u/PCPrincipal2016

My parents aren’t big rum drinkers and probably haven’t a real rum drink in years. I made them the Trader Vic classic with a blend of rums. I made one of them with a 1/4 oz less of orgeat and lime juice. Left glass is from Inside Passage in Seattle and the right glass is from False Idol in San Diego.

Ingredients:
-1 oz lime juice
-1/2 oz Orgeat
-1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
-1/2 oz Orange Curaçao
-1/2 oz Appleton Estate Signature
-1/2 oz Appleton Estate 12 Year
-1/2 oz Smith and Cross
-1/2 oz Stiggin’s Fancy Pineapple Rum

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with pebble ice. Shake and pour unstrained into a Mai Tai glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and spent lime half.

I really enjoyed my night at Grass skirt! This had some very different offerings from traditional tiki. The bartender said they had recently redesigned their menu to be more Southeast Asia style. The staff were all super cool! The bartender let me try four of the ingredients individually which helped to better understand the cocktails. I had a Morro Bay, Kagatan, and an OJ Did It shot, as well as a chicken rice bowl for dinner. The Kagatan was one of the most interesting drinks I’ve had in a long time and it featured a coconut curry syrup. If you find yourself in San Diego you should go!

Mothership in San Diego is one of the coolest and most unique bars I have ever been to. The decor and music really make you feel like you’ve ventured into a place that is not of this world. I only had one cocktail as I had been to a few other places before this and already had a good bit to drink, but the cocktail I had was fantastic. I tried the Mindkiller which is a Painkiller reimagined and turned up to 11. The bartenders were amazing and I had a great conversation with some locals as well. If you are visiting San Diego you will not regret checking this place out.

I was in San Diego for business and I got to check out False Idol for the first time. What an incredible vibe and experience. They had an amazing menu with some top tier cocktails. I got a Pearl Diver (my first time having one in a bar) and a Chunky Dunk which is a banana daiquiri riff. I met some cool locals while there and had a nice conversation about rum and cocktails. This is now one of my top five favorite bars. I cannot wait to go back!

This cocktail was delicious! This was my first time trying Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple rum. I flew back with this bottle from San Diego. I think it is time to invest in a better quality banana liqueur.

Ingredients:
-1 oz Stiggins’
-1 oz Planteray 3 Star
-1 oz Pineapple Juice
-3/4 oz Lime Juice
-1/2 oz 2:1 Cinnamon Syrup
-1/2 oz Crème De Banana

Instructions:
Shake all ingredients together. Double to strain into a chilled coupe. I did not garnish, but traditionally this cocktail is garnished with a pineapple wedge and orchid.

I got a chance to check out Bali Hai on a business trip to San Diego. The food and drink I had were good, but the views were the best part. I had the seared salmon and Goof Punch to drink. Well worth the visit if you’re in the area.

One of the greatest Tiki cocktails of all time, the Pearl Diver’s Punch! This cocktail was created by Don the Beachcomber in 1937 and I love everything about it!

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum (I used Don Q Gold)
-3/4 Demerara Rum (I used Pusser’s)
-1/2 oz Gold Jamaican Rum (I used Appleton Signature)
-1 oz Orange Juice
-3/4 oz Lime Juice
-3/4 oz Don’s Gardenia Mix
-1 tsp Velvet Falernum
-6 oz Crushed Ice

Don’s Gardenia Mix Ingredients:
-1 oz Softened Butter
-1 oz Honey
-1 tsp Cinnamon Simple Syrup
-1/2 tsp Vanilla Syrup
-1/2 tsp Allspice Liqueur

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Strain into a pearl diver glass and top with crushed ice. Garnish with an orchid and banana leaf (I used a pineapple front instead).

One of the greatest Tiki cocktails of all time, the Pearl Diver’s Punch! This cocktail was created by Don the Beachcomber in 1937 and I love everything about it!

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum (I used Don Q Gold)
-3/4 Demerara Rum (I used Pusser’s)
-1/2 oz Gold Jamaican Rum (I used Appleton Signature)
-1 oz Orange Juice
-3/4 oz Lime Juice
-3/4 oz Don’s Gardenia Mix
-1 tsp Velvet Falernum
-6 oz Crushed Ice

Don’s Gardenia Mix Ingredients:
-1 oz Softened Butter
-1 oz Honey
-1 tsp Cinnamon Simple Syrup
-1/2 tsp Vanilla Syrup
-1/2 tsp Allspice Liqueur

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Strain into a pearl diver glass and top with crushed ice. Garnish with an orchid and banana leaf (I used a pineapple front instead).

A nice variation of a Wray and Ting using The Funk instead of Wray and Nephew. This was my first time trying Ting and it is delicious!

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 oz The Funk Jamaican Rum
-4 1/2 oz Ting Grapefruit Soda
-Lime Wedge

Instructions:
Add ice to a tall glass. Add in The Funk and the Ting. Squeeze in a lime wedge if desired. Give it a stir and enjoy.

The London Sour was created by Trader Vic in 1965. I got the recipe from Beachbum Berry’s Total Tiki app.

