Summer In The City.

Summer in the City.

It's Summer in DC and with the heat and humidity climbing,a cool drink is just what you need. And if there's some alcohol in it,that'll just add to the fun. For this installment,I decided to go 'Tiki adjacent' with two of the five hottest summer drinks according to local bartenders. They might not be exactly Tiki,but the ingredients and flavors are what you would expect from good drinks at a proper Tiki bar. Enjoy!

Mix #194 Something Blue

2oz blanco tequila 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz amaretto* 1/4oz blue curacao 1/4oz Demerara syrup black salt

Salt the rim of a glass. Shake all ingredients with ice and pour into glass.

*I used ‎Disaronno.

From bartender Darlin Kulla at The Grill,this margarita riff is very tequila forward and citrus-y tart. I actually added another quarter ounce of Demerara syrup. I also didn't salt the rim of my glass(not my thing). If you like tequila margaritas,give this a try. The blue color also makes for a cool looking party drink.

Mix #195 MF Zucca

2oz spiced rum 3/4oz passionfruit syrup 1/4oz amaro* 1/4oz lime juice

Shake with plenty of ice and pour into glass.

*I used Aperol.

Created by bartender Danny Gonzalez of Maketto,this is a very interesting drink. It's bitter on the nose,but very sweet tasting. Very nice. A complex tasting drink you could serve at parties to impress your guests. I used Sugar Hill spiced rum,but it's no longer available. I look forward to trying this with other spiced rums. I think it would be a good test bed for checking out the taste of a spiced rum in a cocktail. BTW,in case you're wondering where the drink's name comes from,the bar uses Rabarbaro Zucca as their amaro.

So Summer heat may be here,but there is relief. Stay cool folks.

Ohhh....mama!

Happy 4th of July folks,I hope you had a good one. This week we're going to look at the drink I made for the 4th,the Bahama Mama. Some might say it's tourist,not Tiki,but it can be found in many Tiki bars,and the former Lost Lake of Chicago had their own version,so that counts. The thing about the Bahama Mama is that there really isn't a singular proper recipe. Unlike the Mai Tai,it can't be traced to one bartender or bar. Even the origin of the name is hazy. Some say it was named for Caribbean dancer Dottie Lee Anderson whose stage name was Bahama Mama,some say it came from a song by George "King of Goombay" Symonette,a famous Calypso singer.

If you do a deep dive into the 'net,you'll find recipes where it's shaken,blended,or even layered. There's recipes with and without grenadine,with and without banana liqueur,the juices change,and I found one that calls for coffee liqueur. I even found a posting from a bartender on Reddit who claimed that he just made his from whatever he had behind the bar and proudly proclaimed that he would "go to his grave without learning a proper recipe". So basically,if you ever order a Mama at a bar,you'll get what they think it should be(or what the bartender feels like). In order not to waste your rum,I've tried a couple recipes that I can recommend,and one that shows you how to spot a bad drink. Enjoy folks.

Mix #201a Elevated Bahama Mama 1

1oz Plantation Xaymaca rum 3/4oz light overproof rum* 1oz pineapple juice 1oz lemon juice 1/2oz cream of coconut 1/2oz pomegranate syrup 1/4oz orange curacao 1/4oz banana liqueur

Shake with five ice cubes for five seconds and strain into glass with ice.

*I used Wray & Nephew Overproof.

From the former Lost Lake bar,this is fruity and sweet with a citrus aftertaste. The overproof also makes it strong. It's called 'elevated' because it was made to be a properly balanced drink that you'd be willing to make again. A bit touristy,but quite good. I wouldn't be ashamed to serve it in my bar.

Mix #201b Elevated Bahama Mama 2

1oz Appleton 12yr rum 3/4oz Smith & Cross rum 1oz pineapple juice 1oz lemon juice 1/2oz grenadine 1/4oz orange curacao 1/4oz banana liqueur

Shake with ice and pour into glass.

