Open question to the Beachbum about public web-database of Tiki recipes...

Just this evening, I realised that I have more bandwidth than most countries (multiple 100BaseT feeds through several different Tier 1 providers), enough CPU and disk space to load thousands of copies of bloated Mac OSX (piggier than Windows, if such a thing was possible) and Windows XP combined.

I have alot of PHP/SQL code just laying around and begging to be refactored, and realised I could "digitise" the Intoxica recipes with almost very little effort.

Yes, yes, yes, I realise the far more comprehensive "cocktaildb" online resources fill every mixologist's heart's desire and then some, but I found it oddly lacking tonight when I wanted to find a drink that would "exercise" some newly acquired Alize passion fruit liqueur. None of the offered recipes were actually representative from Berry's books, which led me to conclude that a Tiki-oriented subset would be useful.

It could also serve as "checkpoints" for recipe variations both through time, and through the various interpretations.

Naturally, starting with the highest-quality source material, Berry's recipes, would be ideal.

I have no commercial exploitation interests in this, as such a project is far too limited in scope/interest to ever achieve something that could earn any significant income from it. Maybe as an XML/simple-web-app distributed with his books, it could be a useful adjunct.

I was just going to "do it" for myself anyway, until I realise I can't be the only tiki-person to be in such quandaries.

But of course, I realise Beachbum's works of art are fully protected by copyright law, and that such a work may "erode" the value of his works, which deserve support and the revenues they provide him.

Disclaimer:

My core income producing activities are providing very specialised services of extremely high security (penetration is not an option) and highly available bandwidth, so this is just a flea on the back of a rhino, riding on an aircraft carrier.

So.....

If Beachbum or any who represent him in matters of (c)opyright want to message me through this board with contact details, we can discuss whether or not such a (free) public web database would be either welcomed or permitted.

I will most likely develop it anyway (the effort is so minimal), but keep it internal for my own use if the answer is "no".

I think there would be some value in having alot of this information shared, and collated from not only Beachbum's archives, but others' as well.

Cheers,
=Kukoae=

I can't answer for Beachbum but one major reason why this kind of project would be a bad idea is that Jeff Berry might sell fewer books. I don't think the guy is getting rich on the books he's done, and I'm sure that his contributions far exceed any monetary reward he has received from his work.

Why bother? If you have the books, his web site, and the Grogalizer, what more do you need? Besides, it's easier to make a drink from a book then to use an online recipe.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but maybe your computer skills could be put to use in a more original way, such as other TC members have done in the past (critiki, grogalizer) but that didn't merely duplicate something already in print.

I hope you don't take this as a personal "jab". I honestly appreciate your willingness to learn about real tropical drinks in your recent posts.

I also can't answer for the Beachbum himself, but as a professional db & web app designer who also is lucky enough to call Jeff a good friend, and meet up with the him for drinks on a very regular basis, I know a bit about where he stands. He has, in the past, been very concerned about his recipes getting out in other formats beyond his books, for the reasons jab stated. Additionally, he has his own website, and is also friends with CocktailDB's Dr. Cocktail (Ted Haigh), and me of course... basically, I would bet that the reason you haven't seen his recipes in online/db format is not because of a lack of resources/opportunity, but an honest-to-Ku lack of interest or even disinterest.

I'll bring it up with him when I see him this weekend, but I can't guarantee a response one way or another... he is, after all, a Bum. :wink:

I already did this with the Grogalizer

No recipes are included so as not to infringe on Beachbum's copyright or sales.

One you enter your items, you can click the Special Search and pick Alize and you get only the recipes form the books you can make that call for Alize.

I need to add the recipes from the new book to the database sometime though.