Fangtastic.

Fangtastic.

Donn Beach created many famous Tiki drinks. One of the less common ones is the Cobra's Fang. This is due to the fact that a proper Fang is made with fassionola syrup. Fassionola is a bright red,sweet syrup made from a mixture of fruit juices and was supposed to be the syrup used in the original Hurricane recipe. Today,only a couple companies make proper fassionola making it difficult to find. Grenadine and even Hawaiian Punch have been used as a substitute,but they are not the same. While researching a posting on fassionola syrup,I came across the Fang and decided it needed its own posting. Here is the classic Don the Beachcomber Cobra's Fang:

Mix #187 Cobra's Fang

1.5oz dark Jamaican rum 1/2oz 151 Demerara rum 1/2oz falernum 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz orange juice 1/2oz fassionola syrup 1 dash absinthe 1 dash Angostura bitters

Flash blend with ice and pour into tall glass. Can also be shaken with ice.

Sweet and berry flavored,similar to a Hurricane but not as sweet. The falernum and absinthe add some spice to give it complexity,and the 151 gives it some punch. Think of this drink as a civilized Hurricane. A nice summer drink with layers of flavor that gives yo a nice buzz without completely slamming you.

Of course,as with most classic Tiki drinks,there have been many riffs made over the years. Here a few I've enjoyed.

Mix #188 Mai Kai Cobra Fang

1oz dark Jamaican rum 1oz aged Jamaican rum 3/4oz falernum 1/2oz fassionola syrup 1oz orange juice 3/4oz lime juice 1/4oz grenadine 1/4tsp absinthe* 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and pour into Zombie glass.

*About 20-25 drops.

The Mai Kai's spin on the classic Cobra's Fang. It's less sweet and more citrus-y with a bit less punch. Try both versions and see which you like the best.

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 snifter glass.

From The Search for Tiki's 2022 13 Nights of Tiki Frights,it's citrus-y with a touch of spice. Much less sweet than the classic,it lives up to its namesake thanks to the overproof rum;it will bite you.

Mix #189 Sidewinder's Fang

1oz dark Jamaican rum 1oz demerara rum 1.5oz lime juice 1.5oz orange juice 1.5oz passionfruit syrup 3oz club soda

Shake everything except soda with ice and pour into large snifter glass. Add soda and stir.

From the former Lanai Restaurant in San Mateo,CA,this was created in the 1960's. It's tart and citrus-y with a sweet passionfruit finish. The three ounces of soda water it down a bit,if I were to do it again I would cut it in half. And interesting spin on the classic. If you're not into sweeter drinks,give it a try.

So enjoy a Fang drink,but don't put away your bottle of fassionola just yet. I'm working on a full post featuring the scarlet syrup.

Passion for fassion.

Fassionola,also known as passionola,is a sweet syrup used in some Tiki drink recipes. It's bright red like grenadine,but much more berry flavored. It is a bit rare though,as only a couple companies make it. Part of this has to do with the crazy history of the stuff.

It is believed to have been created around 1916 by a German immigrant named Victor Kremer. He was a druggist,and back then drug stores often contained a soda bar. Victor and his wife created a passionfruit flavored syrup for sodas and ice cream. It was originally called Passiflora,then the name was changed to Passionola. It was made in three colors: red,which was berry flavored,gold,which was passionfruit flavored,and green,which was lime flavored. At the time it was pretty much just used for soda and ice cream,although it and other flavorings were used to make drug cocktails as well(ever wonder where the 'coke' in Coca-Cola came from?). Several companies were involved in producing it,but it wasn't until around 1956 when the Jonathan English Company took up the mantle,and they continue to produce it today. Don Beach is sometimes credited with being involved with passionola,but neither he or Trader Vic used the stuff until much later in the '60's and '70's. Passionola pretty much was out of the realm of Tiki until that time. It also took a hit in the '60's,when it became associated with so-called 'stag pills':

(From the upcoming book Fassionola by Martin Lindsay. Doesn't sound much different from today's ads,does it?)

