Giltron's Mixings

the mixing of exotic cocktails

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  • An apple a day…………

    The old adage states ‘an apple a day will keep the doctor away’. That is unless you put the apple in a Tiki drink and have too many. Apple cider is used in many seasonal Tiki drinks,but apple juice is uncommon. Still,there are some recipes that use it. Here’s a sampling to enjoy.

    Mix #170 Tropical Blizzard

    1oz coconut rum
    1oz blue curacao
    1.5oz orange juice
    1/2oz apple juice

    Shake with ice and pour into glass.

    From Tiki Bar TV’s fourth season holiday special,this is coconut and citrus forward with a curacao finish. It’s good,but you really don’t taste the apple. Use a good curacao like Senior because you will taste it.

    Mix #171 Native Drum

    2oz gold Demerara rum*
    3/4oz sweet vermouth
    2oz apple juice
    1oz lime juice
    ½ simple syrup
    1/4oz orgeat

    Shake with ice and pour into mug.

    *I used regular Lemon Hart.

    From the drink card of Home Aloha’s mug of the same name. Sweet,but not too sweet,this one you can really taste the apple juice. I used regular Demerara instead of gold and it turned out nice. If you like apple,you’ll love this.

    Mix #172 Floridian Fall

    2oz Siesta Key spiced rum
    2oz apple cider
    1oz orange juice
    1/2oz orgeat
    2 dashes orange bitters

    Shake everything until frothy,then pour into glass with ice.

    From Siesta Key rum’s website,this is sweet and spicy with an orange finish. An apple cider drink you can have year round. Also a fan of their spiced rum for my other mixings.

    Mix #173 Untitled

    1.5oz spiced rum
    1/2oz bourbon
    3oz apple cider
    3/4oz lemon juice
    1/2oz cinnamon syrup
    1/4oz allspice dram
    3 dashes Angostura bitters

    Shake with ice and pour into mug.

    Facebook user Michael Jobe posted this experiment to a Tiki recipe group. He said it was a little too diluted and sweet,and he was right. From the comments I added a quarter ounce of Cointreau and that helped. Some tweaking and this could be a nice Xmas drink. I might have to come back and play with this next year.

    So you don’t have to wait until the holidays to enjoy apple/cider in your Tiki drinks. I ke ola,huli pau!

  • More Mai Tais.

    There is of course only one real recipe for the Mai Tai,but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to make tweaks and riffs. Here are a few I’ve recently come across.

    Mix #167 Frankie’s Mai Tai

    1oz Myers’s dark rum
    1oz Lemon Hart 80 proof rum
    1oz orange curacao
    1oz orgeat
    1/2oz simple syrup
    half a large lime

    Squeeze the juice from the lime half into a double-old-fashioned glass and drop in the rind. Add the rest of the ingredients and fill with ice. Pour contents into shaker,shake,then pour back into glass.

    The Mai Tai served at Frankie’s in Vegas. Way sweet and the curacao really comes forward. I love their Fink Bomb,but this is not the way to make a Mai Tai. It’s too sweet and a Mai Tai is all about balance;none of the ingredients should really come forward,it should just taste like Mai Tai. Hey,can’t win them all,even the Pythons had a couple stinker episodes.

    Mix #168 Undertow Mai Tai

    1oz Smith & Cross rum
    1oz Rhum J.M V.S.O.P. rum*
    1oz lime juice
    3/4oz orgeat
    1/2oz Cointreau Noir*

    Shake with ice and pour into double rocks glass.

    *See below.

    Another bar Mai Tai,this time from the Undertow locations in Arizona. A touch sweet,but overall enough of a balance that I liked it. A bit more kick than a regular Mai Tai due to the S&C. Give it a try if you want some variety in your Mai Tais. I used Rhum Barbancourt instead of J.M V.S.O.P. Both are agricoles,which means they’re made from sugar cane juice instead of from molasses like most rums. This makes them extra funky and flavorful,but the S&C plus Noir help keep it in its place so as not to overwhelm the drink. I also made my own Noir. According to my research,Cointreau Noir is Cointreau and cognac in a 70/30 blend. So I mixed 70ml of Cointreau to 30ml of VSOP brandy to make my own. It’s very similar to Grand Marnier,maybe a bit drier. I still prefer Pierre Ferrand in a Mai Tai,but this works pretty good as well.

    Mix #169 Breakfast Mai Tai

    1.5oz Smith & Cross rum
    1/2oz Gifford Banane du Bresil
    1oz lime juice
    1/2oz orgeat
    1/4oz cinnamon syrup
    3/4oz Coruba rum

    Put everything except Coruba into a shaker with a couple ice pellets and shake until they’re gone. Then pour into double rocks glass,add Coruba,and top with ice.

