.  Make sure to use plenty of ice though, as it packs a lot of heat.  Your best Fog Cutter mug should just about do the trick.

Like it?  Head on over to the TDN Long Island poll, and vote me up a notch.  I’ll make you one the next time you’re in Portland, OR.  Don’t like it?  Let me know what you think it needs in the comments below.

Update: wOOt!  Donn’s Island won the poll!  Thanks to Mud Puddle Books for providing fabulous prizes!

Words fail me.

A Zamboni, in case you didn’t know, is a machine used to resurface ice on hockey rinks.  Each NHL team usually has theirs done up in some form of decoration, such as my home town San Jose Sharks’ team colors and sharkfin Zamboni.  This one though… well, apparently it isn’t working as a resurfacer, but if anyone’s looking to start an amateur drinking league, I think this would suit well.

Seen a wacky tiki bar in places you wouldn’t expect?  Let me know more in the comments!  Mahalo!

Stream videos at Ustream

Powered by a Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000, and streamed via Ustream.tv, I’m giving you all a little glimpse into the Galley for events, mixological exploits, and whatever else comes to mind.  I’ll be sending out broadcast updates via twitter.  With the UStream chat, you can chat with me, and I’ll respond.  I’d love to be able to have you talk too, but, well, if anyone’s got a suggestion, I’m open to it.

I’m hoping to be able to open the Galley once a week or so to the internet, so keep reading and see you soon!  Well, you’ll see me… at least.

What isn’t straightforward about orange juice?

HAMILTON: It’s a heavily processed product. It’s heavily engineered as well. In the process of pasteurizing, juice is heated and stripped of oxygen, a process called deaeration, so it doesn’t oxidize. Then it’s put in huge storage tanks where it can be kept for upwards of a year. It gets stripped of flavor-providing chemicals, which are volatile. When it’s ready for packaging, companies such as Tropicana hire flavor companies such as Firmenich to engineer flavor packs to make it taste fresh. People think not-from-concentrate is a fresher product, but it also sits in storage for quite a long time.

To what degree is orange juice still made from Florida oranges?

HAMILTON: Most concentrate is now from Brazil. Shipping it is relatively easy. Until recently, you could count on [Tropicana] Pure Premium being from Florida, but shipping technology has advanced. Companies like Tropicana have started shipping full-strength juice from Brazil rather than buying and squeezing in Florida. The majority of not-from-concentrate is coming from Florida-squeezed oranges, but that’s certainly changing. The orange growing is moving to Brazil, which grows the most oranges for juice by far. Land is cheaper, and environmental regulations are almost nonexistent.

Squeeze fresh folks, as often as you can.  I squeeze fresh in low volume (at home), and in high volume (at work).  It means a few more trips to the store, but oh the difference!  Hell, even freezing your own might do the trick.  Got some secrets on keeping fresh citrus fresh?  Post a comment!

Tiki Mixology has gotten a bad rap over the years.  The complexity of the concoctions and obscurity of ingredients have deemed Tiki drinks a no-go for home mixologists and bartenders alike.  That most damned ingredient, effort, can be a bitch to wrangle.  As you know, I make my own ingredients, and have searched far and wide for exotic liqueurs and rums.  I recently received a bottle of a discontinued liqueur that I’ve been waiting to obtain for about 8 years.  Such is the life of the obsessive.

But for those who aren’t willing to go the extra mile to drink like Donn or Vic, I thought I’d put together a few of my favorite super simple Tiki Drinks.  No more than 4 ingredients, nothing more exotic than a trip to the grocery store, and as little homemade as possible.  I might make a tinge of difference on a recipe here or there, eliminating garnish or so, just to show you that behind all the ice cones and feathered lime shells, the base of the drink is something pure and spectacular.