Remember how I said that there wasn't a single proper recipe? Well the internet can't even seem to agree with the recipe from Lost Lake. This is another 'official' version I found. It's sweeter than the above because the grenadine comes forward more than the pomegranate syrup did. It has some kick due to the Navy rum,but not as much as the first. Not bad,if you like sweeter drinks give it a try. I do prefer the first one though.

'The Bahama Mama'

1oz spiced rum 3/4oz coconut rum 3/4oz banana liqueur 2.5oz pineapple juice 1oz orange juice 1-2 Tbsp grenadine

Shake with ice and pour into something.

So you'll notice that I didn't number this recipe. That's because it doesn't count,this is your lesson in how to spot a bad drink. One to two tablespoons means a half to a full ounce of grenadine. That's a lot. And that's all you'll really taste in this hot mess. It's way too sweet because there's almost no sour to balance it(note the lemon in the Elevateds). I also stated 'coconut rum' without being specific because the rum specified in the posting I found is something you won't find in my bar. I'm not the worst of rum snobs,but I'm not mixing with rail. If your bartender serves you this,send it back and/or find another bar. And if they toss on an overproof float,they're just trying to give you a hangover. You've been warned folks.

I hope this has been informative for you. If you just want to get hammered on vacation,then go ahead and order a Mama at the beach bar. If you want something you'll enjoy,use one of the two numbered recipes above.

And now I'll close with some good music and a tribute to the Fourth by an American icon. Aloha!

Countdown…4…3…2…1

Well,here we are. Counting down the last few mixes until I hit number TWO HUNDRED. As I like pirate stuff,these all have a pirate and/or nautical theme. Enjoy!

Mix #196 Captain Ron

1oz Haitian agricole rhum 1oz rye whiskey 3/4oz lemon juice 3/4oz velvet falernum 3/4oz grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into chilled glass.

Created in 2020 by bartender Bryan Crowder in the Ice Plant Bar in St. Augustine,FL,this is sweet and funky with a spice and whiskey aftertaste. The bright red color is also cool. A good drink to try if you're looking for something a little different.

Mix #197 Captain's Blood

1.5oz dark Jamaican rum 1oz lime juice 1/3oz honey syrup 1/4oz falernum 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and strain into chilled glass.

Created by Doug Winship(whose blog is down),this is very tart with a bit of sweet and spice at the end. Good if you like tart,but I added some Demerara syrup.

Mix #198 Aquadisiac

2oz gold rum 1oz lemon juice 1/2oz blue curacao 1/2oz orgeat

Shake with ice and pour into glass.

This bright turquoise concoction is from Beachbum Berry. It's basically a slightly tart Mai Tai. A nice summer drink and also good for folks who like to try Mai Tai riffs.

Mix #199 Deep Blue Sea

1.5oz light rum 1/2oz blue curacao 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz lemon juice 1/2oz fassionola 1/2oz orgeat 1/4oz allspice

Shake with ice and pour into mug.

So,one of the reasons I didn't post actual pics of the drink is because it didn't turn out a pretty color. Despite the blue curacao,the Jonathan English fassionola I used caused it to turn a grape-ish purple. It tasted good with a nice sweet/tart balance and a bit of spice on the end,but this is a drink you want to serve in an opaque mug. Creator Brian Maxwell did this on his blog,but I've seen posters on Youtube and Facebook who got a pretty blue color. I think they may have gamed the system somehow. In any case,this is another winner from Brian,just don't put it in a glass.

Well,that's 199 down. Next is the big two-o-o. And it's gonna be a good one. Stay tuned folks. Aloha!

Hallelujah!

So your Uncle Giltron finally did it;after a year of searching,I finally found a bottle of Green Chartreuse at one of my local liquor stores:

Ta-da!

Now you may be wondering why this is such a big deal. Well the fact is,you can't just walk into any old store and pick up a bottle of it like it was Bacardi. This liqueur is actually made by monks who only produce a certain number of bottles a year in the monastery La Grande Chartreuse near Grenoble,France. Because of this,it can be very hard to find,as well as expensive.

(the actual monastery)

The story goes that in 1084,St. Bruno of Cologne traveled to the Chartreuse Desert(not really a desert,it was just really isolated) with six companions and created a silent order of Roman Catholic monastics known as the Carthusians. In 1605 François-Annibal d´Estrées,the King of France’s Marshal of Artillery,handed over to the Carthusian monks of Paris a document of mysterious origins which supposedly contained the recipe for an “elixir of long life". Time passed,the monks studied the document,and finally in 1737 the manuscript was transferred to the monks of the Grande Chartreuse. They in turn studied it and experimented(one of their early formulas was actually red) and finally in 1764 created a seven page manuscript entitled,Composition of the Elixir of Chartreuse. This elixir is what is today known as Green Chartreuse. Fun fact,the color chartreuse is actually named for this liqueur. Later in 1838 they would also come up with another liqueur,Yellow Chartreuse,which is much easier to find,but not as potent(Yellow Chartreuse is supposed to use the same ingredients,just in different proportions).

So what is Green Chartreuse? It's an herbal liqueur made up of 130 ingredients. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret,known to only three Carthusian monks. Supposedly,there are two monks who each have half the formula,with the Father Superior being the only living person to have the full recipe. The monks produce about 1.2 million bottles a year,which sounds like quite a lot,until you look into companies like Bacardi,which produce 100,000 liters of rum a day(my bottle of Chartreuse is 3/4 of a liter). Green is stronger tasting and 110 proof,yellow is sweeter and only 80 proof. The taste is very,um,'herbal'. It's really hard to describe other than that. And at 110 proof,it has about as much punch as Navy rum. Back in the '70's there was a popular cocktail called Swampwater which used Green Chartreuse,but it fell out of favor,and today there are only a few Tiki drinks that use it,mostly because of its rarity,but also because the complex flavor isn't to everyone's taste(it really comes forward in the drink). So below you will find a coterie of Green Chartreuse recipes. I hope you enjoy them.

Mix #213 Chartreuse Swizzle

1.5oz Green Chartreuse 1oz pineapple juice 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz falernum

Swizzle all ingredients with ice in glass and top with grated nutmeg.

Woo! Boy howdy! The first thing that hits you is a strong burst of herbs. The Chartreuse really comes forward. Then you get some spice from the falernum and nutmeg. Then one and a half ounces of 110 proof liqueur hit you. If you like herbal drinks you'll love this. This was created by Marco Dionysos at Tres Agaves in San Francisco and has become a Tiki staple with Chartreuse.

Mix #214 The Last Word

3/4oz Green Chartreuse 3/4oz gin 3/4oz marachino liqueur* 3/4oz lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into chilled glass.

*I used Cherry Heering.

This other Tiki Chartreuse staple was born at the Detroit Athletic Club around 1915. It's believed it was created by bartender Frank Fogarty. Its claims to fame are the fact that it uses equal measures of all the ingredients,and is a Prohibition-era drink that has survived into modern times. The Chartreuse and gin combine to create a very 'botanical' flavor with a cherry finish. I used Heering which is more sour than maraschino,but it turned out well. Again,if you like herbal flavors,you'll like this.

Mix #215 Swampwater

1.5oz Green Chartreuse 6oz pineapple juice 1/4oz lime juice

Pour into mason jar with ice and stir.

So Green Chartreuse is a rare liqueur consisting of 130 ingredients and crafted by monks who have taken a vow of silence. So of course here in 'Merica we're gonna mix it with juice,give it a silly name,and serve it in mason jars. Yee-haw! No,actually,you can't blame us for this. This drink was created by the Chartreuse company back in the 1970's to get Americans to drink it. We had free love and disco and simple but potent cocktails were popular in clubs,so the French figured this would be right up our alley. And it was,for a time. But just like disco,it faded into memory until your Uncle Giltron dropped a bunch of dosh on a fancy bottle of liqueur and then started trolling the waters of the internet looking for recipes to use it in. You can ask your parents if they remember this,but they probably won't,or won't want to(insert winky emogi). It's actually not bad. It starts sweet and pineapple-y,then gives an herbal finish. It's easy to make,easy to drink,and has some kick,which actually makes it a good summer BBQ drink. And if you use the whole bottle,you can scale up the juices and batch it for your cookout. Remember folks,if you hold your pinky up it makes drinking out of a jar classy.

