What AreYou Drinking- Right Now?

Well I finally put this lil old thin glass to work :)
I would recommend making the Don's gardenia mix in advance,
As this took forever to make.

Pearl Diver

Funny with all the ingredients the lime was rather overpowering,
so I made a second one with less lime,
more bitters, more cinnamon syrup and allspice,
much better in my opinion.

I'm just going to have to accept that I'll never be a cocktail guy. I like cinnamon and I like grapefruit juice so I thought a Donga Punch would really hit the spot. I mixed one to the classic 1937 recipe and it was nasty. Half the volume of the drink is rum and not enough grapefruit juice or cinnamon to taste. So I added another couple ounces of cinnamon syrup and several ounces of grapefruit juice. It was pretty good :lol: :P :lol:

Went to the Captain Morgan Party at the Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach. C M was introducing their LocoNut Rum. They had about six drinks on the menu using the new product. All were very good . I will post the menu tomorrow. The only one I did not try was the “Monkey Business”. It had coffee liquor in it and again, imo, Coffee and rum does not appeal to me I’ll post the drink menu/descriptons tomorrow. My wife and I started the evening with Lapu Lapu’s , had some ono Pupu’s and then started with the LocoNut drinks. PolyPop (Adrian) joined us for a couple of rounds. here are a few pix of some of the drinks.

Edited to add menu.

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2017-05-09 23:11 ]

On 2017-05-08 22:17, MadDogMike wrote:
I'm just going to have to accept that I'll never be a cocktail guy. I like cinnamon and I like grapefruit juice so I thought a Donga Punch would really hit the spot. I mixed one to the classic 1937 recipe and it was nasty. Half the volume of the drink is rum and not enough grapefruit juice or cinnamon to taste. So I added another couple ounces of cinnamon syrup and several ounces of grapefruit juice. It was pretty good :lol: :P :lol:

Nice label on the cinnamon syrup, MadDogMike. Bummer about the Donga Punch, I'll have to make one to see if I also find it bad. Fixing it with more cinnamon syrup might have made the drink too sweet, no?

I know your pain though, I've made a number of "classic" drinks and found they just didn't agree with my palate. Fortunately it's sooooo easy to move on to other things, lol.

On 2017-05-08 22:17, MadDogMike wrote:
I'm just going to have to accept that I'll never be a cocktail guy. I like cinnamon and I like grapefruit juice so I thought a Donga Punch would really hit the spot. I mixed one to the classic 1937 recipe and it was nasty. Half the volume of the drink is rum and not enough grapefruit juice or cinnamon to taste. So I added another couple ounces of cinnamon syrup and several ounces of grapefruit juice. It was pretty good :lol: :P :lol:

Fresh squeezed white grapefruit juice is essential to a good Donga punch. If you're using pink or red, or a bottled variety you're not gonna have success. Also, it's a very simple drink that really highlights the rum so the one you use will impact your results. Plus agricole rum is an acquired taste. If you don't have an affinity for that earthy, vegetal flavor, you should move on to another drink. I've experimented with a few rums in this drink and find that Damoiseau VSOP really hits the spot. What did you use?

Ace and Mike, thanks for the suggestions. Ace, "too sweet" isn't in my vocabulary - I'm a 58 yo fratboy and I like sugar in my alcohol :lol:
Mike I used Clément VSOP (fortunately I got a couple of mini bottles). It is definitely a different taste. I will try fresh squeeze white grapefruit if I do it again.

Geordie is very interested in our blended daiquiri with homemade blueberry syrup.

Birds & Bees Desi Arnaz!

Birds & Bees Pat Boone and Smuggler's Eye Opener!

Bell's Two Hearted Ale on a beautiful Michigan spring evening

On 2017-05-08 05:02, mikehooker wrote:

On 2017-05-07 22:41, nui 'umi 'umi wrote:
Lapu Lapu’s and Mai Tai’s at the Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach, California. LL's on the sweet side-Mt was o k.
Cheers

Was listening to Adrian's podcast discussing the new Lapu they're making with the old recipe. They seemed real proud of what they're serving. Would love to see pics of the new interior.

Hey Mike , Glad you had a great time in Cuba. Mahalo for all the pix.
I posted some pix of the R H under California events. check em out.
Cheers

Birds & Bees Cloak and Dagger!

(Used Rum instead of Gin :) )

Worst sound ever, slurp of an empty tiki mug through my straw!!!

[ Edited by: hang10tiki 2017-05-12 20:48 ]

I made a version of the Pineapple Paradise from Intoxica that takes advantage of modern ingredients

2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz lime juice
1 oz peach liqueur
1 1/2 oz Hamilton navy rum
1 oz Stiggins' Fancy
1/4 oz pineapple gum syrup

Blend all 5 sec.

Bay Breeze. Found the recipe on Trader Vic's Rum website. Pretty good, even with Captain Morgan, but I'm certain it'll be even better with my homemade spiced rum. I just need to get around to making a batch....

David- thanks for the recipe

The paralyzing puffer fish

On 2017-05-13 11:14, Hamo wrote:
Bay Breeze. Found the recipe on Trader Vic's Rum website. Pretty good, even with Captain Morgan, but I'm certain it'll be even better with my homemade spiced rum. I just need to get around to making a batch....