This drink below, the Derby Daiquiri, is the spawn of Mariano Licudine, one of the mixologists at Florida’s famed Mai Kai.  You could say for certain that  this is one of the drinks that put the Mai Kai on the map as a prominent purveyor of polypop potables.  Mariano had been a bartender at Don the Beachcomber’s in Hollywood and Chicago, and for more than a decade worked his way up the chain until he was their #2 mixologist.  He was then headhunted by the Bob and Jack Thornton, who were in the process of putting together the Mai Kai.  There he took on the #1 slot, and made the Mai Kai’s menu, bar, and bartending program his own.

Mariano developed this drinkin 1959 for a Rums of Puerto Rico cocktail competition.  It soon made its way to Esquire and other magazines, even being named the signature drink of the Gulfstream Racetrack’s Florida Derby.  There’s plenty more information on Mariano and the Mai Kai in Jeff Berry’s Sippin’ Safari .

Originally served with crushed ice and in an ice shell, this drink stands up just fine without those geegaws and doodads.  It even had its own distinct but now all-but-extinct specialty cocktail glass, which can be found on the Beachbum’s Grog Blog.  Nifty, but also unnecessary.

Derby Daiquiri

• 1 oz Orange Juice
• ½ oz Lime
• ½ oz Simple Syrup
• 1½ oz Light Puerto Rican Rum

Shake with Ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Sweet and sultry simplicity.  It’s essentially a Daiquiri, but with the sweet richness of orange juice added for a faux-tropical kick.  I think over the next few posts, you’ll see just what an influence the Daiquiri had in the development of Tiki Mixology.  Hell, as I like to wax poetic about, the potent combo of Rum and Lime is what America craved after all those trips to Cuba during the “noble experiment”.

If you have trouble with this one… well, hope you enjoy hi-balls!  You lazy bums…

I’ve got a few more easy ones for you that I’ll be posting all this week.  See you in the funny pages.

Not really, and it’s a bit late in this, but if you haven’t been reading The Pegu Blog, it’s all about Tiki this month, and what a month it has been!  Doug’s taken the heat up a notch, talking about Donn and Vic, checking out the History of the Mai Tai, and other assorted Tiki Tales all packed into one hell of a month.

So go hit up his site for some content, I’m working on a few new things for the site… soon to come, Easy Tiki drinks, for you lazy bums out there.

The cocktail that hit my mind instantly was the Chauncey Cocktail, a favorite of mine, as introduced to me at Teardrop Lounge.  In my research, the furthest back I’ve seen this referenced was in the book The Catering Industry Employee, Official Journal of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees’ International Alliance and Bartenders’ International League of America, published 1934.  I didn’t quite find this in time, and used the proportions from the CocktailDB entry, which is quite good.  This is an all-boozer; time is money and I haven’t the time to waste on mixers when spirits are in need of lifting.  As well, the booze involved can be found pretty cheaply, as it is all base spirits.  No flight of fancy liqueurs or rarities here, this one’s a mix Gin, Rye, Brandy, and Sweet Vermouth.  A damned good mix as well, I must say.

Chauncey Cocktail

• 3/4 oz Rye
• 3/4 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Brandy
• 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
• dash Orange Bitters

Stir in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I took a special note here to use the cheapest ingredients I could get my mitts on, and rounded up the cost for you.  Without counting ice, barware and glassware, this drunk will run you a kingly sum of $1.05, American.  I suppose the nickel over the greenback makes this a bit fancy of a cocktail (though not a “fancy” cocktail), and I could have gone a touch cheaper, but you’ve got to treat yourself every once in awhile.  Despite the low cost, this is a delicious drink that makes even the cheap stuff taste like heaven (well, bootlegger’s heaven).  If you do happen to find yourself back in dough, try it with the fancy stuff.  It gets even better.

Muchos Mahalos to Rowley for hosting this MxMo, and we’ll see you next round!

