Post #633838 by Mr. Moto on Thu, Apr 26, 2012 5:55 AM

I should preface this post by saying that I've been to the Tiki Ti exactly once, last summer when I was in LA visiting family. So I'm not the expert on the place or the drinks that some of you obviously are. I had a couple of Ray's Mistakes while I was there, though, and they made enough of an impression on me that I don't feel completely out of line adding a couple of observations to this thread.

I made ickytiki's recipe last night and it tastes very similar to what I remember RM tasting like; the color is also very close.

That said, it strikes me as being too sweet. I used a homemade passion fruit syrup (equal parts Goya pulp and simple syrup) instead of Finest Call, so that might be an issue, but I found it cloyingly sweet--unbalanced in a way that I don't remember RM being. Considering the amount of passion fruit syrup and creme de noyeux in the drink, I'd dial the simple syrup back to 1/2 oz. at least.

With regards to the question of the vanilla note, I think subbing in vanilla syrup for the simple would be a mistake. The commercial brands of vanilla syrup I've tried (Fees, etc.) would completely take over the drink at 1 oz, or even a half ounce. A few drops of vanilla extract makes more sense. Or, here's another thought: what about using rock candy syrup in place of the simple? The Fees brand has a subtle vanilla note that might do the trick (you'll definitely want to cut back on the amount, though, since it's a rich simple syrup).

Just my 2 cents.

And a question: I can't remember from my visit, but I noticed from the pics online that the Coruba float seems to be more incorporated in the final drink than floats usually are. It's obviously not carefully layered on top. It must be a "rough" pour in--or do they give it a quick stir with the straw to mix it in? And a question about ice. It's served with crushed ice, but do they shake with cubes and strain it over fresh ice or shake with crushed and pour unstrained into the glass? Just curious. Thinking about dilution and the impact it might have on the flavors of the finished drink.