Recipe: New To Tiki Drinks

Aloha, folks.

I'm new to mixing my own tiki drinks and I just got a hold of the Grog Log.

My question is, where do I start? Any recommendations on some good starter drinks to work on my tiki mixing skills?

Thanks.

See my signature. Just go for whatever you feel like. And measure your ingredients well. Also, I always make a double recipe. It makes the measuring easier.

Start with the simpler ones and ones that have more common ingredients. I would recommend mastering the Mai Tai first. Another godd start is the Chief Lapu Lapu. You need to find a decent passion fruit syrup for that. Other than that it is whatever strikes your fancy.

The Painkiller is a classic and a crowd pleaser. Don't forget the nutmeg and cinnamon. It's an essential part of the painkiller experience.

Ditto on the Mai Tai. It's the definitive tiki drink.

The Palace Court is excellent, as is the Sidewinder's Fang.

A Suffering Bastard can't be beat.

I could be quite happy for a long time with just those five drinks.

[ Edited by: Chief Bartender at Brenda's Tiki Hut 2008-10-27 15:03 ]

On 2008-10-27 09:29, Swanky wrote:
Also, I always make a double recipe. It makes the measuring easier.

Keep telling yourself that's why you make a double recipe. :wink:

Thanks, everybody. Decided to try my hand at the Mai Tai. Got the raw materials and now it's off to my little alcoholic chemistry set.

Thanks again!

On 2008-10-31 12:09, Suburban Beachbum wrote:
Thanks, everybody. Decided to try my hand at the Mai Tai. Got the raw materials and now it's off to my little alcoholic chemistry set.

Thanks again!

Personally I've always felt that the Grog Log Mai Tai was a bit off. I do however feel that Beachbum Berry has a perfect Mai Tai with his 100 Dollar version.
Do check it out:
http://www.beachbumberry.com/100dollarmaitai/

[edited to remove misleading reference to huckleberries.]

[ Edited by: Hakalugi 2008-11-01 19:23 ]

A 1950 Zombie is pretty easy and definitely effective.... Anyway, first build your bar inventory. The different Rums aren't too terribly hard to find, but make your own passion fruit syrup, grenadine and falernum (Roses grenadine is corn syrup crap). There are many helpful threads in TC that will help you create these fairly hard to find products. And always, always, always, use fresh lime and lemon juice.

On 2008-10-31 12:25, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2008-10-31 12:09, Suburban Beachbum wrote:
Thanks, everybody. Decided to try my hand at the Mai Tai. Got the raw materials and now it's off to my little alcoholic chemistry set.

Thanks again!

Personally I've always felt that the Grog Log Mai Tai was a bit off. I do however feel that Beachbum Berry has a perfect Mai Tai with his 100 Dollar version.

That's because it is. He corrected himself on that and a few other drinks in Sippin Safari, and stated so in the book.

The Grog Log Mai Tai has 1 1/2 oz lime juice, but he corrected it in Sippin Safari to 1 oz.

On 2008-11-01 19:25, tikiyaki wrote:

On 2008-10-31 12:25, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2008-10-31 12:09, Suburban Beachbum wrote:
Thanks, everybody. Decided to try my hand at the Mai Tai. Got the raw materials and now it's off to my little alcoholic chemistry set.

Thanks again!

Personally I've always felt that the Grog Log Mai Tai was a bit off. I do however feel that Beachbum Berry has a perfect Mai Tai with his 100 Dollar version.

That's because it is. He corrected himself on that and a few other drinks in Sippin Safari, and stated so in the book.

The Grog Log Mai Tai has 1 1/2 oz lime juice, but he corrected it in Sippin Safari to 1 oz.

I don't think the Bum would call it a correction. The Grog Log conciously called for 1 1/2 oz of lime and it was never considered an error or typo by the Bum. In reference to the 100 Dollar Mai Tai, Beachbum Berry states, "...we know, the Grog Log specifies 1 1/2 ounces, but for some reason, with these rums, one ounce feels right — more and the lime dominates, less and the result is too sweet."

So the Bum claims to throttle the lime based on the rums being used.

Nevertheless, I think the Grog Log recipe is still improved by cutting back on the lime. No matter what rums you use. And if you specifically use the rums called out in the 100 Dollar Mai Tai recipe, you are in for a real treat.

Yeah, I tried the Mai Tai both ways this weekend, and definitely found 1.5 oz. a little heavy in the lime juice department (although I confess to using bottled lime juice [not Rose's]).

It's amazing how much more like an actual cocktail it tastes like than what you get at most bars/restaurants.