    Created by Fanny Chu at the Donna in NYC. So I’ve no idea what this has to do with breakfast,other than eating cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon really comes forward. There’s a touch of banana at the end,but this is basically a cinnamon Mai Tai. It’s also got plenty of kick due to the one and a half ounces of Navy rum. A couple of these and you’ll want to go back to bed. The instructions are also odd,the Coruba isn’t a float,it’s going to mix in when you add the ice so you might as well just shake everything together. At the end it just didn’t do anything for me,but if you’re into cinnamon give it a shot.

    So go ahead and explore the limits of Mai Tai. After all,variety is the spice of life.

  • Bartending.

    (always remember to dress appropriately when bartending)

    So I’m not a bartender,but I play one when I go to parties. And this past weekend I was at a friend’s house for burgers,music,and of course cocktails. He enlisted me to be his bartender,and I did two drinks batched style in pitchers for the guests.

    As per usual,my drinks got rave reviews. Here’s what we served:

    Mix #166 Don’s Special Daiquiri

    1oz gold rum
    1/2oz light rum
    1/2oz passion fruit syrup
    1/2oz honey syrup
    1/2oz lime juice

    Shake with ice and strain into chilled glass.

    Sweet,but no too sweet,with a honey finish. This is the ‘70’s version of Don’s 1934 Mona Daiquiri. His used a special thirty year old rum,but it works just fine with regular rum.

    Mix #22 Remixed Zombie

    1.5oz gold rum
    1.5oz dark rum
    1oz 151 Demerara rum
    3/4oz lime juice
    1/2oz Don’s mix *
    1/2oz falernum
    1tsp grenadine
    6 drops absinthe
    dash Angostura bitters
    6oz crushed ice

    Blend at high speed for 5 seconds. Pour into tall glass and add ice to fill.

    *Don’s Mix is 2 parts white grapefruit juice to 1 part cinnamon syrup,I’ve used regular grapefruit juice with good results.

    Spicy,cinnamon-y,citrus-y,this drink is legendary for its kick. With four ounces of rum,one of which is 151,there’s a reason Don would only serve you two of these. More than two and you’ll feel like the walking dead the next morning. We did small cups that were about equal to a triple shot,and limited the guests to two since our host didn’t want to hurt them.

    On the subject of bartending,here are some of the tools I use for my mixings.

    The Difford’s Easy Jigger is great for mixing cocktails due to the markings in many sizes and measurements. It does ounces,milliliters,and even tea and table spoons. It goes up to two ounces and all the way down to 1/24. It allows you to get precise measurements to ensure your cocktails turn out right.

    Bee Chill ice cube trays. Tiki drinks are best made with pebble or cracked ice,but ice makers are expensive and a pain to clean. These silicon trays make hex cubes about as big around as a nickle. You can find them for cheap at TJMaxx or Marshalls. They also have these mini trays:

    These make proper pebble ice,but are a pain to use. I bust these out when I’m feeling fancy.

    A jelly jar. What’s Tiki about a jelly jar? Well back in 2020 Trader Vic’s did a jar for Mai Tai day. The idea was to pour the ingredients into the jar with ice,screw on the top and shake,then remove the top and drink from the jar. Brilliant! A shaker and glass in one,so you only have to clean two things(jigger,jar) instead of three(jigger,shaker,glass/mug). This appeals to the bachelor in me. And it’s classy as long as you hold up your pinkie while drinking. That jar is in my collection,but for a user I picked up a fancy Italian one at the Container Store.

    So if you need a bartender for your party,I only charge in food and rum.

  • One more cherry drink.

    The Singapore sling was created around 1900 at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel in Singapore by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon.

    (Ngiam with his wife on the left)

    Originally called the Gin Sling,it was intended as a drink for women. This is because at the time it was socially unacceptable for women to drink alcohol in public,so Ngiam made the cocktail look(and taste/smell) like fruit juice to enable women to drink it. It has since become a classic Tiki drink,although there are many variations. Many of the new ones drop back the pineapple juice and add club soda,or do other things that completely change the drink. As with many Tiki drinks,the actual lore behind it is pretty conflicting and confusing,but as I like to say,a good story is a good story. The pic below is from a friend who actually met Ngiam’s grandson and got a drink card from him,so I’m going with this being the legit recipe.