Ingredients:
-2 1/2 oz Orange Juice
-3/4 oz Lemon Juice
-1/4 oz Orgeat Syrup
-1/4 oz Sugar Syrup
-2 oz Blended Scotch

Instructions:
Shake all ingredients together with crushed ice. Dump unstrained into an old fashioned or rocks glass. Garnish with a spent lemon shell.

Planet of the Apes was created by Beachbum Berry in 1995. I got the recipe from the Total Tiki app.

Ingredients:
-1/2 oz Lime Juice
-1 oz Pineapple Juice
-1 oz Orange Juice
-3/4 oz Crème De Banana
-1 oz Dark Jamaican Rum
-1/2 oz 151-Proof Puerto Rican Rum

Instructions: Shake all ingredients with ice and pour unstrained into a tiki mug. Garnish with banana slices speared with a cherry.

Background:
When I saw that the cocktail for this month required mango and habanero I immediately thought of using agave spirits. For the mango component I considered either muddled fresh mango, mango nectar, or mango syrup, which I settled on for consistency and balance. For the habanero I explored muddled habanero, a tincture, a hot sauce, and syrup, ultimately choosing habanero syrup.

Ingredients:
•1¼ oz Espadín mezcal
•1 oz reposado tequila
•¾ oz fresh lime juice
•½ oz mango syrup
•½ oz habanero syrup
•2 drops 20% saline solution

Instructions:
Shake all ingredients together and then double strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel.

Tasting Notes:

Aroma:
Bright tropical mango with a light agave smoke. You get subtle notes of chile and citrus.

Palate:
You immediately get the sweetness of the mango with the brightness of the lime. Mid palate you start to notice the Mezcal smoke and flavor of the tequila pokes through. The mango and the smoke accentuate each other. At the finish you really start to get the heat from the habanero. It’s got a little kick to it, but it’s not overbearing by any means. You also get a nice smoky flavor on the finish that fades out a little before the habanero does.

The drink fades from tropical to smoky to a chile finish.

The Miehana was created by Beachbum Berry in 1999.

Ingredients:

-1 oz Lime Juice
-1 oz Orange Juice
-1 oz Pineapple Juice
-1 oz Grand Marnier
-1 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum
-1 oz Coconut Rum

Instructions: Shake all ingredients together with ice. Pour unstrained into a tall glass. Garnish with an orange wheel and pineapple stick.

The Broken Plane is a tasty riff on the modern classic Paper Plane.

Ingredients:
-3/4 oz London Dry Gin
-3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
-3/4 oz St. Germain
-3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Recipe: Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake to combine. Double strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

No One Out Tikis Da Hut!

I went to Da Tiki Hut on 6th Ave in Tacoma with my roommate last night. This place is amazing! Rob the bartender was super cool to talk to and made some amazing drinks. The food was really good as well. They brought us a sample of their meats when we sat down.

We both had their Okolemaluana Mai Tai, as well as a Zombie. My roommate got a drink called the Lost at Sea as well. For food I had Korean chicken musubi, and a kalua pig sandwich with fries. My roommate got a couple different musubis and a loco moco.

I think this is my favorite Tiki bar in Tacoma! I need to go to Devils Reef again though, as I only had one drink there. I have been to The Old Hangout at McMenamin’s a number of times and it’s a cool spot, but the drinks and food at Da Tiki Hut are markedly better. Check it out and ask to sit in the back bar!

The Tokyo Sour was created by Trader Vic in 1974 for the opening of Trader Vic's Tokyo. I got the recipe from Beachbum Berry's Total Tiki app.

Ingredients:
-I oz fresh lemon juice
-I oz fresh orange juice
-¼ oz Galliano
-¼ oz orgeat syrup
-¼ oz rich simple syrup
-2 oz Japanese Whisky

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake to combine.
Strain into a rocks or old fashioned glass and garnish with a mint sprig.

The Tokyo Sour was created by Trader Vic in 1974 for the opening of Trader Vic’s Tokyo. I got the recipe from Beachbum Berry’s Total Tiki app.

Ingredients:
-I oz fresh lemon juice
-I oz fresh orange juice
-¼ oz Galliano
-¼ oz orgeat syrup
-¼ oz rich simple syrup
-2 oz Japanese Whisky

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake to combine. Strain into a rocks or old fashioned glass and garnish with a mint sprig.

The Great Pretender from Death and Co.

Ingredients:
-2 oz Smith and Cross
-1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
-1/2 oz Vanilla Syrup
-1/2 oz Lime Juice
-1 tsp Cinnamon Simple Syrup
-1 Dash Angostura Bitters

Recipe: Rim a couple glass with cinnamon sugar. Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake to combine. Double strain into the prepared coupe glass.

Rum has become my favorite spirit category. I have been increasingly going down a tiki and rum rabbit hole. I almost never sip neat and almost exclusively use my rum for cocktails. I feel like I have almost everything I need to make most of the drinks I want. With that being said I feel like there is always more to add. A cachaca or pineapple rum might be nice to have. The most recent additions are the Smith and Cross and Appleton White (new old stock find at the local liquor store). My overall favorite is Appleton Estate and my least favorite is the Clement Blanc, but I think I just need to use it more. What should I get next?