Just to let folks know, Craig and I will be slinging the drinks tomorrow at Thatch for attendees of Tiki Kon VI: Drunk on Tiki.
For those interested parties, Craig has the menu available at this post.
13 drinks, 30 thirsty Tiki freaks? It’s going to be a blast.
Hope to see you there!
Recently, my friend Erik Ellestad of Underhill Lounge and Stomping through the Savoy visited Portland, where I had the opportunity to share a few meals, laughs, and drinks with him, his lovely wife, and our friends Humu and Rich.
The highlight of the visit (other than the hot makeouts we saw at Thatch), was Erik’s visit to Teardrop Lounge, where Daniel and Alyson shook, stirred, and muddled through most of the “J” section, all the way from the Jack Kearns through the Jupiter.
You can read more about the adventure at Erik’s post on eGullet. I just wanted to show pictures of the aftermath of the event, and share an inspired cocktail.
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Daniel, having chatted with Erik for a bit, had asked if Erik had found any particularly interesting or inspiring drinks. Erik responded with his affection for a lovely little perfect Martini variation known as the Fourth Degree Cocktail. Being the curious sort, Daniel whipped one up for me at the latest Tiki Tuesday (I’m allowed to take a Tiki break every once in a while).
Fourth Degree Cocktail
- 1/3 French Vermouth
- 1/3 Gin
- 1/3 Italian Vermouth
- 4 dashes of Absinthe
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass
It’s a very lovely libation. What more can be said about such a classic combination of ingredients, it was rich, dry and smooth, with a lot of carry through in the finish, thanks to the use of a local distillery’s special ingredient.
It just so happens that I recently got a new toy, in the form of a mini-tripod, which I had placed with my camera on the bar. Daniel set down my Fourth Degree Cocktail, and went back to reading the Savoy. This is the picture that happened, no staging. I love my fake job.
Time for another mixology monday. This has to be one of my favorite parts of the month, for no matter what I’m doing, sitting and reading through my cocktail books, or sitting in the galley trying out a new recipe becomes a required part of my To Do list.
This month’s theme, Bourbon, is hosted by the fine friendly fellas at Scofflaw’s Den, the second most googleable site for “concoctioneering”.
Bourbon, of course, isn’t in heavy use in the Tiki circuit. There are a few, to be sure (an Eastern Sour and Suffering Bastard come to mind), being that rum is the brown, clear, or “other” spirit of choice. Searching around Trader Vic’s book of Food and Drink, though, brings out a rather interesting looking drink recipe. As well, seeing as it calls for Shaved Ice, and I just happen to have a shiny new shaved ice machine, well, this one ain’t going where the Monkey put the Peanuts, so to speak.
Here’s the recipe and writing straight from the horse’s mouth.
Bourbon Squash
A fancy-pants if there ever was one - the only bourbon drink I really enjoy.
This should be mixed and served in a 14-ounce mixing glass, for the reason that this glass tapers and permits proper stirring.
- 1/2 orange
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/2 ounces bourbon whisky (Four Roses or P.M.)
Squeeze orange and lemon into glass, dropping in the shells; add sugar and dissolve in the juice. Pack with shaved ice, add whisky, and stir thoroughly. Serve with straws. I recommend Four Roses or P.M. because they are good blended whiskies and I think blended whiskies make better mixed drinks than straight ones.
It’s a lovely and refreshing drink, perfect for this time of year. Almost like an Old-Fashioned for the summer weather, very simple, very good. I used Bulleit Bourbon for this, and was certainly not disappointed. I’ll have to admit that my Bourbon collection is vastly outshined by rum (and I like to keep it that way), but it’s one hell of a spirit, and I’m always eager to try another. Any suggestions for another Bourbon to try for this refreshing drink?
Hey there folks,
between the new batch of bitters, some improvements on the Galley, and a super secret project that will never see the light of day, it’s been busy times here for the Trader.
Nonetheless, let the good times commence this upcoming Tuesday at Teardrop Lounge! This is going to be a good one!
Captain’s Grog
From the Captain’s Inn, Long Beach, CA, circa 1962. This dirnk features a blend of dark and light rums, Falernum, citrus, and a rather surprising sweetener.Jamoca
Chilled Coffee and tropical rum make up this libation developed by Don the Beachcomber in the early 1930s.Jasper’s Jamaican
Let this Spicy Carribean classic take you back to the days when Jasper LeFranc tended bar at the Bay Roc in Montego Bay.Jet Pilot
A spicy sweet drink from The Luau in Beverly Hills. The Luau was owned by Steven Crane, who also owned the now defunct Kon-Tiki here in Portland.Kava Bowl
Trader Vic’s classic bowl, featuring Haitian Rum, orgeat, and a bounty of citrus.La Florida
A complex classic by famed Cuban bartender, Constantine Ribailagua.Lei Lani Volcano
This drink hails from Disney’s Polynesian Village resort. A balanced sweet and sour combination of Guava, Lime, Coconut Rum and Pineapple juice is no Mickey Mouse cocktail.Mai Tai
Trader Vic’s most famous creation, and easily the most recognized tiki drink in the world. This combination of aged Rum, Lime, Curacao and Orgeat put Trader Vic’s on the map.Nui Nui
Don the Beachcomber’s spicy classic, with Aged Rum, Orange and Lime juices, and Don’s Spices #2, a secret only recently unearthed by Jeff “BeachBum” Berry.Port-Au-Prince
A mix of Haitian Rum, tropical spices and fresh juices. Don the Beachcomber served the last of these in 1941.Wisdom of Pelé
A Trader Tiki original, inspired by the rich rums of Guyana. This sucker’s a “limit one”, so keep your head up, ‘lest you learn Pelé’s lesson.Zombie
The most infamous of all Don the Beachcomber’s creations, any more than two and you’ll be joining the living dead with this combination of tropical juices, passion fruit, and plenty of dark and light rums.
Just a quick note, a new feature has been added to the Galley.
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Leaping forward into the year 2008, I have installed a computer in the Galley!
What does this mean for the bartender and bartendees?
I think the most exciting thing about this is setting up a cocktail menu in PDF format for patrons to browse through. My current menu system is… well, dim, multi-colored lighting and an 11 point font just don’t mix.
Along with this, I’ve got a new section coming up for the site, Concoctioneering! Think of it as a one-stop shop for all your syrups and mixers. If you’ve got something you’ve got questions on, let me know and I’ll cover it. Just finished a few batches of fun stuff, some Blood Orangecello, Meyer Limoncello, Ginger and Rhubarb Syrups, and even packed about 2 liters of Falernum (spirit, no sugar) into a barrel for aging… expect some interesting notes on that one.
Time to go whip up some more Pa’avaetuli! Company is coming, and there is drinking to be done!
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