Giltron's Mixings

the mixing of exotic cocktails

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  • Dah-don-dah-dah-dah-don-don-don…

    Tequila. A liquor made from agave that has developed a reputation for creating mayhem. No wonder it’s found its way into a few Tiki drink recipes. I’m not much on the stuff myself,but here are a few cocktails you might enjoy. First,a quick infographic about the difference between mezcal and proper tequila:

    (note that I used 1800 Reposado tequila for the following mixes)

    Mix #125 Cannonball

    2oz mezcal
    3/4oz lime juice
    3/4oz pineapple juice
    1/4oz apricot liqueur
    3 dashes Angostura bitters

    Shake with ice and strain into mug with fresh ice.

    I found this Beau Du Bois creation on another Tumblr blog. It’s very tequila forward and a touch bitter. I wound up adding some Demerara syrup to finish it,but if you like tequila and/or bitter,give it a try.

    Mix #126 Mojave

    1.5oz Asombroso tequila
    1.5oz sweet n’ sour mix
    1/2oz blue curacao
    1tsp lime juice
    splash of orange juice

    Shake with ice and pour into glass with rim half sugared/half salted. Fill straw with tequila.

    Created by Rory “Wildsville Man” Snyder to showcase Asombroso tequila,this is smooth and orange-ish,with a bit of tart. I didn’t sugar/salt my rim,because that’s to boujee for me,plus that would obviously change the flavor and I wanted to taste just the drink. A nice drink that lets you taste the tequila.

    Mix #127 Xiuhtecuhtli*

    2oz tequila
    3/4oz blue curacao
    3/4oz orgeat
    1/2oz lime juice
    2oz coconut water

    Flash blend with 6oz ice,then strain into Zombie glass filled with fresh crushed ice.

    *pronounced ‘Shoe the COOT lih’

    Created by Ken of House of Tabu,this appeared in issue #13 of Exotica Moderne. Very tequila forward,but smooth with a touch of orange and a creamy note. This would be a good drink for introducing someone to tequila.

    Mix #128 Lava Rum Demon

    1oz white rum
    1oz mezcal
    1oz Jagermeister
    1oz passionfruit syrup
    1oz grapefruit juice
    1oz lemon juice

    Shake with ice and pour into mug.

    From the drink card of the official mug of the Til-Two Club comes a drink created to cause trouble. Now,just looking at the list of ingredients,you’d think that combining rum,tequila,and Jager would result in a hot mess. But it’s actually a nice drink. Fruity with a licorice aftertaste,it goes down easy. But it’s strong,so be careful how many of these you have,as it will give you a hangover.

    Go ahead and experience some agave. Just remember what Tuvok said:

  • Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou!

    Well,we made it through 2023,now we have to deal with 2024. It’s going to be an election year,so here’s some recipes to help you deal.

    Mix #113 Three Dots and a Dash

    1.5oz agricole rhum
    1/2oz gold rum
    1/2oz honey syrup*
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/2oz orange juice
    1/4oz velvet falernum
    1/4oz allspice dram
    1 dash Angostura bitters

    Shake or flash blend with ice. Pour into mug and top with three cherries and a pineapple chunk speared on toothpick.

    *Some versions use vanilla syrup.

    The signature drink of Chicago’s Three Dots and a Dash Tiki bar,the name is from Morse Code(stop trying to call it gmail-tap!) for the letter V. It was created by Donn the Beachcomber to celebrate the victory of the allies in Europe during World War II. It’s a nice blend of sweet and citrus,with either a honey or vanilla finish.

    Mix #114 The Ancient Mariner

    1oz Demerara rum
    1oz blackstrap rum
    3/4oz lime juice
    1/2oz grapefruit juice
    1/2oz Demerara syrup
    1/4oz allspice dram

    Shake with plenty of ice.

    Another Beachbum Berry creation,it was so named because his team felt so old after going through the process of getting it just right. It’s a super funky drink with a spice finish. If you don’t have blackstrap rum,you can just use a funky Jamaican rum. It won’t have as much funk,but will still taste good.

    Mix #115 Battle Stations

    2oz rye whiskey*
    3/4oz orange curacao
    1/2oz velvet falernum
    1/2oz grapefruit juice
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/2oz orgeat

    Shake with ice and strain into glass with fresh ice.

    *I used bourbon.

    Created by Trader Brandon,and featured in his book,Mystic Libations,this was sent to me by a friend who saw it in his social media feed and wanted to know what I thought of it. Well,I’m not a whiskey/bourbon guy,but I knew I’d be bartending at the annual shop Xmas party,so I filed it away. I made a pair of these for my friend who doesn’t like rum(I made him Honi Honi’s last year) and he said they were delicious. So if you’re looking for a non-rum Tiki drink,give this a try.

    Mix #116 Buccaneer’s Bounty

    1oz Navy rum
    1oz dark rum
    1/2oz Demerara 151 rum
    1oz honey syrup
    3/4oz grapefruit juice
    3/4oz lime juice
    1/2oz cinnamon syrup
    2 dashes bitters

    Shake with ice and strain into glass with fresh ice.

    Another recipe from Mystic Libations(sadly sold out),this is a riff on the classic Navy Grog with cinnamon syrup. Sweet and cinnamon-y with a honey finish. And quite strong.

    Mix #117 Black Voodoo

    2oz Demerara rum
    2.4oz apple cider
    3/4oz sweet vermouth
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/4oz Demerara syrup

    Shake with plenty of ice and pour into skull themed mug.

    My riff on the Voodoo. It’s sweet and funky. I like to use Pusser’s Gunpowder rum to give it some kick.

    Mix #118 Hamilton Dry Float

    3/4oz Hamilton Demerara 86
    1/2oz Hamilton 151
    3/4oz lime juice
    3/4oz simple syrup*
    1tsp passionfruit puree*

    Shake everything except 151 with ice,strain into coupe glass,float 151 on top.

    *I used Demerara simple and passionfruit syrup.

    Not to be confused with the traditional dry float,this is Hamilton’s riff using their rums. It has funk on the nose with a nice sweet/sour mix,and the 151 adds some kick. Quite good.

    Mix #119 Chief Lapu Lapu

    1.5oz dark Jamaican rum
    1.5oz white rum
    3oz orange juice
    1oz lime juice
    1oz lemon juice
    1oz passionfruit syrup
    1oz simple syrup

    Shake with plenty of ice and pour into glass.

    This drink was a standard at many Tiki bars back in the day. There were many variations,but Beachbum Berry published this one in his book Remixed!. The name comes from the Datu(chief) who took out Magellan. You can read all about it here. Pretty much a tourist drink,very sweet and strong. Of course,I’m one to talk(see my Corsair Punch below),so if you like sweet and strong have at it.

    Mix #120 Lapu Lapu

    1oz light rum
    1oz dark rum
    2oz orange juice
    1oz lemon juice
    1oz passionfruit syrup
    3/4oz vanilla syrup

    Shake with plenty of ice and pour into glass.

    BG Reynolds’ more refined riff on the Chief Lapu Lapu. Sweet and vanilla-y,but not as sweet as the Chief. Also not as strong.

    Mix #121 Quarantine Order

    1.5oz aged dark Jamaican rum
    1.5oz Navy strength Jamaican rum
    1oz lime juice
    1oz grapefruit juice
    1/2oz passionfruit syrup
    1/2oz cinnamon syrup
    5 dashes Angostura bitters

    Blend or shake with ice and pour into glass.

    From Pagan Idol’s William Prestwood,I believe this was intended to help cope with the fun that was 2020. Should work just as well for 2024. Sweet and fruity with a nice cinnamon burn at the end. Has a nice kick too.

    Mix #122 Stack O Gold

    2oz Puerto Rican gold rum
    1oz Grand Mariner
    3oz pineapple juice
    1/2oz lemon juice
    1/2oz orgeat

    Shake with ice and pour into mug.

    While many mugs come with recipe cards,Home Aloha’s Stack-O-Gold mug came with a nifty tin with this recipe on it. Very pineapple-y and easy drinking. Would make a nice summer BBQ drink.

