Liliuokalani's Retort

So I threw a big Tiki party at the beginning of the summer.  There was a pig roast, and me working the bar all night making a menu of my favorite tiki drinks.  It was months of planning, and days of preparation, and after that I was tiki'd out!  For a while at least...

But it occurred to me tonight.  It's summer!  And while crustas and old fashions are great, perhaps they're better suited for cooler weather.  So I decided to impromptu a quick tiki drink, and it turned out great!  So great, I wanted to share it with the world.  Whenever I so happen to combine the exact perfect ratios of ingredients together, that a drink deems itself worthy of sharing with others, I always turn to my girlfriend for naming help.  After a quick back and forth she came up with "Liliuokalani's Retort."  She asserted that after someone got sassy or biting with Queen Liliuokalani, the queen quickly retorted with this delicious drink.  That's the story I'm sticking with at least.  Alright, enough talk, here's the drink...

1 1/2 ounces Smith and Cross rum (or any good traditional style rum.  I'm sure Wray and Nephews would be a wonderful sub.)
1 ounce Ron Matusalem Rum 15 year (or any other great aged rum you like)
1 ounce lime juice
1 ounce orange juice
3/4 ounces Pineapple Gomme Syrup*
1/2 ounce Allspice Dram

Pour in blender and fill with ice.  Blend quickly for no more than 5 seconds.  Pour all into the tiki mug of your choosing!  ENJOY!



*To make Pineapple Gomme Syrup.  Mix one cup pineapple juice (freshly squeezed is preferable) to one cup of sugar (I prefer raw or demerara sugar) and 1tsp of gum arabic.  Whisk over low heat until all sugar and gum arabic is dissolved.  Skim off the top.  Then strain and bottle.  Feel free to add a bit of rum to help preserve longer.  Store in fridge.  The gum arabic is optional though it gives it a nice thick consistency which makes for a nice mouth-feel in drinks.  Cheers!

Pisco Sour

Since we're on the subject of great pisco drinks, here the other classic involving this Peruvian and/or Chilean spirit.

2 ounces Pisco
3/4 ounces Lime Juice
3/4 ounces Simple Syrup
1 Whole Egg White
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine everything EXCEPT the bitters.  First dry shake or shake without ice (I know...it makes absolutely no sense calling it 'dry shake' when you really think about it...).  Then after a good 30 second shake to emulsify the egg white, add your ice and shake again for another 20 seconds.  Double strain int a cocktail coupe and now you can add your bitters on top.  If you're feeling real fancy, try to make a design!  Or do what all the real cool guys are doing now...but your angostura in an atomizer, and make a fancy stencil so you can have a sweet design ontop yo drink!  CHEERS!

The Kirby

Hup!

2 ounces Gin
3/4 ounces Lime Juice
1/2 ounce Cucumber Syrup (Half cucumber juice half sugar)
1/4 ounce Fernet Branca

Shake and Strain.

Singapore Crusta

I took a Singapore Sling and made it into crusta form.  The results are pretty great!


1.5 ounces Gin
0.5 ounces Brandy
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp Benedictine
1 tsp Cherry Heering
2 dashes angostura bitters.


shake and strain.  ENJOY!

Pegu Club Cocktail

A classic that was once great, then horrible and now great again.  sometime during the 20th century, I imagine as a result of prohibition, curacao lost it's way.  Once more bitter and made with actual bitter orange peels from the Curacao island, it became a sugary artificial orange flavored mess.  The fine folks at Pierre Ferrand made that all better, and now we can enjoy great cocktails like the Pegu Club again!

1 1/2 ounces Gin (I like navy strength)
3/4 ounces Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao Anciene Method
1 tsp lime juice
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash angosura bitters

Singapore Sling

The one and only (that's actually not true. there are a lot of different recipes but I like this one.)

1 ounce lime juice
1 ounce cherry heering
1/2 ounce benedictine
1/2 ounce brandy
2 ounces gin
1 1/2 ounce club soda

Shake all except soda. Strain into tall glass filled with ice cubes. Stir in soda.

Bon Soir, Motherfucker

Here's a twist on a classic. A great drink for the end of the night...

1/2 ounce benedictine
1/2 ounce creme de violette
1/2 ounce ginger syrup
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 1/2 ounce club soda
1 1/2 ounce gin

serve in collins glass filled with ice.