On 2008-11-01 19:51, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2008-11-01 19:25, tikiyaki wrote:

On 2008-10-31 12:25, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2008-10-31 12:09, Suburban Beachbum wrote:
Thanks, everybody. Decided to try my hand at the Mai Tai. Got the raw materials and now it's off to my little alcoholic chemistry set.

Thanks again!

Personally I've always felt that the Grog Log Mai Tai was a bit off. I do however feel that Beachbum Berry has a perfect Mai Tai with his 100 Dollar version.

That's because it is. He corrected himself on that and a few other drinks in Sippin Safari, and stated so in the book.

The Grog Log Mai Tai has 1 1/2 oz lime juice, but he corrected it in Sippin Safari to 1 oz.

I don't think the Bum would call it a correction. The Grog Log conciously called for 1 1/2 oz of lime and it was never considered an error or typo by the Bum. In reference to the 100 Dollar Mai Tai, Beachbum Berry states, "...we know, the Grog Log specifies 1 1/2 ounces, but for some reason, with these rums, one ounce feels right — more and the lime dominates, less and the result is too sweet."

So the Bum claims to throttle the lime based on the rums being used.

Nevertheless, I think the Grog Log recipe is still improved by cutting back on the lime. No matter what rums you use. And if you specifically use the rums called out in the 100 Dollar Mai Tai recipe, you are in for a real treat.

I stand corrected.

I just noticed the difference in the 2 recipes and the forward in Sippin Safari where he mentioned some recipes being corrected.

On 2008-11-03 06:33, Suburban Beachbum wrote:
Yeah, I tried the Mai Tai both ways this weekend, and definitely found 1.5 oz. a little heavy in the lime juice department (although I confess to using bottled lime juice [not Rose's]).

It's amazing how much more like an actual cocktail it tastes like than what you get at most bars/restaurants.

Do yourself a favor and invest $10 in a handheld citrus juicer. Fresh juice makes all the difference.

Also, there is a lot of dispute over the proper rum combo for a mai tai. I was turned on to mai tais with a batch made with 2 oz. of Appleton's 12 year-old Jamaican rum, and haven't found anything that tops it.

On 2008-11-05 20:15, Austin_Tiki wrote:

On 2008-11-03 06:33, Suburban Beachbum wrote:
Yeah, I tried the Mai Tai both ways this weekend, and definitely found 1.5 oz. a little heavy in the lime juice department (although I confess to using bottled lime juice [not Rose's]).

It's amazing how much more like an actual cocktail it tastes like than what you get at most bars/restaurants.

Do yourself a favor and invest $10 in a handheld citrus juicer. Fresh juice makes all the difference.

Also, there is a lot of dispute over the proper rum combo for a mai tai. I was turned on to mai tais with a batch made with 2 oz. of Appleton's 12 year-old Jamaican rum, and haven't found anything that tops it.

Thanks, I've been meaning to pick up a juicer. As for the rum combo I've been using 1 oz. Myer's dark and 1 oz. St. James Martinique Ambre Rum.

There's a lot of recipes out there, some calling for 2 oz. of Appleton V/X and others for 1 oz each of dark and light rum and using orange juice too. For now I'm just sticking to the Grog Log recipe.

Also, there is a lot of dispute over the proper rum combo for a mai tai. I was turned on to mai tais with a batch made with 2 oz. of Appleton's 12 year-old Jamaican rum, and haven't found anything that tops it.

Coruba makes a nice inexpensive alternative at about $20 per litre.
(and it's made and bottled by the good folks at Appleton, shhh they don't want anyone to know)
I like a Mai Tai with 1 part Coruba and one part Appleton Estate Reserve.

Best
Mark

Tonight's Mai Tai(s) were straight from the Grog Log and the lime juice is a little heavy... so a bit more rum... I go for Appleton'w Estate V/X and Meyers... and the drink is JUST FINE! Couldn't find my tiki swizzle sticks but somehow I suffered through. Cheers!

I usually use Appleton V/X for the 'aged jamaican' and any of the 3 Rhum St James varieties for the martinique. I've also used the trader vics silver "mai tai" rum in place of the St James with a different taste, but not bad. After the tiki crawl, I've been using the Rhum Clement - almost adds a smokey taste to it, but I'll definitely be getting a bigger bottle once my nip-sized bottles are gone (probably Monday).

As far as other drinks in the Grog log, the Rum Barrel is fun (especially if you have the barrel mugs), Coconaut Re-entry, and the Kapu Kai (easy to make and potent - so easy you don't have to double up on the measurements)

tfj