Jim’s Special From the owners of Tiki Ti in Hollywood, the oldest Tiki Bar in the USA. This is a very strong drink with 4.5 ounces of liquor in it. You can easily make a half recipe and still feel it. Proceed with caution. I liked this because I had some tequila sitting in my […]
Mediterranean Mule Last Summer around this time, things seem to be getting “better” in terms of the COVID pandemic. We went to an outdoor restaurant on Lake Hapatcong in New Jersey called Windlass. While the food was typical bar food (pizza, wings, burgers, etc), one cocktail we had was really fantastic. They might not have […]
Allies This cocktail is an interesting variation of a Martini. I fell in love with it immediately when I had it with Garret Richard at Slowly Shirley in Manhattan. It has the allure and bite of a martini, while still being offset by the sweet herbal liqueur of Kümmel, a clear Scandinavian spirit flavored with […]
Manhattan The Manhattan cocktail is the answer to the Martini for those who do not like gin but love whiskey. Like any drink that uses straight spirits, it should be stirred with plenty of ice (not shaken) and double strained into a stemmed cocktail glass. The rest is a matter of preference. Some say 2 […]
Daiquiri One of the simplest, yet iconic rum cocktails that screams a tropical setting is the Daiquiri. Writer Ernest Hemingway was legendary for drinking them often. In fact, there is a bronze statue of him at La Floridita in Cuba. If nothing else, this could serve as a litmus test for rum if you can’t […]
Old Fashioned This is probably the world’s oldest cocktail, and it is appropriately named. Some accounts claim this was originally served with brandy, not whiskey. Typically, today, it is made with bourbon. And, of course for those tiki lovers, an fine aged rum works too. No matter what your preference, the key point is to […]
Mai Tai Probably one of the most iconic cocktails, especially in the tiki world is the Mai Tai. Said to be invented by Donn Beach and stolen by Trader Vic, it remains a cocktail that can be found on nearly any cocktail menu, right up there with the Marini, Manhattan or Daiquiri. I can’t tell […]
Jet Pilot Even more than the Mai Tai, this is not just my favorite tiki cocktail, but probably my favorite cocktail of all. While it is quite similar to the Zombie, this one is sweeter, spicier, and must more flavorful and complex. This might not be the original recipe, but its the recipe I like […]
Last Rites As much as I love Cachaça, I find this to remind me too much of of a Brazilian caipirinha cocktail. There is nothing wrong with that, however, Martinique Rum Agricole totally dominates this drink in spite of the lime juice and passion fruit syrup. This is not the traditional Mariano Licudie recipe from […]
Exotica Moderne Magazine I write for Exotica Moderne magazine, which is published by HouseofTabu.com – so obviously, I am a fan. Even before I started writing for them, they were the only full color, beautifully illustrated magazine on Polynesian Pop Culture, music, food, cocktails, and so much more. The section I write for is called […]
Headhunter In honor of Anthony Bourdain’s Birthday, we wanted to re-create the Headhunter Polynesian cocktail he had on one of his episodes where he visits Jade Island in Staten Island NY. The one I had I could almost certainly say there was sweet and sour mix in it. Any cocktail, especially an authentic Tiki or […]
Fog Cutter While this remains an all time tiki favorite, it is not one of mine. The original 1940s version uses 2 ounce of lemon juice. I am not a big fan of any cocktail that uses lemon as its base ingredient outside of a whiskey sour. It works well there, but for anything else […]