Aviation has always had an influence on Tiki culture. From flyboys in the Pacific theater of WWII to airliners whisking tourists away to exotic locations,pilots and aircraft have been featured in the names of Tiki drinks and esthetics of Tiki mugs and decor. Here’s a trio of aviation cocktails to keep you flying high.
Mix #151 Ace Pilot
1oz Demerara rum 1oz gold Jamaican rum 1/2oz 151 rum 1/2oz velvet falernum 1/2oz fassionola red 1/2oz white grapefruit juice* 1/2oz orange juice 1/2oz lime juice
Shake with ice and pour into double old-fashioned glass.
*I used red grapefruit.
I found this recipe in a Facebook posting about fassionola,but I’ve since lost the posting and haven’t been able to find any history on it. I believe it’s either a Trader Vic or Donn Beach creation,but can’t be sure. In any case,it’s a nice drink. Sweet with a spicy/tart finish,this is a strong drink that will have you flying.
Mix #152 Test Pilot
1.5oz dark rum 3/4oz light rum 1/2oz triple sec 1/2oz falernum 1/2oz lime juice 1 dash Angostura bitters 1 dash Pernod
Shake with ice and pour into glass.
Created in 1941 by Donn the Beach(who served in the Army Air Corps in WWII) this is tart and spicy with an absinthe finish. If I make this again I’ll use curacao to sweeten it a bit.
(fun fact,your Uncle Giltron worked on this bird back in the ‘90’s at Bergstrom AFB)
Mix #153 Jet Pilot
1oz overproof Jamaican rum 3/4oz overproof Demerara rum 3/4oz gold rum 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz grapefruit juice 1/2oz falernum 1/2oz cinnamon syrup 1 dash absinthe 1 dash Angostura bitters
Blend with ice for a few seconds and pour into double old-fashioned glass.*
*Blend until crushed-icy,not smooth. Still waiting on my Blendjet recall,so I shook this instead.
Created in 1958 at the former Beverly Hills bar Luau (owned by actor Steve Crane),this was inspired by Donn’s Test Pilot. Cinnamon-y with a bit of spice and citrus,it’s Zombie level strong. One of these and you’ll be flying,but too many and you’ll crash and burn.
So strap in,put on your drinking goggles,and have a nice flight. Excelsior!
“Now, then!” said a shrill female voice the instant Sam thrust his head in at the door, “what do you want, young man?”
Sam looked round in the direction whence the voice proceeded. It came from a rather stout lady of comfortable appearance, who was seated beside the fireplace in the bar, blowing the fire to make the kettle boil for tea. She was not alone; for on the other side of the fireplace, sitting bolt upright in a high-backed chair, was a man in threadbare black clothes, with a back almost as long and stiff as that of the chair itself, who caught Sam’s most particular and especial attention at once.
He was a prim-faced, red-nosed man, with a long, thin countenance, and a semi-rattlesnake sort of eye, —rather sharp, but decidedly bad. He wore very short trousers, and black cotton stockings, which, like the rest of his apparel, were particularly rusty. His looks were starched, but his white neckerchief was not, and its long limp ends straggled over his closely-buttoned waistcoat in a very uncouth and unpicturesque fashion. A pair of old, worn, beaver gloves, a broad-brimmed hat, and a faded green umbrella, with plenty of whalebone sticking through the bottom, as if to counterbalance the want of a handle at the top, lay on a chair beside him; and, being disposed in a very tidy and careful manner, seemed to imply that the red-nosed man, whoever he was, had no intention of going away in a hurry.
