My Newest Favorite Drink, What's Yours?

Foamy chose one of my top choices. The Vesper is fantastic. The Martini Monkey in SJC Inernational's terminal C makes fantastic retro and exotics. The Thai Kaffir Lime is not to be missed. blends of lime juices, citrus and chili pepper infused vodkas...Cold and HOT with a pineapple juice comapnion chaser that kills the burn. F-ing unbelivable philharmoic array of tastes.

One of my favs, not for everyone though:

Coconut Lime Ricky

1 1/2 oz light rum
1/2 oz half&half
1/2 oz lime juice
3/4 oz coconut cream (not coconut milk)

shake with ice, drink straight up

Note that you may need to get the coconut cream at room temp to get it to mix, I stir it in with the rum first, then add the other ingredients. I don't like to use malibu rum (coconut flavored rum) as the coconut cream has plenty of flavor and besides, I think malibu rum has a very low alcohol content, who wants that. Enjoy.

Use a coconut cream that has suger added to it already, most do.

Lately Arawaks have been finding their way down my throat. They're kind of like tropical Manhattans.

"Arawak"

1 ounce Jamaican rum
1 ounce cream sherry
Dash of Angostura bitters

Shake and strain.

I have been really enjoying the Lani-Honi from the Grog log. I find the lemon and Benedictine to be a surprisingly refreshing combination.

I really enjoy The Puka Punch and the Krakatoa as well as the never say die. I am slowly trying to work my way through the Grog Log, Intoxica, and Taboo Table. I origionally was using John D Taylor's Falernum now I have am using Fees Bros because of some of your opinions and it is cheaper. To be honest I prefer the taste of the J.D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum, I think it adds a certain depth to the drinks and is not so limey flavored like the Fees.

On 2006-03-23 15:21, TikiSan wrote:

On 2006-01-18 13:39, TikiSan wrote:

Puka Punch. From Tiki Ti, published in Jeff Berry's "Intoxica!", and again as prepared by Martin, late of Trader Vic's. Comic Book (Tiki Bar) Guy was incorrect, best drink ever: Puka Punch*...

What rum do you use for the dark West Indies rum that the recipe calls for? I believe Havana Club is what they mean. Anybody have an opinion?

I emailed Jeff Berry and this is what he said:

"I use Cruzan amber rum. The red label should say "Cruzan Estate Dark"; it sells in the $10 range. Good stuff, and cheap too!

Cheers, Bum"

The Puka Punch is FANTASTIC! I finally got around to making one last night. I used Havana Club for the West Indies rum, and I used regular-proof El Dorado for the float instead of Lemon Hart 151 (I avoid 151 if I have to work the next day). It's a complicated drink to make -- lots of ingredients, plus crushed ice, plus liquified honey, plus blender -- but it's truly a work of art when it's done, and it tastes great. It looks like I have a new favorite.

On 2006-09-21 18:47, The Ragin' Rarotongan wrote:
I origionally was using John D Taylor's Falernum now I have am using Fees Bros because of some of your opinions and it is cheaper. To be honest I prefer the taste of the J.D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum, I think it adds a certain depth to the drinks and is not so limey flavored like the Fees.

Maybe using half and half Fee Brothers and Taylor's would strike a happy compromise?

Navy Grog

Captains Grog

Grog:

1 shot rum
1 teaspoon sugar (preferably superfine)
Squeeze of lime juice
Cinnamon stick
Boiling water

Stir all ingredients, adding enough boiling water to fill mug or glass.

Never tasted any of these, but they have great names.

The Puka Punch is FANTASTIC!
I finally got around to making one last night. I used Havana Club for the West Indies rum, and I used regular-proof El Dorado for the float instead of Lemon Hart 151 (I avoid 151 if I have to work the next day). It's a complicated drink to make -- lots of ingredients, plus crushed ice, plus liquified honey, plus blender -- but it's truly a work of art when it's done, and it tastes great. It looks like I have a new favorite.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Puka Punch. It tastes terrific, but is terribly fussy to make. Making one is an event in itself.

