Bartending.

Bartending.

(always remember to dress appropriately when bartending)

So I'm not a bartender,but I play one when I go to parties. And this past weekend I was at a friend's house for burgers,music,and of course cocktails. He enlisted me to be his bartender,and I did two drinks batched style in pitchers for the guests.

As per usual,my drinks got rave reviews. Here's what we served:

Mix #166 Don's Special Daiquiri

1oz gold rum 1/2oz light rum 1/2oz passion fruit syrup 1/2oz honey syrup 1/2oz lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into chilled glass.

Sweet,but no too sweet,with a honey finish. This is the '70's version of Don's 1934 Mona Daiquiri. His used a special thirty year old rum,but it works just fine with regular rum.

Mix #22 Remixed Zombie

1.5oz gold rum 1.5oz dark rum 1oz 151 Demerara rum 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz Don's mix * 1/2oz falernum 1tsp grenadine 6 drops absinthe dash Angostura bitters 6oz crushed ice

Blend at high speed for 5 seconds. Pour into tall glass and add ice to fill.

*Don's Mix is 2 parts white grapefruit juice to 1 part cinnamon syrup,I've used regular grapefruit juice with good results.

Spicy,cinnamon-y,citrus-y,this drink is legendary for its kick. With four ounces of rum,one of which is 151,there's a reason Don would only serve you two of these. More than two and you'll feel like the walking dead the next morning. We did small cups that were about equal to a triple shot,and limited the guests to two since our host didn't want to hurt them.

On the subject of bartending,here are some of the tools I use for my mixings.

The Difford's Easy Jigger is great for mixing cocktails due to the markings in many sizes and measurements. It does ounces,milliliters,and even tea and table spoons. It goes up to two ounces and all the way down to 1/24. It allows you to get precise measurements to ensure your cocktails turn out right.

Bee Chill ice cube trays. Tiki drinks are best made with pebble or cracked ice,but ice makers are expensive and a pain to clean. These silicon trays make hex cubes about as big around as a nickle. You can find them for cheap at TJMaxx or Marshalls. They also have these mini trays:

These make proper pebble ice,but are a pain to use. I bust these out when I'm feeling fancy.

A jelly jar. What's Tiki about a jelly jar? Well back in 2020 Trader Vic's did a jar for Mai Tai day. The idea was to pour the ingredients into the jar with ice,screw on the top and shake,then remove the top and drink from the jar. Brilliant! A shaker and glass in one,so you only have to clean two things(jigger,jar) instead of three(jigger,shaker,glass/mug). This appeals to the bachelor in me. And it's classy as long as you hold up your pinkie while drinking. That jar is in my collection,but for a user I picked up a fancy Italian one at the Container Store.

So if you need a bartender for your party,I only charge in food and rum.

Happy V Day.

Meh,as a bachelor,I got nothing for today. But I've been meaning to tweak one of my cocktails to make it less 'touristy'. So here it is. There are several other cocktails with this name that are supposed to be for the Marvel comics character,but mine is actually drinkable.

Mix #142 The Scarlet Witch

1oz Doctor Bird rum 1oz Hamilton Beachbum Navy Grog Blend rum 2oz pineapple juice 2oz cranberry juice 3/4oz lime juice 3/4oz pomegranate syrup* 1/2oz velvet falernum

Shake with plenty of ice and pour into a naughty Tiki mug.

*Try to use pomegranate syrup instead of grenadine.

A sweetish drink,it masks the rum Hurricane style so it creeps up on you. Give a couple of these to your significant other and they'll be in the mood in no time. Add a float of overproof rum if you're feeling wicked.

Have fun kids. (but don't name 'em Giltron)

Ride the Pineapple Express.

"Now, then!" said a shrill female voice the instant Sam thrust his head in at the door, "what do you want, young man?"

Sam looked round in the direction whence the voice proceeded. It came from a rather stout lady of comfortable appearance, who was seated beside the fireplace in the bar, blowing the fire to make the kettle boil for tea. She was not alone; for on the other side of the fireplace, sitting bolt upright in a high-backed chair, was a man in threadbare black clothes, with a back almost as long and stiff as that of the chair itself, who caught Sam's most particular and especial attention at once.

He was a prim-faced, red-nosed man, with a long, thin countenance, and a semi-rattlesnake sort of eye, —rather sharp, but decidedly bad. He wore very short trousers, and black cotton stockings, which, like the rest of his apparel, were particularly rusty. His looks were starched, but his white neckerchief was not, and its long limp ends straggled over his closely-buttoned waistcoat in a very uncouth and unpicturesque fashion. A pair of old, worn, beaver gloves, a broad-brimmed hat, and a faded green umbrella, with plenty of whalebone sticking through the bottom, as if to counterbalance the want of a handle at the top, lay on a chair beside him; and, being disposed in a very tidy and careful manner, seemed to imply that the red-nosed man, whoever he was, had no intention of going away in a hurry.

