Some help with recreating a tiki drink recipe...

So, recently some amazing mixologists opened up a tiki bar here in Phoenix. First of all, WOW! The place is awesome, particularly when the best we could do locally was staffed by bar tenders that didn't know what demerara rum is. Not the case at:

http://www.undertowphx.com/

My question to the forum is, their menu is a GREAT mix of classic and modern recipes. My wife and I want to try and recreate a couple of their modern recipes. Here they are:

Heart of a Sailor... $ 13 A passionate blend of Macadamia Nut infused Overproof Jamaican Rum, Aged Demerara Rum, Creole Shrub, Peach, Amontillado Sherry, Passion Fruit Bitters and grapefruit Oils.

and:

Stirred Bird... $ 13 Take flight with this jungle bird inspired cocktail that combines a blend of Dark Rums, Pineapple Rum, Aperitivo* Aperitif Aperitifs Operative , Pineapple & Lime Oils.

We have found both of these drinks to have both the qualities of a whiskey drink like a Manhattan-a sipper, but with the rum/tiki qualities that we all know and love.

Do any of you have any suggestions on how to approach trying to replicate these? I imagine one ounce base, 3/4 ounce other rums/shrub, 3/4 ounce etc... and splash of the other ingredients? Does that make sense?

FWIW if you are anywhere within driving distance of this bar, check it out. It is an amazing place. They have taken an old Jiffy Lube and converted it into a coffee/bar/restaurant and then used the under ground area to make a tiki bar/like the hold of a ship. Now the space is AMAZING, but the drinks are even better. I'm sure they will get a following and you will hear more, but in short, if you are close by, check it out.

Be advised, they are new and in high demand, so you need to make reservations. Text them with your request Monday morning-to get your slot. Or you may not get in.

Not sure, but the heart of the sailor sounds like it might be based off of the fog cutter: the nutty flavor of the macadamia nut infused rum replacing the nuttiness of the orgeat, the amontillado sherry, etc. Maybe sub the rums out for the liquors, maybe use half an ounce of peach brandy and half an ounce of creole shrub in place of the brandy/cognac? I've seen bars use fruity bitters in fog cutters (like apricot bitters) so that could work, too.

That's where I would start at least. Good luck! Those drinks sound, good let us know if you figure them out!

Have you tried asking the bartender for the recipe? Some bars are actually happy to share, but some won't. Just a thought.

On 2016-10-16 22:15, rummy_dearest wrote:
Not sure, but the heart of the sailor sounds like it might be based off of the fog cutter: the nutty flavor of the macadamia nut infused rum replacing the nuttiness of the orgeat, the amontillado sherry, etc. Maybe sub the rums out for the liquors, maybe use half an ounce of peach brandy and half an ounce of creole shrub in place of the brandy/cognac? I've seen bars use fruity bitters in fog cutters (like apricot bitters) so that could work, too.

That's where I would start at least. Good luck! Those drinks sound, good let us know if you figure them out!

Thank you so much! We will give that a try and I will let you know what we come up with!

On 2016-10-17 06:54, JenTiki wrote:
Have you tried asking the bartender for the recipe? Some bars are actually happy to share, but some won't. Just a thought.

And we will try this also. We have established some rapport with one of the bartenders who has already gave us some great ideas. We will ask him about these drinks as well.

There is a Macadamia nut Liquor , made by Trader Vic's available at most BevMo's. This may give you that taste you're seeking, and it's oh so good!

[ Edited by: closettiki 2016-10-17 19:12 ]

On 2016-10-16 22:15, rummy_dearest wrote:
Not sure, but the heart of the sailor sounds like it might be based off of the fog cutter: the nutty flavor of the macadamia nut infused rum replacing the nuttiness of the orgeat, the amontillado sherry, etc. Maybe sub the rums out for the liquors, maybe use half an ounce of peach brandy and half an ounce of creole shrub in place of the brandy/cognac? I've seen bars use fruity bitters in fog cutters (like apricot bitters) so that could work, too.

That's where I would start at least. Good luck! Those drinks sound, good let us know if you figure them out!

Ok, so using the Fog Cutter as a guide-and getting some guidance from the bar keeps, here is what my wife and I have been trying:

1 1/2 ounce demerara rum, 1/2 ounce Smith and Cross, 1/2 ounce Clement Creole Shrub, 1/2 ounce peach snaps (the bar keeps said they use Geffard crème de peache-we ordered it from Hi Times and it will be here this weekend), 1/2 ounce amontillado sherry, passion fruit bitters, and we took advice from this thread and have used more or less 1/4 ounce orgeat. We also use the rind of a grapefruit for garnish.

We both like the drink, but it is not yet as good as what we've had at the Undertow. We like how it is more of a sipper but "tiki"/rum flavored as opposed to a Manhattan or something of that ilk and we like that it has layers including how it seems to get better as the ice melts-the Undertow serves the drink with a cube, and we use a sphere of ice. I think the Undertow drink is smoother and darker/more bourbon/rye like.

So we have made a few attempts at this-and we will make more, so it could become a staple, but it is not as good as the Undertow.

More to come...

Both super drinks at UT!
Have you seen this recipe for Jungle Stirred?
http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2016/08/jungle-stirred.html?m=1

It might help with proportions for trying to recreate the stirred bird.