Beachbum Berry's Potions of the Caribbean, released Dec. 2013

My copy arrived today. Congratulations on your fantastic graphic presentation: from the standpoint of book arts, this earns its place alongside Sven's BOT. A substantial, albeit pricey, volume that's already worth every cent (and I haven't even tried the recipes yet!).

Quickly catching up here. My nose has been buried in "Potions of the Caribbean" as I battled a nasty holiday flu. But from what I've been reading, it sure beats yellow fever, dysentery and malaria. I HAVE been treating it with rum, however.

@ Sunny&Rummy: Wow, that's quite a Christmas stash. Your family certainly has you pegged.

@ TikiSan: I would definitely recommend the Bum's ice cone mold to anyone who wants to make a proper Navy Grog. It takes some getting used to, as mentioned above, but it's quite nifty. I have one of my usual exhaustive reviews in the works that will compare it head-to-head vs. the old pilsner glass method and also reveal a new recipe. I'll post a link when I finally get that one wrapped up.

I too am trying to pace myself as I make my way through "Potions," not unlike a night at The Mai-Kai. You don't want it to end. I'm also making an effort to try the drinks as I go along, enjoying them along with the text and visuals. Plus, I need to slow down and take notes for an upcoming interview with Mr. Berry.

I've completed four chapters and around a dozen new cocktails that I hadn't tried before. Once I get off the cold meds, I'm sure I'll ramp that up a bit.

The highlights so far:

• Planters Punch (the simple version on page 73) and Daiquiri (Improved, page 83). If there's one overriding influence I'm getting from the book so far, it's a much better appreciation for simplicity. The early versions of these classics, when made correctly as Jeff spells out, put many more complex creations to shame. It's easy to see why they were so influential. And some of the stuff he dug up on the daiquiri I don't think has been published anywhere before.

• Donn's Myrtle Bank Punch, which easily topped Vic's version in a head-to-head comparison. It has all the hallmarks of some of his other classics (Jamaican rum, honey mix, grapefruit juice, bitters) but as usual has a slightly different spin. Vic's version just came off as unbalanced and heavy on the maraschino and LH 151. Seems like it would make a better short, strained cocktail.

• Hitler's Jitters was a surprise, another simple daiquiri with a unique twist (creme de cacao).

• Petit Punch Vieux was one of the better, if not the best, Ti Punch recipes I've sampled. Once again, simple and elegant rule the day.

I hope Jeff's reputation as a "Tiki guy" doesn't keep a broader base of readers from checking this out. I would rank "Potions" right up there with any current book on craft cocktail history. It should be considered a must-read for anyone seeking to go back to the roots and learn the foundation of what's going on today.

Chapter 5 is next, so I'm sure the best is yet to come ...

I'll echo the thumbs-up for the Titchfield Planters. Went with Coruba. A slight tweak of the ratios and a couple of dashes of Ango and you'd have a Remsberg Planter, one of my favorites. With the equal sugar, lime and rum though, this basic planter is really good.

Sadly, my ambitions of following up with a Vic's Tortuga have been dashed because my wife and daughter drank all the orange juice.

The Joe Scialom chapter of the book has probably been my favorite so far. Made Joe's Sol Y Sombra last night and it came off just a little too tart so I threw a 1/4 oz of cane syrup in and that improved the balance. Went with Coruba as the dark Jamaican but will revisit with Appleton 12 and see how that changes it up.

Some additional thoughts on making ice cones.

On 2013-12-26 16:11, TropicDrinkBoy wrote:
I got the ice cone maker a few months ago and have used it a number of times... I find that you need to have very finely crushed ice for it to work well. If the ice is too coarse the cone will fall to pieces before it can be used.

I have a vintage Oster ice crusher attachment for my Osterizer blenders and it makes very finely crushed ice. These attachments are always available on eBay and is one of the reasons I am so happy with the Oster brand blenders -- accessories from 50 years ago are still available for purchase and are interchangeable with today's blenders. (Photo below.) This solves the problems encountered with ice not being crushed fine enough from your fridge, or from your Lewis bag, or from your Jerry bag, heh.

These are on eBay all the time. It's as if millions were made and suddenly millions of non-cocktailians and/or their descendants don't need or want them anymore.