    Mix #165 Singapore Sling

    1oz gin
    1/2oz Cherry Heering
    1/4oz Cointreau
    1/4oz Benedictine
    4oz pineapple juice
    1/2oz lime juice
    2 tsp grenadine
    1 dash Angostura bitters

    Shake with ice and strain into hurricane glass.

    Sweet and fruity,you barely taste the alcohol. The grenadine comes forward and the pineapple and cherry finish it. There’s also just a touch of honey aftertaste. With only an ounce of true liquor it’s a low octane drink,and with it’s fruity taste and bright red color it would make a great cookout drink. I was able to get some Benedictine from friends,if you don’t have this you can sub Drambuie. Use one of these though as anything else will change the drink too much.

    So make yourself the ‘official drink’ of Singapore,and enjoy the flowers before they’re gone.

  • Spring has sprung.

    It’s Spring time in DC,which means we get to enjoy the beauty of the cherry blossoms. The weather wasn’t so great this year,but they were still pretty.

    (actual cherry blossom pic taken by Uncle Giltron)

    And of course,there are Tiki drinks for this occasion.

    Mix #160 Cherry Blossom

    1.5oz white rum
    1oz pineapple juice
    1oz cream of coconut
    3/4oz lime juice
    1/2oz blue curacao
    1/2oz cinnamon syrup

    Shake well with plenty of ice and pour into hurricane glass.

    Created by Justin Wojslaw,from the book Minimalist Tiki. Despite the name,there is no cherry in the drink,and it’s actually turquoise colored instead of red. So it’s pretty much the perfect drink for the way things work in DC. It’s sweet and creamy with a cinnamon profile. Pretty good,if a bit touristy.

    Mix #161 Cherry Pie Tai

    1.5oz Demerara rum
    1/2oz rhum agricole
    3/4oz Cherry Heering
    3/4oz lemon juice
    1/2oz orgeat

    Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

    I love Mai Tais,so a cherry version was perfect to go with the blossoms. Created by Nathan Robinson,it pretty much tastes like a tart cherry Mai Tai. Quite nice.

    Mix #162 Paradise Cooler

    2oz white rum
    1/2oz Cherry Heering
    1oz velvet falernum
    2oz orange juice
    1oz lime juice

    Shake with ice and pour into double old fashioned glass. Garnish with cherry speared with an apple slice.

    This was the house drink of the Denver Hilton in the 1960’s. It’s tart and citrus-y with some spice and a bit of cherry finish. Very nice. A good Tiki drink for cherry fans.

    Mix #163 Hemingway Daiquiri

    2oz white rum
    3/4oz lime juice
    1/2oz grapefruit juice
    1/2oz maraschino liqueur*

    Shake with ice until chilled,then strain into coupe glass.

    *I used Cherry Heering.

    So,the story goes that Ernest Hemingway went into the El Floridita bar in Havana to use the restroom. On the way out the bartender was setting up a line of daiquiris and Hemingway decided to try one. He commented that it wasn’t bad,but he preferred twice the rum and no sugar. So the bartender made one his way and named the drink after him. And over time it has morphed into the recipe above. No idea if any of this is true,but it’s a good story. Since Ernest was a man’s man,I decided to use Smith & Cross navy rum instead of white rum. The result was a VERY tart drink(I did use Heering which is tarter than maraschino liqueur). I didn’t want Ernest’s ghost to haunt me and call me a wuss,so I finished it,but if I were ever to make another I’d definitely dump in some simple syrup. If tart’s your thing,then you might like this.

    Mix #164 Ankle Breaker

    1oz 151 rum*
    1oz Cherry Heering
    1oz lemon juice
    ½ oz simple syrup

    Shake with ice and pour into double rocks glass.

    *I used Wray & Nephew Overproof.

    I came across this recipe in a Facebook group. According to Beachbum Berry’s book Remixed,this was created in the Swamp Fox Room bar in the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina sometime in the 1950’s. It was inspired by a story about hero of the Revolutionary War,General Francis Marion(AKA,the Swamp Fox),who supposedly broke his ankle jumping from a second-story window of the hotel while trying “to escape sober from a party at which this drink was flowing too freely.” Again,no idea if this is true but a good story is a good story. While 151 rum is intended for this,the poster used Wray & Nephew Overproof(which is “only” 126 proof) and since I have W&N and have been meaning to use it more,I used it too. And since I like funk I also doubled down and used Demerara syrup instead of regular simple. Very nice. This drink is very daiquiri-like. The rum really came forward with just a bit of cherry finish. Of course with overproof rum it had some kick. I’m going to make this again with some other rums just to play around with it.

