More safari, and one for the ladies.

After a damned decent break (that last Zombie Punch hit a little too hard), it’s time to get back into the Bum’s own Sippin’ Safari.

This evening started off with the Kamehameha Rum Punch, page 81 in Sippin’ Safari.

It’s a pretty number, with a lot of sweetness, and pretty heavy on the pineapple. The blackberry brandy doesn’t work much magic, but the float of dark Jamaican gives it a nice kick at the end. Its got a number of sweeteners, but not much depth within them. It might be that I haven’t put together my own grenadine for a while. I’ve got to say, I’ve lost a bit of my love for the sweet stuff. I blame the Fog Cutter for that.

Next is one of my new personal favorites, the Nui Nui, page 92 (now on the menu at Forbidden Island!). This is one of the drinks that features the recently re-discovered ingredients covered in Sippin’ Safari. There’s Cinnamon Syrup, my new favorite ingredient in everything, matched with the fantastic ingredients from Donn’s Spices #2. The Allspice and the Cinnamon bring out a bucketload of flavor in the rum, it’s like Amber Cruzan was made just to mix with them. The orange spiral on top is a unique garnish, and, when properly squeezed, releases that fantastic orange oil to the drink.

Here’s where I rant for a second. If your drink has got citrus in it, any of it, chances are you’ll be cutting into the skin of a nice fresh piece of fruit. There’s oil in that there skin, which can round out, brighten up, and entirely alter a drink from sloppy sweet to light and refreshing. Just a quick spritz on top of the drink will do it, squeeze it or slice it, just do it already!

So we continue on from sweet, to savory, to sweet as all get out. The Macadamia Nut Chi Chi, from Intoxica, page 50. This one is my wife’s favorite, with the Lei Lani Volcano coming in a close second. It’s a blended drink, which makes a fun texture, using Vodka, Pineapple Juice and that star of the tropical drink, Coco Lopez. Accept no substitute, Coco Lopez is the real deal. If I even so much as see a can of Coco de Casa in your bar, I will find myself in the need to confiscate all rum in the proximity. It’s sweet, it’s slushy, the Macadamia Nut Liqueur and Coco Lopez mix like some sort of devil’s Macadamia Joy bar. It’s why I always have to keep my Macadamia Nut Liqueur in stock.

I’ve got a special visitor arriving in November, just in time to open up the Rum Shrub I just put in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. We’ll see how that goes. I’m also doing some heavy research into the Fog Cutter. If anyone’s got an older Trader Vic’s menu, or a Vic’s Bartender’s Guide or other cocktail book with the Fog Cutter before or after 1948, I’ll pay for shipping to and fro, or cut you a good deal on a bottle of something special.

Okole Maluna!