Mix #216 Amazonian Paralysis

1 3/4oz Appleton 12yr rum 1/2oz Green Chartreuse 1/2oz sloe gin 1/2oz velvet falernum 1oz pineapple juice 1/2oz lemon juice 4 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

Created by Disneyland bartender Melissa Erin Nickoloff,this is a complex Tiki drink Vic and Donn would have appreciated. It starts sweet,then you taste spices,and then there's an herbal finish. It also has plenty of kick. A proper Tiki drink and good for introducing people to Chartreuse. And of course the name gives me an excuse to use a Lynda Carter gif(insert second winky emogi).

So if you're looking to broaden your palette,and can find it,pick up a bottle of Green Chartreuse and get a taste of a rare liqueur with tons of history behind it. Enjoy!

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.

What's in a name?

Ernest Raymond Gantt. Sound familiar? No? How about Donn Beach? Yep,that's him. Donn changed his name when he started his Beachcomber chain of restaurants. Now I make mention of this because ol' Donn wasn't the only "Beachcomber" out there. Turns out there were a few scoundrels who tried to straight up rip him off by opening their own places called 'Beachcomber' and even ripped off the name of his classic Zombie drink. I learned all about this recently while reading Kevin Quigley's excellent book,New England Tiki. I highly recommend reading it as it gives the full story along with a lot of other fascinating Tiki stuff.

Now bringing this back to mixing,ol' Donn had a drink called Montego Bay. Thing is,if you search for this online,many of the results you'll find will be for drinks that have the same name,but are totally different(and not as good). Many use spiced rum(with one using light rum),different juices,and it may even contain ginger ale or creme de banana. But don't worry,Uncle Giltron won't let you waste your rum,I've got the proper Donn Beach recipe,as sussed out by our friend Beachbum Berry. And as with most of his drinks,the Donn knew what he was doing. Enjoy!

Mix #210 Montego Bay

1.5oz dark Jamaican rum 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz grapefruit juice 1/2oz honey syrup 1/4tsp allspice dram* 1 dash Angostura bitters 6 drops absinthe 3oz crushed ice

Blend everything for 5 seconds and pour into sour glass.

*About 1ml or 20-25 drops.

A classic Donn drink with lots of flavor. It starts with honey in the front,then a touch of spice,with some absinthe to finish. Complex and flavorful,use good rum because you'll taste it. Very nice.

And wouldn't you know,but ol' Trader Vic(AKA,Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr),also had a drink of the same name:

Mix #211 Montego Bay Cocktail

1oz Rhum Negrita rum* juice of 1/2 a lime** 1 dash triple sec*** 1 dash rock candy syrup*** 1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and strain into chilled stemmed cocktail glass.

*I used Coruba. **I used 1/2oz. ***I used 5ml = dash.

From the 1972 edition of Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide,this is a very different drink from Donn's. It's very tart and close to a daiquiri or traditional sailor grog. Now the measurement 'dash' has changed a bit over the years,so I decided to go with five milliliters as it seemed about right for this. Rock candy syrup is double-sweet so I actually used ten milliliters of regular simple. The original recipe called for Rhum Negrita,which is very dark and considered a 'cooking' rum,so I subbed in Coruba which is a nice very dark rum I've enjoyed in the past. I'd also like to note that for some reason Difford's Guide chose to use Rhum Clement Blanc,which is a white agricole,and very different(and no idea why they would do this). So if you want to try a different daiquiri,just pick a fav rum and give this a try. You can also do like Difford's and play with upping the other ingredients to your personal tastes.

Well,that's all for this week folks. Keep checking in for more mixings. Aloha!