Feel The Burn!

Feel the burn!

Ginger is a plant whose root has been used for centuries as a spice and in folk medicine. The philosopher Confucius was said to eat ginger with every meal. Today we bake it into cookies and houses for the holiday season. We also make it into the soda ginger beer,which makes for a spicy Tiki drink. Here's a few to enjoy.

Mix #101 Dark and Stormy

2oz Gosling's Black Seal rum 1/2oz lime juice ginger beer to fill

Pour rum and lime juice into glass with ice. Add ginger beer to fill and swizzle.

Invented over a hundred years ago at Bermuda's Royal Naval Officer's Club,this cocktail is found in many non-Tiki bars and is the national drink of Bermuda. The 'correct' way to make it is with Gosling's rum and their ginger beer. If you don't have Gosling's,you can use most dark rums('black' rums work best),but you need to use ginger beer and not ginger ale or it won't turn out right. It's simple and spicy and goes down smooth providing you can handle the burn.

Mix #102 Darth & Stormy

1/5oz Demerara rum 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz cinnamon syrup 3oz ginger beer

Pour everything into glass with ice and stir.

BG Reynolds riff on the classic Dark and Stormy adds cinnamon syrup to the mix because ginger beer just doesn't give enough burn. Sweet and spicy.

Mix #103 Suffering Bastard

1oz dry gin 1oz brandy 1/2oz lime juice 2 dashes Angostura bitters ginger beer to top

Shake everything except beer with ice and pour into mug. Top with ginger beer.

Not originally a Tiki drink,it's been embraced by the Tiki world and even had a Trader Vic's mug named after it(see above). It was supposedly invented in Cairo,Egypt as 'hangover cure' for British soldiers(hair of the dog plus ginger beer to settle the stomach). A 1947 Esquire article credits bartender Joel Scialom at the Hotel Shepard. He supposedly named it the "Suffering Bar Steward",and it somehow morphed into Suffering Bastard. Trader Vic's had a rum drink of the same name,but it wasn't popular and faded into history. It has a gin start with a ginger burn finish. Drink enough of these and you'll have to find your own hangover cure.

Mix #65 Fizzy Rum & Gin

1oz Plantation Isle of Fiji rum 1oz Citadelle gin 1/2oz lime juice 1/4oz simple syrup 2 dashes Angostura bitters 4oz ginger beer

Shake everything except ginger beer with ice. Pour ginger beer into tall glass,strain mix into glass,then top with some pellet ice.

From the 13 Nights of Tiki Frights in 2022,this is a riff on the Dark and Stormy that adds the classiness of gin.

Mix #104 Guardian Idol Cocktail

3oz dark Jamaican rum 4oz pineapple juice 1.5oz lime juice 1/2oz orgeat 2oz ginger beer

Shake everything except beer with ice and pour into mug. Add ginger beer and stir.

Created by Home Aloha for their Tiki mug of the same name,it's sweet and pineapple-y with a ginger burn at the end. A big drink with lots of kick,I liked it enough to add to my regular roster of mixings.

So enjoy the burn with these delicious cocktails. There's just something special about ginger.

Here we go again!

So it's that time of year again folks. The weather is turning cooler,the leaves are changing color,and the Search for Tiki is doing another round of their 13 Nights of Tiki Frights. Be sure to check out their site to enter to win mugs,watch cool podcasts,and try new Halloween-themed Tiki drinks. Here's the first one.

Mix #74 Hessian Mercenary

1.5oz Plantation Xaymaca rum 1oz Pierre Ferrand Cognac 1840 Original Formula* 1oz lime juice 1/2oz Pierre Ferrand dry orange curacao 1/2oz orgeat

Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

*I used Raynal VSOP.

This pretty much tastes like a standard Mai Tai with a brandy finish. If you're a cognac/brandy fan,give it a try.

I'll be posting most of the rest of tSfT's recipes as they post them. Happy Tiki Halloween!

In Memoriam

Let's take a moment to remember pineapple molasses syrup. Devil's Reef Tiki bar in Tacoma, Washington uses it to make their signature cocktail,created by co-owner Jason Alexander. BGR dropped it from their line because it wasn't very popular,but I picked up a bottle before they were all gone and went through their roster of mixes. Enjoy these is you can find a bottle,or head up to Washington state and get a cocktail from the original bar.