Lev1tr@, V1@gr@, and now, L3 Tormen7 V3r7.  I’ve received quite a bit of spam in my time on the internet, but none so… well, painful.  I’d like to think that my time here does not go to waste.  That the countless hours I’ve spent grinding my fingers to the bone over some CSS change, or the amount of toxification my liver has taken trying bad drinks so you don’t have to, actually count for something in the world.  That some modicum of respect comes from those imbibers, professionals and distillers who might stumble across this site.  In time, I’ve seen flashes of this, and felt nourished, improved, and enamored by it, driving me to do bigger and better things.   Then came this comment in my TDN Live post (recipe changed, subtly):

i’ve never been a fan of mixed drinks until i came into the poison apple martini POISON APPLE MARTINI
Easily batched for the mini carafe bottles
1oz Le Tourment “Absinthe” (substitute Scope Wintergreen)
1/2oz Donkey Piss
1/2oz Curried Sewage Water
Splash Cranberry Juice
- Shake well and strain into rocks glass

This was followed up with about 20+ other comments, ranging from the inane to the blatant “Buy this shit now.” This does not fill me with joy.  This only frustrates me, as I spam filter the comments, and reach for my Akismet settings to stop the torrent of torment coming through to my inbox.

First off, numbnuts, I put a lot of time and effort into this site.  Perhaps not quite so much recently, but my time != your adspace.  This is my house, bitches!  Take your shoes off at the front door, and don’t shit on my lawn, not necessarily in that order.  This is not a forum, this is my podium, so trying to make it like there’s a discussion going on just don’t work.

Second, I MAKE THE DRINKS HERE.  You want to talk recipes?  Let’s talk, collaborate, commiserate, it’s one of the things I enjoy about this thing we call blog.  Posting recipes hawking your warez though?  No, no, and a thousand times more NO.  I do not post recipes submitted from PR Firms (for the most part), and I damned well ain’t going to accept one posted in the comments through some hackery considered to be “Viral Social Marketing.”  You want recipes?  Send me an email, send me some samples, and I’ll give you something.  Hell, send cash and I’ll even give some adspace and a name drop or two.

Third… man.  If this were a decent product, I’d have other things to say, MAYBE, but… Le Tourment Vert “Absinthe” is just horrible.  Just… an awful product.  Not just as an absinthe, but as just something on the market, it’s bad.  The best recipe I’ve seen for it so far is to use the bottle as a paperweight.  Adding shit like spamming blogs onto this shitpile of a product just makes it a touch shittier, no?

So now you’re thinking, “well, this guy’s just a dick, and a pompous dick at that.”  All true, but let me at least put some nugget out there of how best to work with bloggers (we are a strange, hat-wearing bunch).  Like any relationship, a little respect in the beginning pays forward in multitudes.  You put a touch of time and effort into a personal email, letter, or something else, and you will be respected in turn.  We LOVE samples.  LOVE LOVE LOVE.  Besides, how do I know you’ve got the best snake oil unless I’ve tried it myself?  Recipes… well, we tend to stick to the classics, or develop our own.  If you send a recipe that’s from a noted or available source, that’ll garner a lot more possibility of posting (ie – Jeffrey’s Boca Loca recipes) than giving us your standard Crappletini.

Need an example of who’s doing it right?  Check out Brand Action Team or the Baddish Group.  For PR Agencies, these folks are top notch.  A bit heavy on the emails at times, but forgiveable since they’re always willing to work with bloggers the way we want to be worked with, which is, as though were were real people.

So to larry, gloria, luv2drink, wwwhhhaaaa, comedyman21, tipsy, Brett, drinktomeethotchicks, and all others at IP Addresses 69.232.44.28 and 69.198.92.81, I hope your Communications degrees from University of Phoenix comfort you during this backlash, bitches.

For more (polite, literate, etc) rants, check out Darcy, Marleigh, SeanMike, Gabriel, Jon, Chris, Stevi, Tiare, Paul, Chuck, and Matt.

Update: Since being solicited, Cashmere Agency, the PR firm representing LTV, sent me a care package containing the product, and a few other “goodies”.  This is a step in the right direction, and at the same time… man, Red Bull and Sour Apple Pucker?  We got to get you hooked up with some professional mixologists.  I have to give credit for the cocktail recipes + the mixers to make them with, but still… new recipes folks.  The Appletini has been declared dead.

Update the second: In the time between the date this was posted, and now, 9:30 on Friday, both Cashmere Agency and Vinet Ege have been contrite in their apologies.  It is my understanding that Vinet Ege may no longer be using Cashmere Agency for their online marketing.  Vinet Ege has offered an apology to the Cocktailing Community at large, and wishes to start again at day 1, hoping to regain some image for their “unconventional product”.  I appreciate and respect their approach, and look forward to a new beginning and a third chance for their product.  Cocktailnerd has the full text of the apology.

Still not good enough for you?  Well, Los Scofflaws,  Rick of Kaiser Penguin, and a few fantastic others  are shown in some live footage in the video below, shot a few TDNs ago at the Tabard Inn in Washington, D.C.  Not all of them are live events, but hell, a few friends in a bar with a laptop, and you’ve got yourself a fun Thursday night.

As happens to so many of us, a bad incedent with Tequila at a tender age involving a few Margaritas in red solo cups, little people dressed as KISS, and a hot Los Angeles day did not bode well for my favor with the spirit.  I’ve come to respect it, surely, through continued application of the good stuff (Del Maguey Mezcal, Cazadores Añejo), but can’t say I’ve had anything other than a straight shot in a good decade or so.

Well, the liquor fairy arrived at my doorstep a few weeks back with a delivery of what I’m hoping will pull me out of this particular mixological slump, in the form of Inocente Platinum Tequila.  Inocente is a triple distilled tequila with an emphasis on removing the “nasty bits” that can easily lead to a hangover, and arrives in a nifty blue “twist” of a bottle that could make a nifty vase, or cheap christmas present.  The nose is a sweet but clear tequila scent, with a bit of pear to it.  The flavor is a bit relaxed, really only coming in a moment or two into the sip, but is an unmistakable smokey, fruity tequila, with almost no burn.  This is definitely a great platinum to ease my way back into tequila mixology.

To mix it up, the emphasis on the smoke and fruit will be brought out by a very simple mix of orange oil, Grand Marnier, and Regan’s Orange bitters in a drink called the Cadillac Coupe.  This one’s a bit of a tribute to a chef friend of mine, who, after work, enjoys nothing more than a bit of Platinum Tequila with just a splash of “Grandma” (Grand Marnier).

Cadillac Coupe

• 2 oz Platinum Tequila
• 1 oz Grand Marnier
• Regan’s Orange Bitters
• small square piece of orange peel

Rinse a chilled cocktail glass with a 3 dashes of orange bitters. Stir the spirits with ice until well chilled, and strain into the glass. Finish by flaming a bit of orange oil over the surface of the drink. This can be accomplished by slicing an inch by inch piece of peel from an orange, holding it over a flame over the drink, and giving a generous squeeze. This will release the oils, and create lovely aromatics, as well as a real crowd-pleasing burst of flame.

The drink is a kick, don’t get me wrong, but the smooth tequila and Grand Marnier mix incredibly well, just as they would in a Cadillac Margarita, of which this is a condensed version (none of that cheap garbage, just booze please!).  The flavors are primarily smoke, and orange, with a nice silken mouthfeel from the stirring.

Got your own mixological challenge, a spirit not stumbled upon, or liqueur not liked?  Trying mixing it up sometime, there’s nothing like a good challenge to stir your spirits!

As another damn Bamboo Ben creation, Frankie’s offers fantastic decor, some lovely tropical libations, and even a few signature mugs that come with your drink, and are also available for purchase online.  It really looks like one helluva place, and I’m suddenly finding myself considering a stop there sometime this year. After all, what happens in Vegas… gets posted all over the internet.