To do the red-nosed man justice, he would have been very far from wise if he had entertained any such intention; for, to judge from all appearances, he must have been possessed of a most desirable circle of acquaintance, if he could have reasonably expected to be more comfortable anywhere else. The fire was blazing brightly under the influence of the bellows, and the kettle was singing gaily under the influence of both. A small tray of tea-things was arranged on the table; a plate of hot buttered toast was gently simmering before the fire; and the red-nosed man himself was busily engaged in converting a large slice of bread into the same agreeable edible, through the instrumentality of a long brass toasting-fork. Beside him stood a glass of reeking hot pine-apple rum-and-water, with a slice of lemon in it; and every time the red-nosed man stopped to bring the round of toast to his eye, with the view of ascertaining how it got on, he imbibed a drop or two of the hot pine-apple rum-and-water, and smiled upon the rather stout lady, as she blew the fire.
Here we have the introduction of the Reverend Stiggins,an alcoholic,evangelical minister who bore the brunt of Charles Dickens’ satire in his serialization,The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club(generally shortened to just The Pickwick Papers). Now what does Dickens’ character have to do with Tiki? Because Plantation rum(now called Planteray Rum) used this character as the inspiration for a pineapple-infused rum. Originally intended to be a limited edition release,it turned out to be popular enough with bartenders that they decided to make it a production item. Additionally,they’ve also come out with a limited ‘smoky’ pineapple rum. I’ve got both and they’re excellent. Below are a few mixings I’ve done with Stiggins,I think you’ll enjoy them.
(for some reason,the smoky isn’t on their site,so I included a pic so you’d know what to look for)
Mix #145 Siboney
1.5oz aged Jamaican rum 1/2oz pineapple rum 1oz pineapple juice 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz passionfruit syrup 1/2oz Demerara syrup
Shake with ice. Strain into glass with fresh ice.
A modern version of the drink originally published in Trader Vic’s book Rum Cookery & Drinkery (1974),this is sweet and fruity. A nice summer drink.
Mix #146 Reverend’s Tai
1.5oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum 1/2oz Plantation OFTD rum 1oz lime juice 1/2oz orgeat 1/4oz orange curacao
Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.
Created by Matt Pietrek,this is the Mai Tai the Reverend would’ve drank. It’s basically a pineapple Mai Tai with some kick from the OFTD. Quite good.
Mix #147 Elusive Dreams
1oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum 1oz light rum 1/2oz banana liqueur 1oz pineapple juice 1oz lime juice 3/4oz cinnamon syrup
Shake with ice and double strain into glass.
A modern riff on a Hotel Nacional de Cuba recipe,this is cinnamon on the nose with a banana/pineapple taste and final cinnamon burn. Very nice,if you like the burn you’ll love this.
Mix #148 Pineapple Stiggins Daiquiri
2oz Plantation Stiggins Limited Smoky pineapple rum 3/4oz lime juice 1/2oz simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into chilled coup glass.
Basically a daiquiri made with pineapple rum. Very pineapple-y with some citrus and smoke aftertaste. If you want to try a pineapple daiquiri,this is a good one.
Mix #149 Pineapple Paralysis
1.5oz bourbon whiskey 1/2oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum 1oz lemon juice 3/4oz pineapple juice 1/2oz orange curacao 1/2oz orgeat 1/4oz cinnamon syrup 3 drops bitters
Shake or blend with ice and pour into glass or hollowed out coconut.
Created by Eric Bogan of the Inferno Room,this is very bourbon forward and pineapple-y with a cinnamon finish. Bourbon aficionados will dig this. Make with high proof bourbon if you want some serious kick.
Mix #150 Critical Cooler
1.5oz Plantation Stiggins pineapple rum 1.5oz dark rum 2oz pineapple juice 2oz orange juice 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz grenadine 3/4oz coconut water 1/4oz coconut cream
Shake with ice and strain into glass with fresh ice.
Another Trader Brandon creation from Mystic Libations. Sweet,orange/pineapple-y with a bit of coconut aftertaste. Three ounces of rum give it a good kick. A big drink you’ll feel in the morning if you have too many.
So there we have it folks. A century and a half of Tiki drinks. Stay tuned for more as I go for a double.
The latest issue of Exotica Moderne from House of Tabu is out! Always excited when a new issue arrives. I love curling up with a cocktail to read it. Here are two from the latest issue.