Ugh. Sold out, via the link. Totally went to his page in early/mid December and figured I'd get back to it. Any word on more stock? (kinda wish he'd address it in his blog)

poor Mister Haiku
looks for ways to cut coolness,
but Mister misses.

I see what you did there...

Well done Porpoise!

very nice ;D
(small batch release....more coming to that site soon, fwiw)

My lady got me a copy for the holidays. Beautiful book. The layout and graphic presentation is outstanding.

I've started experimenting with some of the recipes and have really been enjoying the Golden Glove. Kudos to the Bum.

Mr Haiku, welcopme to Tiki Central. I went to go buy one the other day too and noticed they were out of stock. Hopefully they will be back soon ~ I started drinking late in life and have a lot of catching up to do! :lol:

Just finished the book and I'm bummed out it wasn't a couple hundred pages longer. Thoroughly engrossing stuff. Still lots of.cocktails to try out.

FYI, Cocktail Kingdom now says it ships Jan. 20 ...

http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/Potions-of-the-Caribbean-p/bok_berryjeff_0000_01e.htm

I figured Amazon would have the release this week - is this a cocktail kingdom only book - does anyone know?

Yeah, I too hope it will be available on Amazon as I won't be paying the $43 shipping cost offered by Cocktail Kingdom...

Cocktail Kingdom Uk stock it also.

I know, but unfortunately they only ship within the UK and ask everyone else to order from the US website.

Really enjoying Potions of the Caribbean....mixed up Myrtle Bank Punch which was great. Any sign of the Witch Doctor in book? Thought it was supposed to be there but so far cannot find it.....

I was curious as to the absence of the Witch Doctor as well. It was presented and served at the Bum's Potions of the Caribbean symposium so I expected it to be one of Jasper LeFranc's featured drinks for sure.

No matter, here's the recipe as related at the talk:

Jasper LeFranc's Witch Doctor
1.5 oz jaspers mix
1.5 oz gold rum
0.5 oz cherry Heering or cherry brandy
0.5 oz triple sec
Mix with cubed ice
Garnish with pineapple and cherry

Much appreciated, fixing up Jasper's Mix as I write this.....multi tasking...

I, too, was a bit surprised by the omission of the Witch Doctor. It was our favorite of the three samples served at the Hukilau symposium last year.

I traded a few emails about it with Hurricane Hayward and the recipe he provided (thanks again Jim!) calls for just 1 ounce of Jasper's Mix. You can read all about it on his website.

We went through a LOT of Jasper's Mix this past year.

Back on topic, the book was the only item on my Christmas list this year and Santa came through. I've read it through, now it's time to re-read it with shaker in hand.

Yeah, the 1 oz versus 1.5 oz of Jaspers mix comes down to how sweet you make the mix. Jeff and Steve Remaberg bith conceeded that they make their mix on the very sweet side, so to strike thebtight balance they dial back the amount used. I still make my mix according the the version Ted Haigh published in Forgotten Cocktails and that is a bit less sweet so the 1.5 oz still works well for Witch doctors at home.

Most of the Jaspers mix in my house goes into:

1:1 J Wray Overproof and Jasper's cocktails (can't remember if that one is called the Jasper's Jamaican or the Caribbean Cocktail).

Podgy and Jasper (my own drink that has a very similar flavor profile to the Witch Doctor but I think is even better. 1 oz each of light rum, Coruba, Jasper's mix and honey mix, plus a couple hard dashes of pimento dram, shaken withh ice and served unstrained in a Mai Tai glass. Try this one the next time you have a bottle of Jasper's mix and let me know what you think.

What is Jasper mix?

I finally broke down and just ordered it from Cocktail Kingdom...along with a few other things...to save on shipping of course :)

Jasper's Mix is a miraculous combination of fresh lime juice, sugar, nutmeg, and Angostura bitters that absolutely sings in the right rum cocktail. Pairs wonderfully well with Coruba and J Wray overproof.

Detailed instructions under the name "Jasper's Basic Stock" will be found on page 265 when your copy of Potions of the Caribbean arrive. Slightly different versions have been previously published, most notably in Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.