There’s more info on Frankie’s over at their Tiki Central Info post.

When searching through the liqueurs available at your local (or internet local) liquor store, there are some liqueurs that immediately catch your eye. After skimming over the peach brandys, various schnapps and Curaçaos available, there are quite a few selections that just make you wonder how the hell they came up with that idea. One that particularly comes to mind, and thankfully arrived in my mailbox a few weeks back, is Castries Peanut Rum Créme.

Yes, Peanuts and Rum together again for the first time. Formerly known as “Nuts ‘n Rum”, this was relabeled sometime after 2005 as Castries, named for a region in St. Lucia, where it is distilled and bottled. The rum base is from St. Lucia distillers, makers of some regionally popular but difficult to find in the U.S. rums.

As a liqueur by itself, this stuff is, plainly said, just damned delicious. The nose starts off with a fair hint of vanilla and peanut, with the rum coming in to play if you take a real big whiff. The flavor is extremely well phased, with the cream initially blocking the peanut, making the peanut come into play later in the flavor, but it lingers ever so long. The flavor is like freshly roasted and crushed peanuts, like the peanut butter you’d get fresh made at a natural foods store. I’m as excited about this stuff as I was when I first found out about Thai Peanut Sauce. It’s like Peanut Butter in your dinner! Other flavors that come in to play are a slight bit of cinnamon at the end of the flavor. It’s an exquisitely well-balanced liqueur, with no flavor dominating, and a wonderful mouth feel without leaving you reaching for your toothbrush.

The bottle is, to say a few words, distinct. Resembling, perhaps, a peanut pod, it ends up a bit near the line of sex toy. Well, distinctive is better than being lost in the crowd I suppose.

You can read more great information here at Scottes Rum Pages, or at the Ministry of Rum.

As for mixing, I decided to give a shot to Rumdood’s Heartless Jezebel. However, being out of Amarula, I decided to give it a more potent edge. I present, the Half-harted Jezebel.

Half-Harted Jezebel

• 2 oz Castries Rum Cream
• 3/4 oz Cruzan Blackstrap Rum
• 3/4 oz Lemon Hart 80 Demerara Rum
• .5 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
• Fresh Cinnamon

Shake or Mix in top-down mixer with crushed ice. Pour into Old-Fashioned. Top with Cinnamon, and Garnish with a Cinnamon stick.

It’s a combination of that calm, mellow peanut flavor with a bright burst of cinnamon and allspice, backed by a hearty and rich combination of rums. I think you’ll like it. Try it against the original Heartless Jezebel, or have your own interesting Castries cocktail? Post your thoughts in the comments!

Wassailing, now known mostly as that strange word in that one Christmas song, was once a holiday tradition so filled with mildly hidden threat, the Victorians banned the festivities. Laborers, ne’er do wells, and whoever else happened to be in the vicinity would drop by the boss’ or governor’s manse, wishing joy and peace in trade for a bit of tipple. Of course, in the lack of tipple, there could also be a lack of joy an peace, if you get my drift. A bit of the Trick or Treat, just more wintry. For more information on the history of the tradition, check out Stephen Nissenbaum’s The Battle for Christmas.

Of course, what could be a better pick me up during a night of drunken revelry on a winter night than a warm bath of mulled ale or cider, known then (as now) as Wassail.

In my research on this tasty winter beverage, I found two clearly distinct lines of Wassail. One, such as exampled in my copy of Joy of Cooking (1963), and another at Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Wassail post. This Wassail omits the Ale or Cider, and instead hefts up the Brandy, and adds a whole lot of egg. This seems more in the tradition of an Egg Nog or Tom and Jerry, with a big foamy dope hefting the liquid about. I’ll admit to not having yet made it, as I’m far too fond of the more traditional method, which is that of a warm mulled ale or cider.