Mix #143 Sleestack Attack
1oz Doctor Bird rum 1oz Hamilton White Stache rum 1oz gold Puerto Rican rum 1oz falernum 2oz pineapple juice 1oz grapefuit juice 1oz orange juice 1oz lime juice 1oz Demerara syrup
Shake everything with ice and pour into a large glass.
Created by Matt Strickland,this is a big drink with lots of vitamin C. Sweet and citrus-y with some spice,the three ounces of rum give it kick. A nice cocktail for a good read.
Mix #144 Skipper’s Downfall
1oz light rum 1oz dark rum 1/2oz creme de cacao 1/2oz orange juice 1/2oz lemon juice
Combine ingredients with ice in mug. Stir and top with seltzer.
From the now gone Tiki bar Skipper Kent’s,this is very tart. Many older Tiki recipes were like this. I upped the cacao to an ounce and added a half ounce of Demerara syrup and it was much better.
So pick up the latest issue and get yourself some culture.
Meh,as a bachelor,I got nothing for today. But I’ve been meaning to tweak one of my cocktails to make it less ‘touristy’. So here it is. There are several other cocktails with this name that are supposed to be for the Marvel comics character,but mine is actually drinkable.
Mix #142 The Scarlet Witch
1oz Doctor Bird rum 1oz Hamilton Beachbum Navy Grog Blend rum 2oz pineapple juice 2oz cranberry juice 3/4oz lime juice 3/4oz pomegranate syrup* 1/2oz velvet falernum
Shake with plenty of ice and pour into a naughty Tiki mug.
*Try to use pomegranate syrup instead of grenadine.
A sweetish drink,it masks the rum Hurricane style so it creeps up on you. Give a couple of these to your significant other and they’ll be in the mood in no time. Add a float of overproof rum if you’re feeling wicked.
It’s that time of year again. Time to listen to cool jazz,throw beads to wild women,and drink powerful cocktails. Mardi Gras has nothing to do with Tiki,but both feature cocktails made with rum,so that’s good enough for me.
Mix #138 The Hurricane
2oz aged Jamaican dark rum 1/2oz Demerara rum 1/2oz overproof Jamaican rum 2oz fassionola red 1/4oz grenadine 1oz lemon juice 1oz orange juice
Shake with ice and pour into hurricane glass.
The Hurricane is the classic drink that is associated with both Mardi Gras and New Orleans. Its creation is attributed to Pat O’Brien’s,a famous bar in the French Quarter. There are several versions of the story,but basically they had a whole lot of cheap rum they wanted to get rid of,so they created a drink to do just that. The classic Hurricane features anywhere from two to four ounces of rum,citrus juice,and either fassionola or grenadine(or both) to give it a sweet taste and its signature red color. It’s infamous for both its potency and hangovers. This version is from mixologist Brian Maxwell. As with most Hurricane recipes,I know there’s rum in this,but I just can’t taste it. It’s very sweet with a touch of citrus on the end,and packs a punch. This drink will use up both your rum and inhibitions. Exactly what a Hurricane is supposed to do.
Mix #139 When the Levee Breaks
1.5oz Barbarcourt 8yr rum 1.5oz multi island white rum blend 1/2oz overproof Jamaican rum 1.5 oz fassionola red 3/4oz falernum 1oz lemon juice 1oz orange juice 4 dashes bitters
Shake with ice and pour into hurricane glass. Float 1/2oz of Fernet Branca on top.
This is a Brian Maxwell creation,his riff on the traditional Hurricane. Call it a grown ups’ Hurricane. It’s not as sweet and you can actually taste the rum and some spice. It’ll smash you up just as bad as the classic Hurricane,but you’ll feel classier drinking it. I left out the Fernet because it doesn’t agree with me,but this was definitely an upgrade over the classic tourist drink.