Something I noticed while Reading through "Potions" he makes reference to there being no good "Passion Fruit Syrup" on the market today. Which I felt odd since Blair Reynolds makes a damn fine syrup, and at least used to have several of his products approved by the Bum himself. Yet no mention of those syrups in the book at all. While I can understand that Jeff maybe doesn't want to go out making endorsements in the book. Does anyone know if something happen between Blair and Jeff that caused such an omission? Just curious.

Looks like "Potions" is popping up on Amazon. It's been awhile since I checked, so I don't know when this happened. This may or may not help those overseas, but it appears you can order from Cocktail Kingdom via Amazon. Plus, there's now a way to order direct from Amazon (free shipping for Amazon Prime customers), though it comes with the disclaimer "Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available."

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1603113800/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&sr=1-1&qid=1391926274

And to sum up my opinion of Jasper's Mix in one word: Addictive.

Thanks for the heads up! I had actually given up on it being available direct from Amazon but now just placed my order with a shipping cost of only $7.98 to Sweden!

I ordered one on the 4th and the "Package has left the carrier facility" in New Jersey.

Amazon now says "Usually ships within 1 - 3 weeks."

Arrived today. 9 days!

Perhaps in response to Amazon, it looks like Cocktail Kingdom has reduced the price by $12 to $27.95 ... and it's in stock:
http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/Potions-of-the-Caribbean-p/bok_berryjeff_0000_01e.htm

Also, not sure these links have been shared for the UK and Australian sites:
http://www.cocktailkingdom.co.uk/Potions-of-the-Caribbean-p/bok_berryjeff_0000_01e.htm
http://www.cocktailkingdomaustralia.com/Potions-of-the-Caribbean-p/bok_berryjeff_0000_01e.htm

At last count, I have 23 new cocktails down, many more to go. The latest to be documented:

Pupule, by Don the Beachcomber, circa 1937 ...

On 2014-02-14 10:38, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
At last count, I have 23 new cocktails down, many more to go.

Are you rating the drinks somewhere? I don't seem them on your blog, and I haven't seen them in the Grogalzier yet.

What would you say are some of your favorites so far?

My Amazon.com order shipped yesterday. Then they lowered the price of the book to $26.98...

www.thesurfites.com

[ Edited by: Klas 2014-02-20 12:16 ]

TikiSan,

I'm sure I'll share my ratings at some point, most likely in a book review. I'm not sure the drinks will be coming to the Grogalizer or not. I'll have to check with Swanky. Or maybe he can chime in here. Like the appendixes of Remixed, many of the drinks in Potions don't fit into the Grogalier's classic Tiki drink format. But there are still a good percentage that do.

The difficult thing with the drinks in "Potions" is that more than any other of the Bum's books, these are cocktails that are meant to embellish the stories. With Sippin' Safari, you can still enjoy most of the drinks separately and not lose anything. But with the exception of some of the Don Beach and Trader Vic drinks that we all love anyway, taking a lot of the "Potions" drinks out of the context of the book doesn't do them justice. So I'm trying to my best to sample them as I read a particular chapter.

All that being said, my favorites so far that can stand alone (and that haven't already appeared in previous books):
Daiquiri (improved), p. 83
Hitler's Jitters, p. 116
La Florida Daiquiri No. 1, p. 137
Night Cap, p. 155
(I'd give them all a 7 out of 10)

There are quite a few classics in Chapter 5 that I plan to address with separate reviews TBA. I'm sure these will float up to the top of the heap.

On 2014-02-20 09:51, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
All that being said, my favorites so far that can stand alone (and that haven't already appeared in previous books):
Daiquiri (improved), p. 83
Hitler's Jitters, p. 116
La Florida Daiquiri No. 1, p. 137
Night Cap, p. 155
(I'd give them all a 7 out of 10)

There are quite a few classics in Chapter 5 that I plan to address with separate reviews TBA. I'm sure these will float up to the top of the heap.

Thanks for the response Hurricane Hayward, I appreciate it. That is a good point about the drinks needing the context of the story to get the most out of them.
I'd still like to see all the drinks in the Grogalizer. I have 54 drink ratings, under a different username, to your 272.
I really get a lot out of your Grogalizer comments, as we have very similar tastes in tropical drinks. You do a great job on the Atomic Grog blog, too.