Here’s the recipe I used at a recent holiday feast. The original recipe comes from Stanley Clisby Arthur’s Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix Em. For a bit of a traditional twi, I added hard cider, to apple things up a bit, and increased the proportions to satisfy all guests as well as fill the crockpot. It went over smashingly (by jove!), and I think you’ll like it too.

’tis the Season to have a crockpot, for sure.

Wassail Bowl

• 3 Baked Apples
• 1/2 cup fine sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground Allspice
• 1 Tbsp whole Allspice Berries
• 1 lemon, juice and peel
• 1 Liter Hard Cider
• 1.5 Liter Brown or Winter Ale
• 1 pint warm sherry

Spiral slice the apples (or however you can maximize surface area), coat lightly in brown sugar, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes until browning begins. Place apples in a crockpot with all other ingredients, and set the crockpot to Hot for about 30 minutes. Leave the Crockpot on warm to serve. Serve in warmed punch mugs. Makes about 3.5 Quarts

This drink warms to the toes, and fills your brain with just enough bubbles to start tossing out the holiday cheer left and right. The first batch I’d tried, the apples weren’t imparting enough flavor for me, hence the addition of cider. The Cider used was Blackthorn (cheap and good!) and the beer was Pyramid’s Snowcap, a nice full-bodied, mildly spiced winter warmer.

Got your own holiday classic crockpot drink? Post your favorite in the comments!

Though, if you’ve got a Tiki bar in the basement, and a decent furnace, then it’s a quick jot downstairs to create a tropical escape from the winter weather. Crank up the thermostat and close all the windows, next thing you know it’s time for a tall, cool, and spicy one.

Since this is such an all-encompassing MxMo topic, I thought I’d not focus on not just one or two spices, but Five Spice! Yes, the lack of pluralization is correct. I got turned on to Five Spice syrup thanks to Martin Cate, who uses it in the Forbidden Island specialty drink, the China Clipper. I twisted it a bit with a darker sugar. We all gotta make it our own, eh?

Five Spice powder, bought or freshly ground, is generally a mix of Cassia, Cloves, Szechuan Pepper, Ginger, and Anise. There appears to be a bit of here and there regionally, with the ingredients, omitting ginger, adding cumin, adding Cassia Buds, but the overall approach is a sort of all in one flavor profile. This spice hits all five points of flavor (omitting Umami), and is usually used for meats and stews in Chinese Cuisine.

These flavors are already used separately in drinks, and apply themselves quite well combined with a a nice blend of rich dark rums. I utilized these flavors for these extremely inspired drink that I can barely take credit for, which I like to call, FIN.

FIN

• 4 drops Falernum Bitters
• 4 drops Hebsaint
• 3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
• 1 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 1 1/2 oz Rich Five Spice Syrup
• 3/4 oz Coruba
• 3/4 oz Lemon Hart 151
• 2 oz Soda Water

Place ingredients with 1 cup of cracked ince in tin shaker and mix with top down mixer for 3 seconds, or pulse blend for no more than 5 seconds. Serve in a tall tiki mug, with an orange spiral.

It’s hard to recognize the juices in this, as they almost reach an orange flavor, aided by the cassia in the five spice. There is no burn to the drink, but an overall smoothness that is almost unsettling. There is a note of the peppercorn in the end flavor, but not enough to recognize it if you didn’t know it was in there. It’s spicy and mellow, and I like this drink a helluva lot, you should too.
I suppose you want to know how to make Rich Five Spice Syrup, eh?

Rich Five Spice Syrup

• 1 TBSP Five Spice Powder
• 2 cups Natural Cane or Demerara Sugar
• 1 cup Water

Combine Dry Ingredients. Bring Water to a boil, add sugar and spice, and reduce heat. Stir until clear and take off of heat. Strain through a fine metal strainer to remove any of the larger bits of five spice powder, let cool, and refrigerate. Makes about 24 ounces, and can keep for a damn long time.