What's the best book of Tiki Drink Recipes?

I realize that there are three drink books in the "book" area...I'm thinking of buying another recipe book and am curious which may be the best? Please feel free to list them in order as I hope to increase my library in the next few years. I noticed that none of the Trader Vic books are in the book area and I may be missing a classic drink book.

TB

1. "The Grog Log", Beachbum Berry
   
2. "Intoxica", Beachbum Berry
   
   
3. "Bartender's Guide", Trader Vic
   
4. "Hawai'i Tropical Rum Drinks and Cuisine", Don the Beachcomber? (Credited posthumously) Arnold Bittner, Phoebe Beach
   
5. "Caribbean Cocktails and Mixed Drinks", Mike Henry
   
6. "The Book of Cocktails", Jenny Ridgewell

I'm with Al and Shelley on those choices.

Use Tiki Central Search! to find them on Amazon.com. I have the Grog Log myself, and I review it here.

(sorry for the plug).

~Hanford

yea, what al& shelly said.

Agree with above......
Also, this little item from the Montreal Tiki Appreciation Society:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=4606&forum=1&4

It's not particularly fancy--it's small in size and spiral bound ala Kinko's, but it has some interesting recipes AND it's for a good cause.

In addition to those already listed, I like Maui on the Rocks, Trader Vic's Rum Cookery and Drinkery and/or Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink and Cocktails A-Go-Go. Paradise on Ice is ok, but often calls for hard to find ingredients.

For Rum recipes - The Encyclopedia of Rum Drinks can't be beat!

For simple fun - Atomic Bodyslams to Whiskey Zippers!

I feel as though I have just found the holy grail! I just received a book that was written in 1979 by a bartending school teacher in Hawaii, called "Poly-Mix". It contains more than 350 recipes and has 110 pages of type written text, most of which are tropical cocktails. The thing that gets me excited is seeing the extensive use of ingredients such as falernum, orgeat, okolehao, honey cream, "all dashes", etc. I can hardly wait to compare the recipes to the Grog Logs. The author also was selling drink syrups to be used in the recipes. I am in the process of tracking him down to get those long lost recipes.

Anyway, if you see the book buy it!

Cheers,

KT

[ Edited by: Kreaky Tiki on 2004-03-25 23:57 ]

Yeah, Al n Shelly's 1 and 2 are it, and they are cheap enough, you can't not own them. Start with one, work your way to two...

On 2004-03-25 23:55, Kreaky Tiki wrote:
I feel as though I have just found the holy grail! I just received a book that was written in 1979 by a bartending school teacher in Hawaii, called "Poly-Mix".I can hardly wait to compare the recipes to the Grog Logs.

Kreaky, not to burst your bubble or anything but, the drinks in Beachbum Berry's Grog Log and Intoxica are the original recipes. The tropical drinks we associate with Trader Vic's, Don the Beachcomber, etc do not originate from Hawaii. Remember, the Mai Tai was invented in Oakland, Ca. If you find that the recipes in your newly discovered book don't match what's in the Grog Log, it's because they are not the original recipes.

Poly Pop, I hear what your saying, and let me say that to date Beachbum Berry's book's are my favorites. I am happy about my new find because it offers me a chance to try other recipes utilizing the same "core" ingredients. Pimento is another ingredient used multiple times in this new book. I'm just stocked to have more drinks to mix in my "Ocean Room".

I am curious to know where the author got his training, my preliminary research has found that he was born in 1913. He would have been in his prime during Don the Beachcomber's reign. Many of the recipes seem like they may have come from the Beachcomber. I'll post more later.

By the way, any chance Beachbum Berry will put out another book? I'm ready for it!

Cheers,

KT

KT,
Yes it would indeed be interesting to see how many of the recipes are the same. If so, I would speculate that this author could have possibly been trained by Don or Don's staff. I mean, how else would he know the recipes? Especially considering the dating of the book and author.

And yes, Beachbum Berry is currently in the works with another recipe book -- this one will have a lot of the food recipes from the old Poly Pop restaurants.

**Poly-Pop ***

He who dies with the most broken mugs WINS!

[ Edited by: PolynesianPop on 2004-03-26 08:42 ]

I am very gratified that the Beachbum (the only guest author in the BOT!) is receiving the recognition he deserves, and that not once that abominable "TIKI DRINKS" train jumper book is mentioned...

I just photographed the cover for his new tome, "TABOO TABLE", due out in late May.

[i]On 2004-03-26 10:23, bigbrotiki wrote:[/

I just photographed the cover for his new tome, "TABOO TABLE", due out in late May.