Mix #140 Tangipahoa Planter’s Punch
2oz aged Virgin Islands rum 3/4oz lime juice 3/4oz orange juice 3/4oz pineapple juice 1/2oz grenadine
Shake with ice and pour into zombie glass.
This is a classic drink from the ‘30’s,modernized by Brian Maxwell to sweeten it up a bit. A very nice drink with a nice sweet/tart balance.
The original Tangipahoa Planter’s Punch came from a recipe published in the 1937 book,Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix’Em. I was actually able to track down a pdf of this volume on the web,and in there found a drink named for a pirate which crosses over into Tiki territory. Here’s my modernized version:
Mix #141 Jean Laffite Cocktail
1.5oz dark rum 1/4oz orange curacao 1/4oz Demerara syrup 2 dashes absinthe 1 egg yolk*
Shake well with plenty of ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass.
*I used egg substitute.
Jean Lafitte was an infamous pirate who operated out of New Orleans. In his honor I used Smith & Cross,a proper pirate rum. It’s similar to a traditional sailor grog,with the other ingredients serving to take the edge off the rum. A bit harsh for my taste,but give it a try if you like your drinks to be liquor forward. By the way,the cocktail actually has the correct spelling of his name,the one F two T version is the misspelling that was used in English language documents at the time,and is used for places that are named after him. Another fun fact,the original recipe called for “absinthe substitute”. This was because at the time absinthe was illegal. Fortunately it’s available now,since it features in many Tiki drinks.
So put on some Dirty Dozen Brass Band,catch some beads,and let the good times roll!
Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron was responsible for creating some of the most iconic Tiki drinks. The Mai Tai(the most iconic of Tiki drinks),the Scorpion,and the Fogcutter. Well,I finally got around to picking up a bottle of sherry,and was able to mix this classic drink.
Originally called the Samoan Fogcutter(and still called that at Trader Vic’s locations),some folks try to attribute it to Donn Beach because of his association with Edna Earle’s Fog Cutter restaurant. But Vic published the recipe in his 1947 Bartender’s Guide,well before the restaurant opened.
(A clipping of Edna and her restaurant.)
The name is supposed to indicate that it will clear your mind. But with this potent mix of spirits,Vic’s quote is more accurate: “Fog Cutter, hell. After two of these you won’t even see the stuff,”. Due to its strength,Vic had a strict limit of two per customer;his drink menu postcard from the 1940s stated: “What a sneaker – positively only two to a person; really, I don’t see why people buy them.” It does have serious kick,just one gets the job done,and if you’re having two you really want to be home on your couch. The recipe has several variations,usually swapping the amounts of orange and lemon juice,and sometimes the drink is blended. Here is the most common recipe:
Mix #137 Fogcutter
1.5oz light rum 1/2oz gin 1/2oz cognac 2oz orange juice 1oz lemon juice 1/2oz orgeat 1/2oz oloroso sherry
Shake everything except sherry with ice and pour into mug. Float sherry on top.
Very tart and citrus-y. And every bit as strong as its reputation. If you like sour drinks,you’ll love this one. Now I know nothing of sherry,I know rum. So I just basically picked up a cheap bottle of Taylor that is supposed to be general use sherry. If I were to do this again(and my recommendation to you),I’d get oloroso sherry,which is sweeter. I’d also use tangerine juice instead of orange to dial down the tartness,but that’s just my personal taste. And if you want to be completely authentic,get the proper Trader Vic mug to drink it with.
Enjoy folks. And get your beads ready for next week.
Been working on a couple full posts,but they’re not ready to be published yet. So here’s a pair of mixings to hold you over.
Mix #135 Potted Parrot
2oz light rum 2ox orange juice 1oz lemon juice 1/2oz orange curacao 1/4oz orgeat 1/4oz rock candy syrup
Shake with ice and pour into mug.
Trader Vic created this in 1964 for the opening of his Mexican restaurant Senor Pico. Very citrus-y with a touch of sweet. I used regular simple syrup and upped it to a half ounce since rock candy syrup is super sweet(like 3:1). I also used my Siesta Keys silver rum,whose rums will be featured in an upcoming post. Quite good,and not surprising since the Trader was the master.