Last night I was having my final coffee of the day, and realized I shouldn't take too much caffeine before bed, so I thought I'd throw some rum in the mix to slow me down a bit, I wasn't very specific on the amounts, but I used coconut creme non-dairy creamer, Wray and Nephews Rum Cream (made with genuine overproof rum) and Cruzan Coconut Rum.

I have not named it yet, but I really enjoyed it!

mmm

Right now I'm having a simple daquiri
2 oz Barbancourt 5 star
juice of half a lime
1/4 oz simple syrup

poured in a tumbler, dropped the lime shell in, filled with crushed ice
stirred for a bit and, at the moment, it is my favorite drink.

Another favorite recently has been the Queen's Park Swizzle (should be in any Trader Vics book)

And when I'm not feeling Rummy, thanks to Martiki, I've been enjoying the
Monte Carlo
2 oz Bourbon
1 oz Benedictine
dash or 2 bitters
shake with ice and strain into a chilled glass
lemon twist optional

Okole Maluna!

On 2006-09-21 18:47, The Ragin' Rarotongan wrote:
I really enjoy The Puka Punch and the Krakatoa as well as the never say die. I am slowly trying to work my way through the Grog Log, Intoxica, and Taboo Table. I origionally was using John D Taylor's Falernum now I have am using Fees Bros because of some of your opinions and it is cheaper. To be honest I prefer the taste of the J.D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum, I think it adds a certain depth to the drinks and is not so limey flavored like the Fees.

Howdy. I've been making two of each of the Grog log et al. drinks that use Falernum and having side by side taste tests.

So far I've had no clear winner for all drinks, in fact, some drinks are much better with one, other drinks with the other.

I'm liking the 50/50 split idea. I'll have to give that a try next time I have the bar open with a bunch of rum drinking hooligans around.

On 2006-09-15 05:53, mbanu wrote:
Lately Arawaks have been finding their way down my throat. They're kind of like tropical Manhattans.

"Arawak"

1 ounce Jamaican rum
1 ounce cream sherry
Dash of Angostura bitters

Shake and strain.

This sounds tasty. What Jamaican rum did you use?

Beachbum's own, is really tasting good right now. Page 17, Intoxica. I added 1/2 oz. of lime juice and some mint and voila! just perfect.

I recently started making Blackbeard's Ghost from Grog Log (?) I actually forget which book the recipe is in.

It's nice the combo of spice from the falernum, s&s, o.j. and apricot brandy. I've been using Havana Club Blanco for the light rum and El Dorado for the demerara.

The only thing that is missing from the recipe is some type of garnish. I was thinking a mint sprig and orange wheel.
Any other suggestions for garnishes?

The Kiliki Kooler, the Nui Nui and the War God get mixed more than anything else at my bar the last few months. Mmmmm-mmmmm good....

On 2007-06-25 15:36, Kukuthi wrote:
I recently started making Blackbeard's Ghost from Grog Log ... I've been using Havana Club Blanco for the light rum and El Dorado for the demerara.

That's exactly what I use for that drink too and really like it.

I tried another Falernum drink, "Hawaiian Eye" from Intoxica, last weekend and think it turned out pretty good. Had to substitute the white Hawaiian rum with Havana Club and used Jamaican Western Pearl instead of the Puerto Rican gold.

Hi all,
I got a bottle of Velvet Falernum about a year ago, I can't remember what I made with it at the time, but not being a great lover of Cloves the bottle has been sitting on the shelve since.
Until that is two nights back, when I decided to try 'Blackbeards Ghost' and what a difference this drink was to my initial reaction to Falernum, it really blends wonderfully with the Sweet and Sour & Apricot Brandy.
Looking forward to making a few more of these, and getting the most out of my Velvet Falernum.

The Rum Barrel is always up on the list, but over the weekend, I tried a Mai Kai Deep Sea Diver on a receptive party of people, and it was a hit, as was the Samoan Grog. WOW!!! Of course, the Shrunken Skull is always up there too. Do we have to pick just one?

Finally got around to making a "Puka Punch" from "Intoxica"...WOW! A lot of ingredients, but fairly simple and easy to make. It definitely is strong, so much that my wife said "I'll do anything you want..." after drinking hers, but unfortunately I waited too long and she sobered up! :(