Mix #70 Devil's Reef

1oz Jamaican pot still rum 1oz Demerara rum 1oz Don's mix 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz pineapple molasses syrup dash Angostura bitters

Shake with plenty of ice.

An interesting blend of flavors,it starts with molasses and a hint of pineapple,then has a cinnamon finish. Very nice. BGR's recipe uses their own syrup instead of Don's mix,but I just make Don's mix so I won't have to buy another bottle of syrup.

Mix #71 Double Pineapple Rum Punch

1oz pineapple rum* 1oz overproof rum* 1oz lime juice 1oz pineapple molasses syrup 12 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake with ice. Pour into glass with more ice and put bitters on top until it looks like a bitters sno-cone.

*I used Plantation Stiggins and OFTD.

If you drink it with a straw it has a light pineapple and molasses taste reminiscent of a daiquiri. After a bit the bitters will mix in and it gets spicy and citrus-y. Quite good.

Mix #72 Plantation Pastime

1oz Plantation Original Dark 1/2oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum 2oz pineapple juice 1oz pineapple molasses syrup 1/4oz lime juice 1oz club soda

Shake everything except soda with ice and pour into glass. Top with soda.

A sweet and pineapple-y drink. Nice and light but not too strong. A good party drink.

Mix #73 Pink 'n Pine

1.5oz blackstrap rum 3/4oz pineapple molasses syrup 1/4oz lime juice

Build into a glass with ice and stir.

Tastes like a very funky grog. Not quite my thing,but try it and see if you like it.

Well,the syrup might be gone,but the memories(of the hangovers) remain. Maybe BGR will bring it back some day. I'm going to scour the web for other pineapple syrups,and when I find something good I'll post it. Aloha all!

I still know how you Tiki'd last October.

Here's a sequel you'll like: Last year's 13 Nights of Tiki Frights part II.

Mix #76 Headhunter's Trophy

2oz Plantation Isle of Fiji rum 1oz lemon juice 3/4oz grenadine 1/4oz passionfruit syrup 1 dash absinthe 1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and pour into glass.

This was a nice light,fruity drink. Despite being made for Halloween,it would do well as a summer drink.

Mix #77 Necromancer's Potion

1.5oz Plantation Original Dark rum 1oz Plantation OFTD rum 1oz pineapple juice 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz passionfruit syrup 1/4oz ginger syrup 1 dash absinthe 1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake with plenty of ice and pour into tall glass.

A 'light' loaded Zombie. Very ginger forward with a touch of sweet and some absinthe. For when the standard Zombie is a bit too much.

Mix # 78 Shambling Skeleton

2.5oz Plantation Xaymaca rum 1.5oz Don's mix 1oz orgeat 1/2oz Pierre Ferrand dry curacao 1/2oz lime juice

Shake with ice and pour into mug.

This is basically a sweet Mai Tai with a cinnamon finish. A neat twist on the classic.

Mix #79 Vampire's Fang

1.5oz Plantation OFTD rum 3/4oz grapefruit juice 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz grenadine 1/4oz allspice dram 1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake with plenty of ice and pour into glass.

Citrus-y with a touch of spice. Lives up to its namesake thanks to the overproof rum,it will bite you.

Of course there will be plenty more sequels as this year's Halloween season is just getting started. Stand by for more spooky drinking fun.

Don't lose your head.

The latest recipe from tSfT's 13 Nights of Tiki Frights:

Mix #81 Headless Horseman

1oz Plantation Barbados 5 Year rum 1 oz Plantation OFTD rum 1/2oz cinnamon syrup 1/4oz Allspice dram 3/4oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

Between the cinnamon/allspice burn and the OFTD,this has plenty of kick. If you're looking for spicy and strong,here's the drink for you.

Until next time….

Chop chop.

The latest in tSfT's 13 Nights of Tiki Frights(I've skipped two).

Mix #92 Double Bladed Axe

2oz Plantation 3 Star rum 1/2oz Mathilde Peche 1/2oz grenadine 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz lemon juice* 2 dashes orange bitters

Combine everything except grenadine and shake with ice. Pour into glass and float grenadine on top.

*The pic on the site says 1.2oz,but I confirmed it's only supposed to be 1/2.

Very tart with a peach finish. I wound up adding more grenadine to finish. If you like sour drinks,this is for you.

Well,Halloween is almost here,so gotta drop the Elvira gifs while I can.