Mix #136 Storm the Beach
1oz Demerara rum 1/2oz Plantation OFTD 1/2oz velvet falernum 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz grapefruit juice 1/2oz cinnamon syrup 2 dashes bitters
Shake with ice,strain into glass with fresh ice. Add lime shell with overproof rum and light.
So,no,I didn’t add the flaming lime shell,I’m more interested in the drink than the presentation. This was created by Ryan Welliver,who has an interesting name for a bartender. His recipe calls for cinnamon-cumin syrup,but I just used standard cinnamon syrup. And that’s all I pretty much tasted. If you really dig cinnamon,then try this,but I’ll stick to drinks where I can actually taste my rum.
Another lifetime ago,I worked on A-10’s. I may have worked on that second plane,956,in England. Would love to see the tail so I could see if it was an ‘81 model.
Guava is a tropical fruit that is sweet,full of vitamin C,and according to the internet,“the queen of fruits” because it’s supposed to have all kinds of health benefits. Why,just check out this fascinating chart:
So what’s the best way to add this miracle fruit to your diet? Why,in Tiki drinks of course!
Mix #131 PopTiki Volcano Mug
1oz Barbancourt 8yr rum 1oz Demerara rum 4oz pineapple juice 2oz guava nectar 1oz lemon juice 1/2oz passionfruit syrup 1/4oz orgeat
Shake with ice and pour into mug.
This was created by PopTiki with the volcano mug they put out to raise money for the Hawaii fire relief. Cool mug,good cause,meh drink. It’s very sweet and fruity with a strong guava taste. It’s a big drink that will slake your thirst,but all that sugar is a trip to hangover city. I actually started to feel something after drinking just the one cocktail. Have one if you like sweet drinks,but no more unless you want to feel it the next day.
Mix #132 Murky Lagoon
2oz Whaler’s Original Dark rum 3oz guava nectar 1/2oz falernum
Combine all ingredients in double old-fashioned glass with ice. Pour into shaker,shake,re-pour into glass.
From Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas. I used Coruba rum to make this because I didn’t have Whaler’s and every review I read about it said it sucked. Just use a good dark funky rum instead. It’s a nice sweet,funky drink that’s creamy and has a touch of spice aftertaste. Quite good with decent rum.
Mix #133 Aloha Screwdriver
3/4oz light rum 3/4oz Lemon Hart 151 3/4oz banana liqueur 1oz guava nectar 1oz pineapple juice 1/4oz Campari* 1/4oz allspice dram
Shake with ice and pour into glass.
*I used Aperol.
Created by one of my fav surf rock bands,it can be found in the liner notes of their album The Lost Recipe. Nice Demerara funk,a touch sweet with some banana and a bit of spice on the end. Quite nice with a bit of kick.
Well,it’s a snow day,and I’m watching Yellowbeard,a documentary about the most dangerous pirate in history. The pirate Yellowbeard captured many other galleons, killing over five-hundred men in cold blood. He would tear the captains hearts out and swallow them whole. Often forcing his victims to eat their own lips, he was caught and imprisoned… for tax evasion. So in his honor,I figured I’d play around with my ingredients to come up with a twist on the classic Mai Tai. The result is a drink that any pirate worth his parrot would give both his wooden legs to imbibe. Enjoy!
Mix #130 Yellowbeard’s Grog
2oz Pyrat XO Reserve rum 1oz lime juice 1/2oz Pierre Ferrand Yuzu 1/2oz Small Hand Foods orgeat 1/4oz Demerara syrup
Shake with ice,stagger-stagger-crawl-stagger,then pour into upturned skull of someone you don’t like. Garnish with Mr Prostitute’s moustache and a speared piece of Spam.
A nice sweet/sour riff on the Mai Tai. The Yuzu really shines through.
Giltron's Mixings 