Passionola was mentioned by name in the 1963 Congressional report,Frauds and Quackery Affecting the Older Citizen, Hearings Before the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate. A year later,the US patent office granted a patent for fassionola,which helped disassociate the syrup from the scandal. It was after this Don and Vic started using it in some of their drinks,since now it didn't have a negative connotation. Today it's being used more and more as an exotic ingredient in modern Tiki drinks. BG Reynolds makes it in limited batches,so you have to get on their mailing list or check their site to see when it's available. Jonathan English is still making it,in several flavors,but they don't sell online. You either have to visit them in person,or search for listings on eBay(which is where I acquired mine). There are also a couple of small batch companies making it,but you'll have to do some searching for them.

So enough history,let's get to mixing. Here's a few Giltron approved recipes I think you'll like. Enjoy!

Mix #190 Pi-Yi

1oz light Cuban rum* 3.4oz gold Cuban rum* 1oz pineapple juice 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz passionola red 1tsp honey syrup 1 dash Angostura bitters

Blend with 6oz crushed ice for five seconds and pour into hollowed-out pineapple.

*Since Cuban rum is hard to come by,you can substitute Virgin Islands or Puerto Rican rum.

Created by Donn Beach around 1937,this has a sweet start with a tart finish. No,i didn't use a hollowed-out pineapple,I've done that once already. It's a nice summer-y drink that's not too strong.

Mix #191 Cannibal Cooler

3/4oz Plantation 3 Star rum 3/4oz Plantation Original Dark rum 1/2oz Plantation OFTD 1.5oz orange juice 3/4oz lime juice 3/4oz fassionola 1/4oz cinnamon syrup 1.5oz club soda

Flash blend everything except soda. Pour into tall glass,top with soda and stir.

Another Jason Alexander creation,it has a nice sweet/tart blend with citrus and a cinnamon finish with plenty of kick. Another excellent cocktail from the master. (bonus cool points if you saw the movie the pic is from)

Mix #192 Welcome to Georgetown

1.5oz El Dorado 3 1/2oz Lemon Hart 151 1/2oz creme de cacoa 3/4oz fassionola 1/2oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into coupe glass. Add some grated nutmeg to top.

From master mixologist Brian Maxwell ,this is sweet,the fassionola comes forward and the chocolate finishes with some spice from the nutmeg. The 151 gives it kick. A bit of a foo-foo drink but I liked it.

Mix #193 Alucard's Cup Of Blood

1oz Plantation Isle of Fiji rum 1oz Wray & Nephew overproof rum 1oz pineapple juice 1oz lemon juice 1/2oz falernum 1/2oz fassionola 1 dash Angostura bitters 1 dash absinthe

Blend with crushed ice and pour into Mai Tai glass. Garnish with something spooky.

Created by Facebook user Andrew Campbell,this blood red drink has a nice sweet/tart blend with plenty of funk and plenty of kick. Will definitely bring this back out for Halloween.

Mix #33 Megalodon

1oz Lemon Hart 151 1oz white rum 1.25oz lime juice 1oz agave syrup 1tsp red fassionola

Blend with a cup of ice for 5sec.

Just had to repost this since it's so good it's in my regular roster of mixes. Delicious with plenty of kick.

Find a bottle of fassionola and try something new. You can even sub it for grenadine to mix things up. Hipa Hipa,i ke ola!

Fixed it.

So back in Feb I did a post on the classic Trader Vic drink the Fogcutter. It was very sour. I've read plenty of postings from folks who were in agreement with me on this,so I decided to 'fix' it. Presented for your approval,the Fogweaver(named for a band I like). Enjoy.

Mix #209 The Fogweaver

1.5oz light rum 1/2oz sloe gin 1/2oz VSOP brandy 2oz tangerine juice 1oz lime juice 1/2oz orgeat 1/2oz oloroso sherry.

Shake everything except sherry with ice and pour into glass. Float sherry on top.

Every bit as potent as the original,but more balanced. I think the Trader would've approved.

Until next time folks.

Frack! Fell! Gorram!

What you'll be saying tomorrow morning if you have a few of these. I've had this one in the queue for awhile,but didn't really have a post to put it in,so I decided to just do a solo post on it.