    Mix #123 Tabu Kapu

    2oz Demerara rum
    1.5oz grenadine
    1oz lime juice
    1oz grapefruit juice
    1oz orange juice
    1/4oz Aperol
    1 dash Angostura bitters

    Shake with ice and pour into mug.

    From the back of BG Reynolds’ Lush Grenadine bottle comes a very grenadine flavored drink. But it’s not too sweet due to the citrus and Aperol. Very nicely balanced.

    Mix #124 Tortuga

    1oz Demerara 151 rum
    1oz gold rum
    1oz sweet vermouth
    1/2oz orange curacao
    1/2oz white creme de cacao
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/2oz lemon juice
    1/2oz orange juice
    1/4oz grenadine

    Shake with plenty of ice and pour into classic style Tiki mug.

    An original Trader Vic creation,his granddaughter Eve chose this as the drink for Sven Kirsten’s Modernist Tiki mug and accompanying book from his Tiki Portraits series. This recipe is the version from Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean,which is a bit more specific when it comes to the measurements of the ingredients. It has chocolate and vermouth on the nose with a citrus-y body and a bit of a tart aftertaste. A nice,complex cocktail.

    So don’t sweat the new year. After a couple cocktails,it’ll be alright.

  • Mele Kalikimaka!

    Got to bartend for my shop’s Xmas party again. Mai Tais with Appleton Estate.

  • Yo,ho-ho-ho,and a bottle of rum!

    These holiday-themed cocktails will give you some Xmas cheer. Pro tip: leave one of these with the cookies instead of milk and see what Santa leaves you!

    Mix #110 Nutty Like a Fruitcake

    1.5oz Demerara rum
    1/2oz spiced rum
    1oz orange juice
    1/2oz lemon juice
    3/4oz orgeat
    1/2oz orange curacao
    1/4oz allspice dram
    1 dash Angostura bitters

    Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

    This is a sweetish drink. You really taste the curacao and it has a spice finish. Very nice.

    (update,just found out this was created by bartender Mindy Kucan)

    Mix #111 Fall in Paradise

    1.5oz Demerara rum
    1.5oz apple cider
    1.5oz pineapple juice
    1/2oz lime juice
    1.2oz allspice dram
    5 dashes peach bitters*

    Shake everything with ice and strain into glass.

    *I didn’t have peach bitters,so I used Angostura and a dash of peach schnapps.

    Another sweet drink with fruit and spice notes. Quite good.

    Mix #112 Yule Tai’d

    1oz aged light rum
    1oz aged gold rum
    1/2oz heavy bodied dark rum
    1oz lime juice
    1/2oz cinnamon syrup
    1/2oz Grand Marnier
    1/2oz orgeat
    2 dashes allspice dram
    ground nutmeg

    Combine everything except dark rum and nutmeg into glass with ice and swizzle. Float dark rum and top with some nutmeg.

    Created for a Tiki Tony drink card by Kerri Bacon and Chloe Drane,this is a holiday Mai Tai riff. Very cinnamon forward with a spice finish. I used Hamilton Navy Grog Blend for my float to give it a little more kick. I’ll be having one of these with my Xmas dinner.

    Happy holidays folks! Oh look,Xmas Elvira gifs!

  • I’m not bitter…….

    But Campari certainly is. Campari is a bright red herbal liqueur. It’s referred to as an ‘apéritif’,which is fancy Euro talk for ‘supposed to stimulate your appetite and help with digestion’. What Campari is,is very bitter. It’s used in the classic Negroni cocktail as well as several Tiki drinks. It’s not to my personal taste,but if you like bitter drinks,you might want to give these a try.

    Mix #106 Jungle Bird

    1.5oz dark rum*
    1.5oz pineapple juice
    3/4oz Campari
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/2oz Demerara syrup

    Shake with ice. Strain into glass with fresh ice.

    *Many recipes use blackstrap rum.

    Created by Jeffery Ong in the ’70’s,this was the signature cocktail of the Aviary Bar inside the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in Malaysia. The original recipe called for four ounces of pineapple juice,but in modern times this has been scaled back. You might want to put the extra juice back,as this is a pretty bitter drink. Not my thing,but it’s on enough menus that it is well liked.

