637033 Thu Jul 16 07:40:25 -0700 2009 8 36 Spirits 0 4863673 A while back I found a great recipe on here for a Mai Tai. I believe the ComicJester posted a recipe similar to the one used at Trader Vic's. After making several, I was hooked. It reminded me of the Mai Tai's I got at some of the better places in Hawaii (no pineapple juice, no grenadine, etc). I personally hate the Jolly Rancher drinks that are listed on too many bar menus, but it seems like when a tiki drink is made properly, it's more about fresh juice complementing the rum or spirit instead of overpowering the drink with sugar. I recently purchased the Tiki Book Grog Log and look forward to making some of these this summer when I have time and money to expand my liquor cabinet. I already have some nice rums, including some bottle of Havana Club that somehow fell into my suitcase. Since it seems like real tiki drinks are starting to make a comeback, I'm just wondering what are some of your favorites? Thu Jul 16 07:40:26 -0700 2009 12116 Ali G 1 4867792 I try to stay away from Tiki Drinks because of all the calories, but there's not many of them I don't like. Yes, the drink has to be good (not too sugary as you mention), but for me it's as much about the setting as the drink. The best Mai Tai's I ever had were at a hotel beach bar in St. Thomas. They tasted like good fruit juice with a float of dark rum, but three small ones knocked me on my butt. I've tried many since then but none tasted as good. Fri Jul 17 11:53:53 -0700 2009 4863673 253542 cycloneillini 1 4905678 Similar to the one at Trader Vic's? The one I gave is the authentic 1944 recipe! Well, there's minor modifications, but still... ;) One I've been enjoying lately is Don the Beachcomber's original Zombie from 1934. It's an absolute doozy of a drink... so strong it can't legally be sold in a bar in the state of Arizona to less than two people. Needless to say, the only time to have this is when you don't plan on going anywhere for a while. You would be wise to heed tradition and limit servings to two per person. 3/4 ounce lime juice 1/2 ounce Don's Mix (recipe follows) 1/2 ounce Velvet Falernum 1-1/2 oz gold Puerto Rican rum 1-1/2 oz Appleton Estate rum, either V/X or Extra 1 oz Lemon Hart 151 proof Demerara rum 1 dash Angostura 1/8 tsp Pernod (I use absinthe nowadays even though it wouldn't have been in the original) 3/4 cup crushed ice Blend everything at high speed for 5 seconds, and pour into a tall glass. Add ice cubes to fill, and garnish with a sprig of mint. Don's Mix is 2 parts white grapefruit juice to 1 part cinnamon syrup. The easy way to get your hands on cinnamon syrup is to go to Starbucks and ask if you can get a couple ounces of Cinnamon Dolce syrup. The slightly harder but more worthwhile way is to make your own at home. Crush 3 6-inch pieces of cinnamon (mortar and pestle helps, as would a food processor) into small pieces. Mix with 1 cup each sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cover pan, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes. Take it off the heat (still covered) and let it steep for at least 2 hours. Strain into a bottle and keep it in the fridge. Then there's the Royal Hawaiian... quite the lovely potion. 1-1/2 oz gin 1/2 oz lemon juice 1 oz pineapple juice 1 tsp orgeat Shake hard with ice cubes, strain into a cocktail glass. No garnish. Fri Jul 31 04:28:11 -0700 2009 4863673 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 2 4910724 If you like the Zombie you might also want to check out the 1956 recipe: * 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice * 1/2 oz. grapefruit juice * 1 1/2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice * 1/4 oz. Falernum * 1 1/4 oz. Puerto Rican gold rum * 1 oz. Jamaican dark rum * 1 oz. 151-proof Demerara rum * 3/4 oz. Maraschino liqueur * 1/4 tsp. Grenadine * 2 dashes Angostura bitters * 6 drops Pernod I'm not a huge fan of pineapple juice--I think it takes over the drink--and after making the original a couple of times I decided to try other juices instead. My favorite so far is replacing the pineapple juice in with a 1:1 mix of guava and passion fruit nectars, which in my opinion gives the drink a smoother and more "exotic" flavor, in addition to a nicer color. Sun Aug 02 09:58:04 -0700 2009 4905678 65478 davis_sq_pro 3 4911067 I just realized I left a teaspoon of grenadine out of the recipe I gave. Sun Aug 02 13:11:28 -0700 2009 4910724 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 1 4912444 Am I the only one that has a strong yearning for a Pupu Platter right now? Mon Aug 03 05:40:41 -0700 2009 4863673 15712 cavandre 1 4912535 Hard to pin down a favorite tiki drink, but mine might be the rum-less Singapore Sling. It's not overly sweet and has a complex balance of flavors. There are lot of different recipes floating around out there, but I happen to like the Dale DeGroff (below) best. The Oh Gosh! cocktail blog offers a nice history of the drink here: http://ohgo.sh/archive/singapore-slings/ Singapore Sling 3 oz. pineapple juice 1½ oz. gin ½ oz. Cherry Heering ¼ oz. Bénédictine ¼ oz. Cointreau ¼ oz. lime juice 1 dash Angostura bitters Shake well with ice and strain in to a cocktail glass. Top off with soda water and garnish with a flag. Mon Aug 03 06:24:17 -0700 2009 4863673 266545 sidecar 1 4922027 Painkiller: 4 parts pineapple juice 3 parts amber rum 2 parts cream of coconut 1 part orange juice Shake over ice & grate some nutmeg on top. Thu Aug 06 05:48:43 -0700 2009 4863673 15712 cavandre 1 4922476 Dr. Funk 2 1/2 oz. Dark Jamaican Rum 2 1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice 1 1/2 oz. Club Soda 1/2 oz. Grenadine 1/4 oz. Absinthe/Pernod Thu Aug 06 08:33:08 -0700 2009 4863673 92744 invinotheresverde