First Tropical drinks mixing session - a success - thanks!

Hi
(sorry for the length of the post)
A couple of weeks ago I posted about ways to get syrups for our (my wife and me) first attmept at mixing.
Well, I wanted to thank all those who helped. Turned out I could get some syrups here, and I even found Angostura Bitters in the liquor store.
We got some measuring cups and spoons, a metal shaker, we found unseetended pineapple juice, and we were set to go. Limes are not available here yet (maybe in a few weeks), so were kinda limited with what we could make. Crushed ice is not a shelf product in Israel so we had to use a speciality tool (see pics)...
We started off with a Tarder Vic Grog - a good choice...and I think the best so far. We also tried a Planters Punch (OK, but we don't have real grenadine, so I can't really judge, Tropical Collins (didn't like it), Rum Keg - very good and strong.
Then I wanted to try something with Orgeat Syrup, but couldn't find anything that I had all the ingridients for, so I made a combination between a Mai Tai and Bali Hai Mai Tai. I found out that the Orgeat Syrup I have (Monin) is really strong and I can't use it by the recipe unless I want something that tastes entirely like Amareto. If you ever buy this brand, use about half of what the recipe calls for or it will take over the whole drink.
We took some pics to capture the moment (we were pretty tipsy by then -me especialy after not eating anything before that for 48 hours...).
We made our roomate a TV Grog, and alos invited my bandmate to have some. Got compliments on the drinks, so we were pretty sure we wern't imagining that we did good.
Later this week we tried some more drinks, Mosquito - too bitter. Drinks with honey - just made a big mess...we're waiting for lime to be available so we can try some more recipes.

The special tool for crushing ice...in the background: our ingredients.

Dale shaking it...

Dark Jamaican & Light Puerto Rican

A second Trader Vic Grog..or was it a Planters Punch? Notice Palm Tiki growing from my head.

Tropical Collins

Finishing the Rum Keg

Mahalo to everyone who gave advice...

Ran

Looks like a lot of fun was had by all!

My first ice crusher was a rolling-pin, with the ice in a freshly laundered tea-towel....

Trader Woody

Ah yes, I uses to use that some style of ice crusher. Put the ice cubes into a bag and give it a few good whacks with the hammer. Problem is, the bag usually ends up getting torn, particularly if using a plastic bag. Now I use an Amish woods hammer (mallet is probably a more accurate word) that has about a two inch diameter, slightly convex blunt wood on one end and a metal meat pounder on the other end. Use the blunt end for ice crushing and it works great without tearing the bag. Makes corse cracked ice or finely crushed ice.

I gotta say this auction has to be the best damn thing I ever bought on E-bay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=982&item=731764766

Figures, the pictures are down, here's a picture of a similar, but different colored one. It's awesome, I just throw ice in there and instant perfectly crushed ice.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=741432603

Steve

[ Edited by: Steve Kapu on 2002-12-05 12:19 ]

I used ziplock bags wrapped in towels...but as PiPhiRho said...the bags tear very easily. A rolling pin is a good idea Trader Woody (we don't have one, though), and the wooden mallet sounds good , too. I think my parents might even have an extra one lying around.
Steve Kapu - these are some nice appliances. No chance of finding these here, but if and when we move to California, that's something to add to the "to get" list.

Mahalo

Ran

I have two of these machines....superb.

I'm not too sure about how international shipping works, but you might be able to find a seller on e-bay who will ship it to you. They weigh 10 pounds so it might be a little pricey.

On 2002-12-05 15:24, kick_the-reverb wrote:
I used ziplock bags wrapped in towels...but as PiPhiRho said...the bags tear very easily. A rolling pin is a good idea Trader Woody (we don't have one, though), and the wooden mallet sounds good , too. I think my parents might even have an extra one lying around.
Steve Kapu - these are some nice appliances. No chance of finding these here, but if and when we move to California, that's something to add to the "to get" list.

Mahalo

Ran

Aloha, Kick!
Fun photos, looks like you had a swell time. Cool pad, too! Where are you in Israel? Five years ago, I was on a globe-trotting adventure and was over there for a few weeks. We went to a new (at that time) Pacific-Rim style restaurant in Tel-Aviv. The food was delicious and the bar specials, although not Trader Vic-like, were on the track. There were some exotic juices and syrups being employed in the tasty concoctions. I wish I could remember the name of that place! Are there any other cool joints around you? Keep having fun!

-Weird Uncle Tiki
[email protected]

Steve Kapu - I thought of that, but the shipping cost, different voltage and possible shipping damage led me to decide to wait a while. At least this post has made me aware that such things exist :wink:

Weirduncletiki - We're in Herzlia which is sort of a suburb of Tel Aviv (it's a few minutes north of TA).
Nice to know you've visited here...If you remember the name of the place, drop me line. It's probably closed by now, though. We have tons of restaurants but they keep opening and closing all the time.
Cool places - well not really - but maybe I don't go out enough. I'll look through the phone book and see if there are any Pacific Rim resaurants. BTW, my brother told me he ate at a new Thai restaurant and noticed, get this, Tiki Mugs (!) on a shelf. I went over there peeked through the window and noticed them too. So, when I have time I'll go and check the place out. I know it sounds like I'm getting excited oevr nothing, but you must realize that Poly-Pop has never reached here.

Anyway thanks for the compliments on our pad, and for inspiring me to look for possible fun places.

Mahalo
RAn

Kick the Reverb-
If I remember correctly, Herzlia is a seaside town and a popular surfing destination, no? I heard a Beach Boy's-sounding song while I was over there that featured hitting the waves at Herzlia. Situated where you are, you're poised to be the Tiki King of the eastern Mediterrannean! Go for it!

• Weird Unc

Very nice, KTR. I love seeing other people's party pictures and these cracked me up. Nice giant moai, by the way. I got a nifty mid-century style manual ice crusher from ebay. Just turn the crank. It is a lovely aqua color.

I bought my ice crusher a little while back for $7.50 new. Not at all bad. While it IS manual rather than electric, I find the actual crushing action rather satisfying, though I'm always amazed how many ice-cubes you need to create a decent mound of crushed ice.

Trader Woody

weirduncletiki - "the Tiki King of the eastern Mediterrannean" - I like that, thanks!
floratina - thanks for the Moai complients. It actually looks better in real life without the flash making it look 2 dimensional.
I did not realize those ice crushers were manual (sure solves the voltage problem...).
Trader Woody - the first thing we always run out of is ice, it really takes a lot to get crushed ice. And there's no substitute for the crushed ice, either...cubes don't melt fast enough so if you try to use them (as my wife found out the hard way) the drink just becomes too concentrated.

Ran

weirduncletiki-"I heard a Beach Boy's-sounding song while I was over there that featured hitting the waves at Herzlia"
It just hit me what song you're talking about...heheh. It's a famous one - "The surfboard song" by Danni Sanderson. It is a Beach Boys rip off, indeed.

I see you really got around here, seeing that you know all these things - nice!

Ran