    Mix #107 Jungle Bird 2.0

    1.5oz overproof Jamaican rum
    1.5oz pineapple juice
    1oz guava juice
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/2oz Campari
    1/2oz Demerara syrup

    Shake with ice and pour into glass.

    From the back label of BG Reynolds’ Demerara syrup bottle,this is a riff on the classic that’s both sweeter and stronger. The Campari only comes through at the end,so I actually enjoyed this one. If the original is too much for you,try this. You can also sub in standard rum to reduce the octane.

    Mix #108 Bitter Mai Tai

    1oz Navy or overproof dark rum
    1oz Campari
    1oz lime juice
    1/2oz curacao
    1/2oz orgeat

    Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

    Created by Death and Company bartender Jeremy Oertel,this is just what the name suggests;a very bitter Mai Tai. If you’re a Mai Tai fan,and like bitter drinks,this is for you.

    Mix #109 Abrupt Landing

    1oz Plantation OFTD
    1oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum
    1/2oz Campari
    1/2oz falernum syrup*
    1/2oz pineapple juice
    1/2oz lime juice
    2 dashes Angostura bitters
    5 drops saline solution

    Blend with 6oz of ice and pour into mug.

    *If using falernum liqueur,add 1/4oz of simple syrup.

    Created by Easy Tiki for The Search for Tiki’s “Trouble in Paradise” mug(pictured),this is quite bitter. If that’s your thing,this might be for you,but it didn’t work for me at all. I’m also not big on adding saline to drinks,but that’s another debate.

    Along the lines of Campari is Aperol,a botanical liqueur that is less bitter. I used it in my previous mixing of the Winter Fling. If Campari is too much for you,you can try swapping Aperol in the drinks above to tone them down.

    Salute and cin cin!

  • Bah Humbug

    Ok,Thanksgiving is over,it’s black Friday,and now we can start getting into Xmas mode. Here’s a tasty cocktail to brighten your spirits,or deaden the pain of shopping.

    Mix #105 Winter Fling

    4oz apple cider
    1oz white rum
    1/2oz cognac
    1/4oz allspice
    1/4oz Aperol
    1/4oz lemon juice

    Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

    From Tiki Farm’s site comes a Trader Tom creation that is pretty much Yuletide in a glass. It’s very cider-y with a spice finish. Delicious,and you can up-gun it with Wray & Nephew Overproof if necessary.

    Happy holidays folks! Don’t worry,it’ll be over soon.

    Nativity in Red and White by Santa Sabbath

  • Feel the burn!

    Ginger is a plant whose root has been used for centuries as a spice and in folk medicine. The philosopher Confucius was said to eat ginger with every meal. Today we bake it into cookies and houses for the holiday season. We also make it into the soda ginger beer,which makes for a spicy Tiki drink. Here’s a few to enjoy.

    Mix #101 Dark and Stormy

    2oz Gosling’s Black Seal rum
    1/2oz lime juice
    ginger beer to fill

    Pour rum and lime juice into glass with ice. Add ginger beer to fill and swizzle.

    Invented over a hundred years ago at Bermuda’s Royal Naval Officer’s Club,this cocktail is found in many non-Tiki bars and is the national drink of Bermuda. The ‘correct’ way to make it is with Gosling’s rum and their ginger beer. If you don’t have Gosling’s,you can use most dark rums(‘black’ rums work best),but you need to use ginger beer and not ginger ale or it won’t turn out right. It’s simple and spicy and goes down smooth providing you can handle the burn.

    Mix #102 Darth & Stormy

    1/5oz Demerara rum
    3/4oz lime juice
    1/2oz cinnamon syrup
    3oz ginger beer

    Pour everything into glass with ice and stir.

    BG Reynolds riff on the classic Dark and Stormy adds cinnamon syrup to the mix because ginger beer just doesn’t give enough burn. Sweet and spicy.