I'm looking forward to that but BBB said no Spam! Boo Hoo!

NO SPAM!?! Oh, well... Sniffle, Boo Hoo, Waaaaaaaaah(crying alongside Atomic).

The Alnshely List (as I think we've already established) is made up of the BEST! I've never even SEEN a couple of those books but am prepared to POUNCE the second I do!

Get the Beach Bum Berry books immediately, Tiki Baron, as they are both available and affordable. The Trader Vic books tend to be plentiful on eBay.

I would suggest, however, shopping Used Bookstores and Thrift Shops (Flea Markets, as well) simply to find as many OLD, CHEAP Bartender's Guides as possible. Immediately ignore anything they say about the Mai Tai or the Zombie (or any other drink listed in the BBB Books) but check out any other Tropical Offerings.

Picking through the rubble requires, of course, persistence. It may take a great deal of time, a fair amount of liquor, and billions of Brain Cells to choose the good from the bad from these books. My experience suggests, though, that there is at least ONE MAGICAL CONCOCTION in each of them.

Unlike Cookbooks, there are No Bad Bartender's Guides. Only GOOD, BETTER and BEST!

On 2004-03-25 23:55, Kreaky Tiki wrote:
I just received a book that was written in 1979 by a bartending school teacher in Hawaii, called "Poly-Mix". It contains more than 350 recipes and has 110 pages of type written text, most of which are tropical cocktails.
[ Edited by: Kreaky Tiki on 2004-03-25 23:57 ]

The Beachbum would like to know who the author is, please. He thinks he knows, but does not know this particular book!

I just found a keeper, and I now know where the Beachbum got some of his Grog Log illustrations...

The Book in question is

OKOLEMALUMA
(Bottoms Up!)
The Ameteur Barteneders Hawaiian Friend
Exotic and Plain
Mixed Drinks
And Canapes
From The
Entire Pacific Area
And The Orient

By South Seas Scotty

Awesome cover Illustration, and some interesting drinks recipes.

My find of the month.
TG
http://www.exotic-tiki-gardens.com

[ Edited by: tikigardener on 2004-03-29 01:06 ]

Oh boy, there are lots of little specialty tropical drink books out there now. The latest one we got is called 'The Great Tiki Drink Book' by Jennifer Trainer thomson. It's full of pictures and good recipes - fun to have on the top of the bar. I think some of the newer books have some recipes that people have made up just for the particular book.

My all time favorite is the Mai Tai, yummy - and Richard's is the Blue Hawaiian; but I digress,
you know we always keep a copy of Mr. Boston's Batender's Guide behind the bar. It's got like a thousand drink recipes in alphabetical order, and most of the good tropical drinks, and with plain no nonsense mixing instructions. It's fun, we always find something new in it. But you know it doesn't have a Blue Hawaiian recipe! Can you imagine...!!

Big Bro, the author did work at some mainland bars, one of which was Aku Aku. I have made contact with the family and should more detailed information soon. I am trying to get more copies of the book. Maybe BBB would like one?

Cheers,

KT

These look like fun, but I have yet to compare or try the recipes.

On 2004-03-30 00:11, Kreaky Tiki wrote:
Big Bro, the author did work at some mainland bars, one of which was Aku Aku. I have made contact with the family and should more detailed information soon. I am trying to get more copies of the book. Maybe BBB would like one?

Cheers,

KT

You betcha! Great cocktail archeology, Mahalo!

On 2004-03-30 18:57, bongofury wrote:
These look like fun, but I have yet to compare or try the recipes.

The one on the left is the one I just found.
Looks like late 50's to anytime 60's vintage.

TG

It appears that Trader Vic's Bartending Guide is his most recommended drink book, but what about the other books, like:

Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink "1946"
Bartender's Guide "1948"
Trader's Vic's Kitchen Kibitzer "1952"
Trader Vic's Pacific Island Cookbook "1968"
BARTENDER'S GUIDE Revised Ed. "1972"
Trader Vic's Book of Mexican Cooking "1973"
Trader Vic's Rum Cookery & Drinkery "1974"
TRADER VIC'S HELLUVA MAN'S COOKBOOK "1976"

Most can be found for under $10, except Trader Vic's Rum Cookery & Drinkery @$42+. Does anybody have them all? If so, could you rank them.

Cheers,

KT

[ Edited by: Kreaky Tiki on 2004-04-06 23:57 ]

had no idea that beachbm was workin on a 3rd book!!!1....this is great news, cant wait to check it out!!!