To do the red-nosed man justice, he would have been very far from wise if he had entertained any such intention; for, to judge from all appearances, he must have been possessed of a most desirable circle of acquaintance, if he could have reasonably expected to be more comfortable anywhere else. The fire was blazing brightly under the influence of the bellows, and the kettle was singing gaily under the influence of both. A small tray of tea-things was arranged on the table; a plate of hot buttered toast was gently simmering before the fire; and the red-nosed man himself was busily engaged in converting a large slice of bread into the same agreeable edible, through the instrumentality of a long brass toasting-fork. Beside him stood a glass of reeking hot pine-apple rum-and-water, with a slice of lemon in it; and every time the red-nosed man stopped to bring the round of toast to his eye, with the view of ascertaining how it got on, he imbibed a drop or two of the hot pine-apple rum-and-water, and smiled upon the rather stout lady, as she blew the fire.

Here we have the introduction of the Reverend Stiggins,an alcoholic,evangelical minister who bore the brunt of Charles Dickens' satire in his serialization,The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club(generally shortened to just The Pickwick Papers). Now what does Dickens' character have to do with Tiki? Because Plantation rum(now called Planteray Rum) used this character as the inspiration for a pineapple-infused rum. Originally intended to be a limited edition release,it turned out to be popular enough with bartenders that they decided to make it a production item. Additionally,they've also come out with a limited 'smoky' pineapple rum. I've got both and they're excellent. Below are a few mixings I've done with Stiggins,I think you'll enjoy them.

(for some reason,the smoky isn't on their site,so I included a pic so you'd know what to look for)

Mix #145 Siboney

1.5oz aged Jamaican rum 1/2oz pineapple rum 1oz pineapple juice 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz passionfruit syrup 1/2oz Demerara syrup

Shake with ice. Strain into glass with fresh ice.

A modern version of the drink originally published in Trader Vic's book Rum Cookery & Drinkery (1974),this is sweet and fruity. A nice summer drink.

Mix #146 Reverend's Tai

1.5oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum 1/2oz Plantation OFTD rum 1oz lime juice 1/2oz orgeat 1/4oz orange curacao

Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

Created by Matt Pietrek,this is the Mai Tai the Reverend would've drank. It's basically a pineapple Mai Tai with some kick from the OFTD. Quite good.

Mix #147 Elusive Dreams

1oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum 1oz light rum 1/2oz banana liqueur 1oz pineapple juice 1oz lime juice 3/4oz cinnamon syrup

Shake with ice and double strain into glass.

A modern riff on a Hotel Nacional de Cuba recipe,this is cinnamon on the nose with a banana/pineapple taste and final cinnamon burn. Very nice,if you like the burn you'll love this.

Mix #148 Pineapple Stiggins Daiquiri

2oz Plantation Stiggins Limited Smoky pineapple rum 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz simple syrup

Shake with ice and strain into chilled coup glass.

Basically a daiquiri made with pineapple rum. Very pineapple-y with some citrus and smoke aftertaste. If you want to try a pineapple daiquiri,this is a good one.

Mix #149 Pineapple Paralysis

1.5oz bourbon whiskey 1/2oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum 1oz lemon juice 3/4oz pineapple juice 1/2oz orange curacao 1/2oz orgeat 1/4oz cinnamon syrup 3 drops bitters

Shake or blend with ice and pour into glass or hollowed out coconut.

Created by Eric Bogan of the Inferno Room,this is very bourbon forward and pineapple-y with a cinnamon finish. Bourbon aficionados will dig this. Make with high proof bourbon if you want some serious kick.

Mix #150 Critical Cooler

1.5oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum 1.5oz dark rum 2oz pineapple juice 2oz orange juice 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz grenadine 3/4oz coconut water 1/4oz coconut cream

Shake with ice and strain into glass with fresh ice.

Another Trader Brandon creation from Mystic Libations. Sweet,orange/pineapple-y with a bit of coconut aftertaste. Three ounces of rum give it a good kick. A big drink you'll feel in the morning if you have too many.

So there we have it folks. A century and a half of Tiki drinks. Stay tuned for more as I go for a double.

Here's a classic.

Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron was responsible for creating some of the most iconic Tiki drinks. The Mai Tai(the most iconic of Tiki drinks),the Scorpion,and the Fogcutter. Well,I finally got around to picking up a bottle of sherry,and was able to mix this classic drink.

Originally called the Samoan Fogcutter(and still called that at Trader Vic's locations),some folks try to attribute it to Donn Beach because of his association with Edna Earle's Fog Cutter restaurant. But Vic published the recipe in his 1947 Bartender's Guide,well before the restaurant opened.

(A clipping of Edna and her restaurant.)

The name is supposed to indicate that it will clear your mind. But with this potent mix of spirits,Vic's quote is more accurate: “Fog Cutter, hell. After two of these you won’t even see the stuff,”. Due to its strength,Vic had a strict limit of two per customer;his drink menu postcard from the 1940s stated: "What a sneaker - positively only two to a person; really, I don't see why people buy them." It does have serious kick,just one gets the job done,and if you're having two you really want to be home on your couch. The recipe has several variations,usually swapping the amounts of orange and lemon juice,and sometimes the drink is blended. Here is the most common recipe:

Mix #137 Fogcutter

1.5oz light rum 1/2oz gin 1/2oz cognac 2oz orange juice 1oz lemon juice 1/2oz orgeat 1/2oz oloroso sherry

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

Very tart and citrus-y. And every bit as strong as its reputation. If you like sour drinks,you'll love this one. Now I know nothing of sherry,I know rum. So I just basically picked up a cheap bottle of Taylor that is supposed to be general use sherry. If I were to do this again(and my recommendation to you),I'd get oloroso sherry,which is sweeter. I'd also use tangerine juice instead of orange to dial down the tartness,but that's just my personal taste. And if you want to be completely authentic,get the proper Trader Vic mug to drink it with.

Enjoy folks. And get your beads ready for next week.

Roll out the barrel.

While the title of my post is a traditional polka tune,don't worry,we're sticking to barrels as they relate to Tiki. Specifically,the drink known as the Rum Barrel. Created by Donn Beach,there have been many variations and riffs on the original to the point that it's anyone's guess exactly what the original recipe was. This is due to the fact that Donn didn't want his bartenders stealing his recipes,so he wrote them in code. So here's a pair of recipes and a modern riff to keep you rolling.

Mix #155 Rum Barrel

2oz white rum 2oz overproof Jamaican dark rum* 1oz orange juice 1oz pineapple juice 1oz grapefruit juice 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz honey syrup 1/4oz grenadine 1/4oz allspice 1/4oz velvet falernum 1 dash Angostura bitters 6 drops absinthe

Blend with 6oz ice and pour into barrel mug.

*I used Smith & Cross.

I shook this because my Blendjet is still out of service. It's sweet and fruity with an absinthe aftertaste. It's also really strong. Those four ounces of rum(two overproof) pack a punch,and all that sweet will give you a blazing hangover if you're not careful. And you really don't taste the rum,so it's easy to get out of hand with these. Really probably a good idea to share this drink with a friend.

Mix #156 Print Rum Barrel

1oz dark Jamaican rum 1oz Lemon Hart 151 3/4oz pineapple juice 3/4oz lime juice 3/4oz orange juice 3/4oz passionfruit syrup 3/4oz simple syrup

Shake with ice and pour into barrel mug.

This came from a print I found on Tumblr. You see these on the web and for sale on Etsy. Their Mai Tai recipe is wrong,but I decided to give this a shot. It's sweet and citrus-y with the passionfruit coming forward. An ounce of 151 gives it some kick,but it's not as bad as some recipes which feature more rum. Actually a nice drink.

Mix #157 Bamboo Barrel

1oz white rum 1oz gold rum 1/2oz Demerara 151 rum 1oz pineapple juice 1oz lime juice 3/4oz grenadine 1/2oz passionfruit syrup 1/4oz allspice dram

Blend with ice and pour into mug.

Shook this one too. Created by Forbidden Island's Justin Oliver,it has a nice sweet/tart flavor with the grenadine coming forward and the 151 adds a good kick. Quite good.

So keep on rollin' folks. Follow these recipes and you'll do it right.

Bah Humbug

Ok,Thanksgiving is over,it's black Friday,and now we can start getting into Xmas mode. Here's a tasty cocktail to brighten your spirits,or deaden the pain of shopping.

Mix #105 Winter Fling

4oz apple cider 1oz white rum 1/2oz cognac 1/4oz allspice 1/4oz Aperol 1/4oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

From Tiki Farm's site comes a Trader Tom creation that is pretty much Yuletide in a glass. It's very cider-y with a spice finish. Delicious,and you can up-gun it with Wray & Nephew Overproof if necessary.

Happy holidays folks! Don't worry,it'll be over soon.