Post #356663 by Tikimonkey is now Tiki Trader on Tue, Jan 22, 2008 9:34 PM

Round 2, The Zombie.

I've settled on the course, machine ground ice for testing. I'm very satisfied with tonight's results.

Tonight, I threw together Don the Beachcomber's classic Zombie. May I just reiterate, what a fine damned drink. If you haven't put together the recipe from Intoxica yet, just do it... go buy the book now (I've got links on the site), and make the damn "thing".

Same recipe, same amount of ice, same mix/blend time.

Again, I've got pictures I'll be posting on the site when I do a wrapup of this later this week.

The glass was notably chillier in the blender-made drink this evening, with the liquid inside just a touch more transparent. The ice was pretty much the same in both. The blended drink had a damned decent amount of froth to it. That 4-fold aerator is no joke, and whips a LOT of bubbles into the drink. I'd imagine if my Passion Fruit Syrup had anything to trap that air (maltodextrin, gum arabic, or some other thickening agent) it'd make a LOT more difference, but the froth stayed on top for a good 8 minutes.

The texture of the drinks themselves were not noticeably different, but the mixer-made drink seemed to keep the sharper edges of the Demerara 151. My wife has a keener palate than mine, and she noticed some more depth in the blender made drink.

After a second test, as far as the end product is concerned, I can't honestly say there's a wide gap in difference. I do have my preference for the mixer though, for a big ol' variety of reasons (looks sharper, less moving parts, faster to make drinks) that might be keen for a professional setup, but I do give the blender a very fair shake. So far, it seems personal preference is king.

DJ HawaiianShirt: I learned to make the Mai Tai in this way: Into a Double-rocks, place a spent half-lime shell, and fill just beyond capacity with ice. Build the ingredients over the ice, pour into a Boston shaker, shake gently (5-10 seconds to cool, not to chill), and pour back into the double-rocks. Garnish with mint. Believe me, I hold the Bum and his works in the HIGHEST esteem, but have also learned a thing here or there. The key is to take it all into accord to use at your discretion, for preference or however you may like it.

By the by, if this disappears or I don't post for awhile, I'm going through some funkiness with the site, and renaming my old account (tikimonkey) to Trader Tiki. We'll see how that works out.

Any suggestions or takers-on for round three? I'm thinking of the Cobra's Fang, but any suggestions will be tried, pictured, and of course sampled!