    Mix #103 Suffering Bastard

    1oz dry gin
    1oz brandy
    1/2oz lime juice
    2 dashes Angostura bitters
    ginger beer to top

    Shake everything except beer with ice and pour into mug. Top with ginger beer.

    Not originally a Tiki drink,it’s been embraced by the Tiki world and even had a Trader Vic’s mug named after it(see above). It was supposedly invented in Cairo,Egypt as ‘hangover cure’ for British soldiers(hair of the dog plus ginger beer to settle the stomach). A 1947 Esquire article credits bartender Joel Scialom at the Hotel Shepard. He supposedly named it the “Suffering Bar Steward”,and it somehow morphed into Suffering Bastard. Trader Vic’s had a rum drink of the same name,but it wasn’t popular and faded into history. It has a gin start with a ginger burn finish. Drink enough of these and you’ll have to find your own hangover cure.

    Mix #65 Fizzy Rum & Gin

    1oz Plantation Isle of Fiji rum
    1oz Citadelle gin
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/4oz simple syrup
    2 dashes Angostura bitters
    4oz ginger beer

    Shake everything except ginger beer with ice. Pour ginger beer into tall glass,strain mix into glass,then top with some pellet ice.

    From the 13 Nights of Tiki Frights in 2022,this is a riff on the Dark and Stormy that adds the classiness of gin.

    Mix #104 Guardian Idol Cocktail

    3oz dark Jamaican rum
    4oz pineapple juice
    1.5oz lime juice
    1/2oz orgeat
    2oz ginger beer

    Shake everything except beer with ice and pour into mug. Add ginger beer and stir.

    Created by Home Aloha for their Tiki mug of the same name,it’s sweet and pineapple-y with a ginger burn at the end. A big drink with lots of kick,I liked it enough to add to my regular roster of mixings.

    So enjoy the burn with these delicious cocktails. There’s just something special about ginger.

  • I did it!

    Well,here it is folks,the completion of my first century of Tiki mixings. I picked a special drink for this,it’s not only potent,but is also served in a pineapple. It’s called the Boo Loo,and was created by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry,the famous Tiki drink expert.

    To properly make the drink,you need to core out a pineapple to serve it in. I borrowed a corer from a friend,but you can find them online or in grocery stores for under ten bucks. To core the pineapple,follow the directions that come with it. Do not core all the way down,however,leave about two to three inches intact so you won’t have to worry about leakage. You will also want to make sure you cut the top parallel to the ground so that it will sit flat and not slide off while drinking from it,and cut a small slot in the edge of the top for your straw. Finally,you’ll want to freeze the pineapple overnight. This will not only keep the drink colder,but it makes the shell rigid so it’s a better mug. Save at least two pineapple rings for the recipe,you can use the rest for garnish or eating,or squeeze it for the juice.

    Now that you have your drinking vessel,let’s get to the recipe.

    Mix #100 Boo Loo

    1.5oz gold Puerto Rican rum
    1.5oz Demerara rum
    3/4oz Lemon Hart 151 Demerara rum
    3/4oz dark Jamaican rum
    2.5oz pineapple juice
    1.5oz lime juice
    1.25oz honey syrup
    1.5oz club soda
    2 pineapple rings

    Put everything except soda into blender and blend until smooth. Pour into pineapple shell and top with club soda and ice. Put top back on and insert straw.

    So Beachbum is a mad genius. Despite all that rum,you barely taste it,you just taste pineapple. But you will feel it. In fact,I only drank about half the drink,and stored the rest for the next day. This will mess you up,and all that sugar and rum will give you a hangover if you’re not careful. This really should be a drink you share with at least one other person. It is absolutely delicious though,which is why it can get you into trouble as it goes down so easy that you won’t feel it until it’s too late. This drink is like a firecracker in that it’s fun as long as you’re careful.

    Well there you go folks,one hundred mixings. Stay tuned as I go for two hundred. Aloha and mahalo!

  • Catching up.

    All good things must come to an end,and this includes the spooky Halloween season. With the passing of Samhain,it’s time to get back to mixing regular cocktails. Well,maybe just one more spooky one.