Hamo, Please tell us how you make your spiced rum.
Mahalo

On 2017-05-13 16:33, hang10tiki wrote:
David- thanks for the recipe

The paralyzing puffer fish

Jon, How’d you like it?

Great

Thanks

Hatchet Hall Daiquiri!

A Mai Tai and a Rum Barrell from the Tiki Ti ... our first visit!

On 2017-05-13 23:13, nui 'umi 'umi wrote:
Hamo, Please tell us how you make your spiced rum.
Mahalo

Hmm, so you want me to give away all my secrets? Let me have a Jungle Bird and think it over.

I'm planning on starting some spiced rum this weekend, and I'm thinking I'll post about it afterward. In the meantime, I'll say my recipe is a cross between two recipes Kevin mentioned on Episode 10 of the 5 Minutes of Rum podcast, which turns out to be not too far off from Martin Cate's version in the Smugger's Cove book.

Hatchet Hall Jungle Bird!

Scopa Bramble!

Some Mai Tais we had at home when my in-laws were here. The rum mix is 1 part Meyers, and a half part each of Mount Gay Black Barrel and Plantation (Barbados) 5.

My one also has a Side of Danger (OFTD)

[ Edited by: Early Landed Larry 2017-05-17 15:59 ]

A miniature 'ti punch to finish

All love! X

I do believe that my "new" Don Ho glass and the weather forecast of 2-3 feet of snow over the next few days both call for a Mai Tai

On 2017-05-12 19:34, hang10tiki wrote:

I wanted to try this, but I don't have any Pineapple Gum Syrup. Instead I used half pineapple juice, half simple syrup (per a note for the Gin Fix in Robert Hess' Essential Bartender's Pocket Guide), or 2-1/4 tsp each. Probably not quite the same mouthfeel, but very good nonetheless. I used Plantation Dark, which in combination with the pineapple juice lends a Stiggins' Fancy quality to the drink.

Hang10, what rum did you use?

A miniature 'ti punch to finish

All love! X

Petty Cash Happy Hour Margarita!

A snow day Scorpion Cocktail

Good thing I have three more bottles of this stuff in reserve cuz it's going fast. Daiquiri time. All the time.

Planters Punch

On 2017-05-18 18:54, mikehooker wrote:
Good thing I have three more bottles of this stuff in reserve cuz it's going fast. Daiquiri time. All the time.

Mike, have you attempted re-creating the Floridita daiquiries? Gawd, those were good...

I'm in New York for a week. Last night I visited Rum House a few steps from Times Square. I sat at the bar and Sara was my server. She did an awesome job with not only the drinks, but also her service. The entire bar staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, and has a passion for rum. If they could, they would add more shelves to the place and stock even more rum goodness.

Each of my drinks was preceded with the awesome question, "Do you have a rum preference which you would like that with?"

I started with a very flavorful mojito.

Then a rum old-fashioned.

Then, to finish, a daiquiri.

I am so glad to see that you took the time to visit the Rum House. It is one of the only bars worth a visit in Times Square, and I visit as often as I can when I'm working in Midtown.

Drinks look divine as always: They really do make the effort to know their stuff!

On 2017-05-19 06:30, AceExplorer wrote:

On 2017-05-18 18:54, mikehooker wrote:
Good thing I have three more bottles of this stuff in reserve cuz it's going fast. Daiquiri time. All the time.

Mike, have you attempted re-creating the Floridita daiquiries? Gawd, those were good...

Precisely my new purpose in life. I've nearly killed this first bottle trying to get those Daiquiris just right. The published recipes are not correct and I've toyed with countless changes in measurement, technique, etc. Don't get me wrong, these are wonderful, just not quite the same as what I had at Floridita.

I actually was thinking about starting a component study of the Cuban daiquiri thread because I believe there are differences in the products they have there that make it nearly impossible for us to recreate them in the states. First and foremost, the entire time I was in Cuba, I never saw a lime. All the bars had their lime juice in squeeze bottles. The fruit markets I went to had no limes. What are they using?! Is it something imported from Venezuela? Is it something frozen and thawed? Is it Key Limes? I even considered the possibility they're using lemons but think the flavor would be noticeably different. Unless their lemons are wholly different than ours. Then you have the sugar to consider. How different does Cuban grown sugar taste than what we have here? I need answers!

Petty Cash Brixton!

Is that Brixton, London?

Seven Seas Rum Barrel

Revisiting St James' multi island "reserve" rum in a mai tai. I was dismissive of this rum at first, but the second time around I find that the pronounced, fruity funk (maybe because the martinique component of the blend is a rhum tradicional?) makes a nice drink when combined with a sweeter, darker rum like Coruba.

[ Edited by: PalmtreePat 2017-05-21 19:32 ]

Good looking M T PalmTree. Me and my better half are having PainKillers and Paralyzing Pufferfish as served at the Bali Hai. I omitted the Pineapple wedge cuz I left my pineapple on the hotel patio while we were over at the Caliente Tropics and it was kinda ruined on account of the high temps here in P S. Also threw in a pic of my MCM travel bar.

Pufferfish. Mahalo Olivia-Senior Bartender and pretty lady at the Bali Hai, San Diego

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2017-05-21 22:56 ]

The Below Decks Daiquiri du Bresil and Martinez!

Corn 'n Oil

My Gin Rhapsody, concocted this tonight at Painter's bar in Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY.