Posted by TraderTiki on June 15th, 2008 — Posted in Bourbon, MxMo, Trader Vic
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?
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Posted by TraderTiki on May 12th, 2008 — Posted in Events, MxMo, Rum
When toasting to friends and close relations, it is often best to toast with a bit of the tipple in one’s hand. For anyone who has read Wayne Curtis‘ And a Bottle of Rum
, you know that the tipple of choice in American Saloons in “toastier” times, was a nice bit of punch, a flip, or a tot of Medford Rum. The tradition of toasting has, alas, not been quite as present in this century. This is perhaps due to the tradition getting a bit frustrating with a toast risen to each stranger waltzing in, sentence uttered, or sneeze stifled. Though for this Mixology Monday, with the cocktail scene booming both on the internet, at home, and in the bars of this great nation, I raise this toast to you, my fellow cocktailians, contributors, and other various liquorati.
The first toast I raise to Courtney Patubo, winning designer for the new Mixology Monday logo above, and who will receive a signed hardcover copy of And a Bottle of Rum. I also cheer Paul at the Cocktail Chronicles, for running the contest, and all those who voted. A smaller, slightly less enthusiastic (though still encouraging) toast for those designers who did not win.
The next toast I raise to the subject of the day, Rum! What more is to be said for this syrup of the gods and devils that can’t be found at the bottom of a tot of Pusser’s, a dram of Demerara, or in the depths of a fine Daiquiri. Whether mixed with its natural friend lime, or poured through the belly of a giant ice-block tiki, this Kill-devil, Rumbullion, or however you fancy has been making and shaping history since the first drops came out of the still. This Monday, May 12th, the internet has been set ablaze with posts celebrating this luxurious libation. Here are the results of our look into this most fascinating and diverse spirit.
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Posted by TraderTiki on May 12th, 2008 — Posted in Don the Beachcomber, Grog Log, MxMo, Rum, Sippin' Safari
For my own, and to be made very brief, foray into this Hulabalooza we call Mixology Monday, the subject is Rum, and is being hosted here at Tradertiki.com! I have decided to descend down the dark path of some pitch black and fiery rums, and their cocktail interpretations as developed by Don the Beachcomber. Each drink features only the one rum, and not the usual blended variety of rums Don was known for, but the man could take one note and make a symphony (and a few bucks as well).
The first rum up is the ever-increasingly hard to find Aged Martinique. In this instance, I am using St. James Extra old, one of my favorite mixing rums, known for its smoky, spicy and wooden notes. I am, alas, an ounce or so away from another empty bottle. This is my sacrifice to you, Don the Beachcomber’s Donga Punch (Sippin’ Safari
, page 35). Taking notes from the spiciness of the dram, Don added a mellowed and sweet spice with his Don’s Mix, a blend of Grapefruit and Cinnamon. Unfortunately, it was never written down exactly what grapefruit was used, but I feel that Melogold tends to work wonders in all things tiki. There is the aftertaste of bitter, but none of the harshness that can come with the red of its kind. When you’re working with this much lime, one souring ingredient can be quite enough. Of course, lime makes its way into the drink, giving the palate a refreshing breeze to open it up to feel the notes of the rum. This is a beautiful drink, and a strong example of Don’s mastery of mixing with Rum.
Next on the list to try, the Ron Pompero Aniversario, making its way to take place of Infierno, a long defunct 20 years aged Rum of Cuban Origin. This is a very dark and sweet aged rum, a product of Venezuela. It has plenty of the dark smoke and wood tones, as well as an almost tangy maple. The Aniversario pairs very well with a nice cigar, Partagas Black if you’ve got ‘em. Don took this Rum, well, the Infierno, and matched it with two of its best friends, Gomme and Lime, in a drink, very aptly titled Rum, Gomme, and Lime (Sippin’ Safari, page 40). Put in white or gold rum, you have a nice Daiquiri. Match the Gomme and Lime with a well-aged dark rum, and you’ve got a testament to the very foundations of Tiki culture, the modern cocktail, and Liquor et al. Yes, that’s plenty of ice filling that cup… the rum can take it, and still smile all the way down your throat.
Finally, in the cavalcade of Rums and Libations is that great old bugger that adds depth and kick to just about anything, Lemon Hart 151, from Lemon Hart. This well-utilized Demerara Rum tends to make its way across the Tiki drink spectrum, mixed in everything from its own 151 Swizzle, to Don’s infamous Zombie. By itself, this stuff is one helluva kick, smooth up front with plenty of burn in the back. The flavor, well, to be honest is about as smokey as an overused ashtray. Once put into a glass with a few ingredients, however, this spirit opens up like nothing else, adding depth and warmth and a true spirit of the islands to all it touches. The drink I’m putting this sucker in tonight is, for the third time on this site, the 151 Swizzle (Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log
, page 45), consistently my last drink of the night whenever I visit Forbidden Island. Spice, syrup, lime, Herbsaint, and plenty of ice round out the spirit, giving it more sweetness, longevity, and enhancing the natural flavors. It calms the 151 down, and brings it right back up into full flavor. It’s a fantastic drink I highly recommend.
Well, that does it for this MxMo Rum! entry. I hope you enjoy the wrap up to be posted tomorrow. As of this time, there are 27 entries, and still a few heavy hitters that haven’t pitched in. I can stay up as late as you can fellas, I’ve got plenty of bottles of 151 left.
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Posted by TraderTiki on May 12th, 2008 — Posted in MxMo
Don’t forget to submit your link for Mixology Monday Rum!
Just plunk down for a bottle of rum, take a swig or throw it in a cocktail glass, and write about it on the internet!
Entries are due today! 9 submissions in so far, my own to finish up, and a heckuva lot more to go! If I can stay up past midnight finishing the wrap-up, you too can spend your Monday evening drunk and typing.
Send your link to TRADERTIKI at TRADERTIKI dot com.
Mahalo!
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Posted by TraderTiki on April 25th, 2008 — Posted in MxMo
What a good day to enjoy rum. The sun is just starting to peek out above the grey Northwest skies, and I’m ready to start basking in some daylight. But the evening, oh the evening, and what it shall be…
On this good day in Rum, I would like to make sure to announce Paul Clarke’s perfectly timed article on Rum in the SF Chronicle. Why the timing note? Well, tonight is the first Rum Tasting at Reynolés Galley! The theme for this evening’s festivity is Top Shelf, with representatives from Ron Zacapa, Pusser’s, Havana Club, and Diplomatico ready to be swished, swirled, sloshed and slurped by a dozen or so rum lovers. I’ll be posting results and pictures sometime after the evening (and likely, the morning after) is finished.
With this discussion of Rum going on, I figure it’s about time to explain my hopes and wishes for entries in the upcoming Mixology Monday XXVII, RUM! Hosted here at tradertiki.com. Rum is such a widely ranged spirits, from light and lovely to dark and delectable, even occasionally downright nasty (I do so need a bottle of Screech). In the spirit or the spirit, I would like to see a wide range of posts! A known cocktail’s a lovely thing, but why not hold a rum tasting of your own? Perhaps a rum review post focusing on a particular Island or Country. Find a specialty Rum Bar in your area and host a chat with the mixologists there. Grab a bottle at your local liquor store that you’ve never noticed before, and whip up a new concoction to wow the rum-soaked masses. Have fun, be creative, but most of all enjoy, and get your submissions with a thumbnail to me via e-mail with a link to the article! I can be reached at tradertiki AT tradertiki DOT com.
Oh, and regarding MxMo posts, there will be some time in getting a new icon, as the contest has yet to be decided. So no worries for now!
Good evening, and good drinking!
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