    Mix #96 Voodoo

    2oz aged dark rum
    2.5oz apple juice
    3/4oz sweet vermouth
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/4oz rich simple syrup(2:1)

    Shake with ice and strain into glass with fresh ice.

    A sweetish,funky drink. Very nice. I made a second version I dubbed the Black Voodoo with Demerara rum,apple cider,and Demerara syrup. It was funkier and sweeter. A nice Autumn drink.

    And now,back to the regular cocktails.

    Mix #97 ‘Vintage Mai Tai’

    1.5oz light rum
    1.5oz gold rum
    1/2oz 151 rum
    2oz guava juice
    1oz orgeat
    1/2oz lemon juice
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/2oz curacao

    Shake everything except 151 with ice and pour into glass. Float 151 on top.

    This was found on an index card with a bunch of other recipes by a Facebook poster. I needed to use up the last of my guava so I figured what the heck. It actually wasn’t bad,but it was quite strong. If you want something sweeter than a Zombie,but with Zombie kick,give it a shot.

    I’ve also been able to catch up on some of my reading,and the following are from the Tiki magazine Exotica Moderne,published by House of Tabu.

    Mix #98 Deep Six

    4oz Coruba dark rum
    1oz Hamilton 151 Demerara rum
    2.5oz Latitude 29 formula falernum
    2oz pineapple juice
    2oz lime juice
    1.25oz St Elizabeth allspice dram

    Shake with ice and pour into Tiki bowl with two or more straws.

    From issue #20 comes a Beachbum Berry drink created for his Deep Six Tiki bowl. Now,being a bachelor,I’m flying solo,so I halved the ingredients to make it single person friendly. Very spicy,with the falernum and allspice coming forward. If you want to get your date drunk,let them sip most of it. And if you wind up drinking most of it,then you know they’re trying to get you drunk.

    Mix #99 The Retro Cocktail Hour Cocktail

    1.5oz Jamaican aged rum(Appleton Estate)
    1/2oz blackberry liqueur
    1/2oz Pierre Ferrand dry orange curacao
    3/4oz orange juice
    3/4oz lime juice
    1/2oz orgeat

    Shake with ice and strain into Zombie glass with fresh ice.

    From issue #21,this was created by Diana Condori of the now closed Tiki Cat in Kansas City,Kansas for the KPR Retro Cocktail Hour,a radio show that’s been on the air for 27yrs and recently passed 1000 episodes. A nice,sweet,easy drinking cocktail that would be perfect for kicking back and listening to exotica. Another good one that I’ve placed into my roster of regular mixes.

    Well,that’s all for this week. I’m up to 99 mixings,wonder if number one hundred will be anything special? Stay tuned to find out.

  • Happy Halloween!

    It’s finally here,the spookiest night of the year! Here’s a pair of cocktails to give you the courage to watch all those scary movies(and deal with the kids coming to your door).

    Mix #94 Skull & Bones

    1.5oz Lemon Hart 151 rum
    1/2oz Bacardi Gran Reserva Diez rum
    3/4oz lime juice
    1/2oz passionfruit syrup
    1/2oz grenadine
    1/8tsp Pernod*
    1 dash Angostura bitters

    Shake with ice and pour into your spookiest mug.

    *About 12 drops.

    Boo! This is a sweet drink with a slight tangy/licorice finish. It’s easy to drink,and with one and a half ounces of 151,you won’t be scared of anything.

    Mix #95 Season of the Witch

    2oz dark rum
    1oz apple cider
    1/2oz Cointreu
    1/2oz lime juice
    1/4oz Skinny Syrups pumpkin caramel syrup*

    Shake with plenty of ice and serve in Mai Tai glass.

    *If you don’t have this syrup,you can sub caramel syrup or any similar ‘Autumn flavor’ syrup.

    I picked up the pumpkin caramel syrup to play with making an Autumn Mai Tai. This is what I came up with. The Skull & Bones was your Trick,this one’s your Treat,a Giltron original recipe. A nice sweet/sour balance with a caramel aftertaste. I think you’ll enjoy it,but then I am a bit biased.

    Have fun tonight kids. Happy Halloween!