Mix #183 The Third Oath

2.5oz Plantation OFTD 1.5oz cinnamon syrup 1oz lime juice 1/2oz grapefruit juice 1/2oz falernum 2 dashes Angostura bitters 6 drops absinthe

Shake with crushed ice and pour into mug.

Created by Jason Alexander(the bartender,not the Seinfeld actor),it's very cinnamon-y with lots of burn and a strong punch due to all that OFTD. If you love cinnamon,this is the drink for you. You can also sub in regular octane rum if the overproof is too much,or 151 if you've had one of those weeks and don't plan to leave the couch.

You've been warned.

A double century.

Well,here we are folks,my two hundredth mixing. It's been a long journey,and I'd just like to pause for a moment to thank my poor liver,which has been by my side(well,actually in my side) through the whole ordeal with nary a complaint(unlike my head,which has complained a few times). For #200 I chose a drink from the famous Tiki-ti,an LA icon since 1961. Established by Ray Buhen,it's still open and still family owned. If you ever find yourself in the City of Angels,you should definitely make the pilgrimage here.

The drink is the infamous Puka Punch.

I say infamous because not only does it pack a punch,but it was described by a Reddit poster as one of the biggest pains in the butt he'd ever made due to the list of eleven ingredients. Of course this didn't put off your Uncle Giltron;I've survived multiple Zombies and the mighty Boo Loo,and my extensive inventory of mixers includes everything I needed. So without further ado,I present to you my two hundredth mixing. Enjoy!

Mix #200 Puka Punch

2oz light rum 1oz dark rum 1/2oz overproof rum 1oz orange juice 1oz pineapple juice 1/2oz lime juice 3/4oz passionfruit syrup 1/2oz honey syrup 1/2oz simple syrup 1/4oz falernum 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake everything except overproof rum with ice and pour into brandy snifter. Float overproof on top.

Very sweet,with honey in the body and a touch of spice in the finish. And with all that rum it's quite strong. For my rums I used Plantation 3 Star,Coruba,and Plantation OFTD. Lemon Hart 151 would've normally been my choice for an overproof float,but I decided to cut my liver and head a break on this one. Like the Boo Loo,this goes down real easy and the rum will sneak up on you if you're not careful. This is also not a drink you'd want more than one of,as all that rum and sweet will hang you over. But it's perfect if you're just sitting on the couch watching old black & white movies and want a nice buzz. It will improve the cheesy old special effects.

Hope you enjoy my bicentennial mixing. I'm sure I can find enough recipes to take this blog to 300,so stay tuned. Mahalo!

Happy Mai Tai Day!

Once again,it's time for Tiki's favorite holiday,MAI TAI DAY! The day when we salute the birth of the magic elixir created by Victor Bergeron in 1944. My first post was on the classic Mai Tai,so for today I've decided to mix a pair of modern Mai Tai riffs I think you'll really like. Enjoy!

Mix #217 Blue Hawai-Tai

1oz Wray & Nephew Overproof rum 1/2oz Plantation 3 Stars rum 1/2oz blue curacao 1oz lemon juice 1/2oz orgeat 1/2oz simple syrup

Shake with ice and pour into snifter glass.

From Mai Tai expert Kevin Crossman comes a delicious spin on the classic recipe. While I thought the lemon would sour it,it's in fact a touch sweet with some super funk on the end. And the W&N gives it some real kick. The pretty blue color in the snifter also makes for an eye-pleasing experience. Another winning Mai Tai from the master.

Mix #218 S.O.S. Mai Tai

1.5oz rhum agricole blanc 1/2oz pot still Jamaican rum 3/4oz lime juice 3/4oz orgeat 1/2oz orange curacao

Shake with ice and pour into collins glass. If you're fancy,add a spent lime shell with flaming 151.

Created by bartender Ean Bancroft at the S.O.S. bar in Georgia,this is another good sweet/funky riff. Funkier than the Blue Hawai-Tai,but not as strong,if you're looking to have more than one,I'd go with this. Either way,these are both good spins on the classic recipe.

So celebrate the day with an original Mai Tai or a riff. Maita'i roa ae!