How easy is it to find white grapefruit in the supermarkets in Florida? Pink grapefruit makes up 99.99% of the market here in Southern California.

When you say you need the story to fully appreciate the drink, is the implication that the drinks aren't all that great by themselves?

Ordered mine today, free 2 day shipping on Amazon Prime :D

On 2014-02-21 12:04, TikiTacky wrote:
When you say you need the story to fully appreciate the drink, is the implication that the drinks aren't all that great by themselves?

That's a very good question. I'm still absorbing the book, as well as the drinks, so I'll pass the buck and say you'll have to read my upcoming review for a complete analysis.

But just off the cuff, I'll admit that I'm still steadfast in my love for Sippin' Safari. I don't think you can touch that book for its combination of story and drinks. But Potions definitely has a much broader and entertaining story. Is every drink a winner? Probably not, but I don't think that's the point of the book. If you're looking for pure bang-for-your-buck classic Tiki cocktail recipes, you definitely want Remixed. But if you're looking for the story behind the drinks, you can get a pure Tiki fix with Sippin' Safari, or a comprehensive historical analysis with Potions. The Bum covers all the bases.

As I write, I'm sippin' on Ray Buhen's Virgin Island Kula, which I will definitely add to the list of top drinks (it rates a 7). And I just realized that I left two other favorites off the list above:
Planter's Punch (improved), p. 74 (rating: 8 )
Myrtle Bank Punch (Donn's version), p. 181 (rating: 7)

Finally got around to ordering my copy and should have it shortly (yay for Amazon Prime!). I'll admit that I usually enjoy reading about the drinks than making them, but I'm still excited. Jeff is a great storyteller, and I'm sure to get lost in the history if it all.

I thought I'd pass along that Mr. Bum informed me that his favorite recipes from this new book were the Improved Planters, Voodoo Grog and Colonial Grog, although he noted that you might want to double that last one.

TikiTacky,

I hope you're enjoying the book. I've been meaning to recommend a few more favorites, and coincidentally they include the same ones that Jeff likes:

Colonial Grog (rating: 7 out of 10) - A stellar small sipper, spicy and sweet with bold flavors.

It turns out that this Don the Beachcomber classic is the drink that inspired Mariano Licudine to create The Mai-Kai's Samoan Grog, which is very similar in style and taste. It even once featured the same ice shell. Check out my full review of both drinks, plus my tribute recipe:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/03/22/mai-kai-cocktail-review-the-delicious-samoan-grog-wasnt-born-to-be-mild/

On my list, the Voodoo Grog ranks right up there with the Planter's Punch (rating: 8 out of 10). Spicy and creamy with lots of nuances of flavor. The sweet offsets the strong nicely.

The Tiki Bowl (rating: 7) is a classic Trader Vic's drink with familiar flavors (rum, OJ, lemon, orgeat), similar to the Scorpion but with cognac instead of brandy.

And the Tropical Itch by Joe Scialom (rating: 7) is rich and decadent with quite a punch from 5 ounces of alcohol. To me, it's superior to the Tropical Itch recipe by Harry Yee that was in Remixed and Intoxica, though the true inventor of the backscratcher-garnished concoction will probably remain a mystery.

Still many more to go, including two more Mai-Kai ancestor recipes, so I'll report back soon.

Received my copy VIA Amazon. Much like Sippin Safari, the back stories are sometimes more interesting than the drink recipes themselves. All in all an excellent read and great recipes to add to my collection.

A huge congrats to Beachbum Berry and Potions of the Caribbean for taking home the Spirited Award for Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book tonight at Tales of The Cocktail ...

http://www.nola.com/drink/index.ssf/2014/07/tales_of_the_cocktail_bestows.html

Tonight was a rare evening at The Mai-Kai, featuring a flight of cocktails from "Potions" ...

The Atomic Grog will be updated soon with a recap and more photos:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2014/09/20/special-event-at-the-mai-kai-takes-guests-on-a-flight-back-to-classic-potions-of-the-caribbean/

On 2014-09-21 00:25, Hurricane Hayward wrote:

Tracer Vic?

Tracer Vic?

The famous creator of the Mai Tao