Tag Archives: rum

Toast Tuesday: Tiki

20 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Toast Tuesday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

This is week 51 in The Year of Drinking Adventurously. On the home stretch. While it is 16° out, it seems like the perfect time to discuss tiki cocktails.

I have spent a good portion of this year really trying to embrace Tiki. I have not been very successful. What I have been successful in, is amassing an incredible collection of rum.

As I have lamented many times before, Memphis is a wasteland of quality spirits. Every time I travel, I explore new bars and new liquor stores looking for their gems that I cannot find it in my new home town.

Back in January, I spent an inordinate amount of time reading about the tiki culture, tiki cocktails, and the assorted and varied rums that are used to make up the elaborate cocktails. Never having tried many of these drinks in a bar, and not having access to the assorted rums that make up these drinks, I had to make some substitutions. I was not entirely thrilled with how some of my drinks turned out, but some were pretty tasty.


In August when I went to Chicago on my whirlwind booze trip for malort, I also went to a tiki bar. I ordered a mai tai, my first ever professionally prepared, and made the determination that I really did not care for this drink. I find it too sweet, and unbalanced. In my cocktail exploration I have come to find that I absolutely prefer classic cocktails that are nuanced and subtle. The mai tai was neither of these. I also ordered some other cocktail, one of their house specialties that was not terrible, but still not what my palate was looking for. I will absolutely grant you that tiki cocktails are truly some of the prettiest works of art in their assembly and delivery methods.


Jump ahead a few more months, to Thanksgiving and my recent trip to New Orleans. I intentionally sought out and made a point of going to Beachbum Berry’ Latitude 29. For those of you who don’t know Beachbum Berry is a legend in the tiki world. He has spent an incredible amount of his life researching and re-creating many of the original classic tiki cocktails that were lost by history. It was here at Latitude 29 that I develop a greater appreciation for what tiki can be.



I will continue my tiki exploration in the new year without the mai tai, but with lots of pretty flowers and very yummy rums. Let’s see how Meg did this week.

Cheers y’all!

Thirsty Thursday goes Tiki

19 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by in cocktails, girlfriends

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

I hosted Happy Hour at home on Thursday for a bunch of ladies.

a tiki-tacular good time!

 

The evening was so much fun it has been decided this will be a yearly event, if not more often.  I had originally scheduled it during a bitter cold snap, but the day turned out so warm and lovely, we had the patio door open and the fan on.

I seeded a Pandora station and we listened to vintage tiki-type music while discussing cocktails, movies, books, and what the evening’s best dish was (all of it).  I made four cocktails that I had pre-batched and made detailed instructions on what the guests needed to do to keep their glasses full.  This enabled I actually got to enjoy the evening and not just play bartender.

I made the original Mai Tai, Zombie, Black River Punch, and the Tall Blue Drink.  In order for the ladies to consume a little bit of everything, I made the cocktail size a little smaller than normal.  The hit of the evening was the Blue Drink, which ran out first, quickly followed by the Mai Tai.  I have a friend moving this weekend and tomorrow night I’ll be delivering dinner and a wine bottle of Black River Punch.  I’m learning whatever I dislike (sweet) is what the ladies like best.

The Tall Blue Drink is originally from The Great Tiki Drink book, but of course I had to make some modifications. Here is the drink as it was enjoyed at my happy hour.

Lula’s Blue Drink
1 ¼ oz white rum
1 oz coconut syrup
1 oz blue curacao
1 oz pineapple juice
3 oz sour mix
Dash of Elemakule Tiki bitters
Top with coconut La Croix
Garnish with maraschino cherry and umbrella

The original recipe called for the drink to be built in a highball glass, but I used Coco Real in a squeeze bottle.  If you have ever used coconut cream, you know that would have been near impossible.  I made it in a cocktail shaker then poured into the highball and topped with soda.  It made the drink frothy and pretty.

The Mai Tai and Black River punch were my favorites; stronger than the blue drink and much less fruity.  I made one small modification to the Black River Punch with the addition of 3/4 oz pineapple juice.  This was my drink of choice for the evening.

Since we are having a beautiful spring weekend, I have all the windows open and am enjoying the frogs serenade me.  I hope you enjoy your weekend and a little liquid sunshine!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/seasons/

WPC: Time (for a party)

07 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by in girlfriends, photo challenge

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

It time for Mardi Gras, Memphis style.  I got invited to a LSU alumni Mardi Gras ball and boy did we laissez les bon temps rouler.


 24251413293_6705c4b38e_z

I made a large wine bottle full of the original Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane cocktail.  There was none left at the end of the evening.  My band of merry revelers also finished a bottle of tequila, a couple bottles of wine, and a flask of scotch.

24852649926_f5b1fcbc3a_zNeedless to say, a good time was had by all.  Some had more of a good time than others…

24251410503_c1ff6b023c_z

No one in our group left their pantyhose in the bathroom, but several of us ditched the shoes.  There’s only so long you can look fabulous and dance like a mad woman.

24785529981_525386808c_z

My Hurricane on the left; Hurricane mixed from a packet on the right. You chose…

If you’d like to make a Hurricane that doesn’t make your insides glow from high fructose corn syrup and red dye #5, then give this a whirl.

1 oz dark rum
1 1/2 oz white rum
1 1/2 oz passion fruit syrup*
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons super fine sugar
splash of grenadine
lime wedge for garnish (when you aren’t serving from a giant wine bottle)

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake to blend.  Serve immediately.

*I used a passion fruit concentrate I found at my local ethnic market.  The original recipe references a syrup, so instead of mixing to the normal proportions the concentrate called for, I reduced the water.  Also, instead of adding sugar to my shaker, I made a simple syrup with the amount of water I was adding for my syrup.

24785836731_379e81c17a_z

However you celebrate your fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, I hope you have a grand time!