For my recipe for ginger syrup check out said post. You can find it by clicking the ginger syrup tag (along with other great recipes that call for ginger syrup!)

Grapefruit Nui Nui

This is a twist on a classic Tiki drink that I enjoy.

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce fresh WHITE grapefruit juice (for original nui nui replace this with orange juice)
1/4 ounce cinnamon syrup
1/8 ounce vanilla syrup
1/8 ounce allspice dram
2 ounces amber virgin islands rum (i like cruzan)
1 dash of Angostura bitters
1/2 cup crushed ice.

Flash blend at high speed for no more than 5 seconds. Pour ice and all into glass. Or you can just shake it and pour the drink and all into the glass if the blender seems like too much trouble :-)

Check the posts on cinnamon and vanilla syrup for those recipes. If you click the tags below it will show you those posts (along with other delicious recipes containing those syrups!)

Zombie (1950)

This is usually the version of the Zombie I go for. There is an earlier version of it as well that I'll post at some point that is also delicious.

1 ounce lime juice
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce pineapple juice
1 ounce passion fruit syrup
1 ounce light puerto rican rum (use cruzan)
1 ounce gold puerto rican rum (again, use cruzan)
1 ounce Lemon Hart 151
1 tsp brown sugar syrup
1 dash angostura bitters

Shake well and pour ice and all into glass.

Chartreuse Swizzle

This one from the clock bar in san francisco. It's a slight step up from the Swamp Water that you get at Tiki Ti (that's literally the name of the drink not a comment on the drink, which i find to be delicious). This drink just takes it to the next level. Chartreuse goodness

1 1/4 ounce Green Chartreuse
1/2 ounce Falernum
1 ounce pineapple juice (freshly made if you can)
3/4 ounce lime juice

Fill with ice and....SWIZZLE!

151 Swizzle

One of my very favorites.

1 1/2 ounce Lemon Hart 151 Rum
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce cinnamon syrup
2 dashes angostura bitters
6 dashes absinthe (1/8 tsp)

Build over ice and....SWIZZLE!

See my post on cinnamon syrup for that recipe. If you click the cinnamon syrup tag, you'll find that post (along with other delicious recipes that contain cinnamon syrup!)

Mamie Taylor (Scotch Mule)

This one I basically got from 7th Grand here in Los Angeles, though my ratios may be a bit different. It's a Scotch Mule.

2 ounces scotch (I like JW Black)
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce ginger syrup
2-3 ounces soda

Fill with ice and top with soda.

See my post about ginger syrup to see how that is made. If you click on the ginger syrup tag that should show you that post (along with other delicious cocktails involving ginger syrup.)

Dark and Stormy (Rum Mule)

Note this isn't a "Dark N' Stormy" it's a Dark AND Stormy, because i don't use goslings, or ginger beer for that matter! I will say that this drink is far superior. In my opinion, the perfect Rum Mule.

1 1/2 ounce Ron Zacapa 23 year
3/4 ounce smith and cross
1 ounce lime juice
1 ounce ginger syrup (sometimes i add a little extra dash because it's the best)
3 ounces sodea

Fill with ice, top with soda.

See my post on Ginger Syrup to see how to make THAT. If you click the ginger syrup tag, it should show up (along with other great recipes that include ginger syrup)

Pumpkin Daiquiri

Here's a simple drink I created for my fall 2011 cocktail party. Easy (once you have the pumpkin syrup) but very delicious.

2 ounces Zaya Rum (or any other delicious dark rum that you love)
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce pumpkin syrup

shake and strain.

See my post on Pumpkin Syrup for the recipe. If you click on the pumpkin syrup tag it should come up (along with other great recipes that include pumpkin syrup.)

Last Word

Perhaps my all time favorite cocktail. Firstly because it's great. But also because it was invented at the Detroit Athletic Club in the early 1920's during prohibition. Me being from Detroit, I take great pride in all things from the D. I have in fact, had a Last Word at the D.A.C which is phenomenal. Instead of using gin, they replace that with their own vodka infusion. I assume they do this, to more approximate the homemade or bathtub gin that was more common during prohibition. There was definitely some Anise flavors that were coming out in that one. I will occasionally spritz some absinthe on top with my atomizer to approximate this sometimes.

3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
3/4 ounce green chartreuse (if you only have yellow, just use more like 1 ounce or 1 1/4 ounce.)
3/4 ounce lime juice

shake and strain.