    So until next time,have a cocktail and enjoy the pretty flowers.

  • Happy chocolate bunny day!

    It’s Easter. The kids get all kinds of candy,and what do the grownups get? Well thanks to Brian Maxwell,we get a seasonal Tiki drink!

    Mix #159 Easter Bounty

    1.5oz dry gin
    1oz coconut cream
    1oz pineapple juice
    1/2oz lemon juice*
    1/2oz vanilla syrup
    1/2oz passionfruit syrup
    1/2oz Cynar*

    Blend with two cups of ice until smooth.

    *I used Aperol instead of Cynar. Since I shook this I used 3/4oz of lemon.

    I was going to make another post when I found this on Facebook and was like,hey an Easter Tiki drink! The poster called it an adult Cadbury egg,which is pretty close to what it tastes like. It’s sweet and fruity with a vanilla finish,but doesn’t taste touristy. Brian suggested that I use extra lemon juice since I was shaking instead of blending and it turned out great.

    So now the kids can get their Easter treats and you can have yours.

    Oh look,Elvira has even gotten into the spirit.

  • Give ya both barrels.

    Oops,missed a Rum Barrel recipe from the Tiki bar Undertow.

    Mix #158 Undertow Rum Barrel

    2oz Demerara rum
    3/4oz gold rum
    3/4oz white rum
    1oz lime juice
    1oz grapefruit juice
    1oz pineapple juice
    3/4oz honey syrup
    5 dashes allspice dram
    1 dash bitters

    Blend with two cups of ice and pour into mug.

    Again,I shook this instead of blending. I did some digging on the ‘net and calculated that five dashes was around 3ml of allspice. This was smooth with a touch of citrus and spice. And it had plenty of kick. Nice drink,just don’t have more than two or you’re going to regret it in the morning.

  • Roll out the barrel.

    While the title of my post is a traditional polka tune,don’t worry,we’re sticking to barrels as they relate to Tiki. Specifically,the drink known as the Rum Barrel. Created by Donn Beach,there have been many variations and riffs on the original to the point that it’s anyone’s guess exactly what the original recipe was. This is due to the fact that Donn didn’t want his bartenders stealing his recipes,so he wrote them in code. So here’s a pair of recipes and a modern riff to keep you rolling.

    Mix #155 Rum Barrel

    2oz white rum
    2oz overproof Jamaican dark rum*
    1oz orange juice
    1oz pineapple juice
    1oz grapefruit juice
    3/4oz lime juice
    1/2oz honey syrup
    1/4oz grenadine
    1/4oz allspice
    1/4oz velvet falernum
    1 dash Angostura bitters
    6 drops absinthe

    Blend with 6oz ice and pour into barrel mug.

    *I used Smith & Cross.

    I shook this because my Blendjet is still out of service. It’s sweet and fruity with an absinthe aftertaste. It’s also really strong. Those four ounces of rum(two overproof) pack a punch,and all that sweet will give you a blazing hangover if you’re not careful. And you really don’t taste the rum,so it’s easy to get out of hand with these. Really probably a good idea to share this drink with a friend.

    Mix #156 Print Rum Barrel

    1oz dark Jamaican rum
    1oz Lemon Hart 151
    3/4oz pineapple juice
    3/4oz lime juice
    3/4oz orange juice
    3/4oz passionfruit syrup
    3/4oz simple syrup

    Shake with ice and pour into barrel mug.

    This came from a print I found on Tumblr. You see these on the web and for sale on Etsy. Their Mai Tai recipe is wrong,but I decided to give this a shot. It’s sweet and citrus-y with the passionfruit coming forward. An ounce of 151 gives it some kick,but it’s not as bad as some recipes which feature more rum. Actually a nice drink.

    Mix #157 Bamboo Barrel

    1oz white rum
    1oz gold rum
    1/2oz Demerara 151 rum
    1oz pineapple juice
    1oz lime juice
    3/4oz grenadine
    1/2oz passionfruit syrup
    1/4oz allspice dram

    Blend with ice and pour into mug.

    Shook this one too. Created by Forbidden Island’s Justin Oliver,it has a nice sweet/tart flavor with the grenadine coming forward and the 151 adds a good kick. Quite good.

    So keep on rollin’ folks. Follow these recipes and you’ll do it right.

  • Erin go bragh!

    So,it’s almost St Patty’s Day. What does that have to do with Tiki? Nothing. But I’m an American,and in America we are inclusive and enjoy celebrating other cultures’ special days…. at least the ones that have to do with consuming alcohol. And Trader Vic’s actually has a St Patty’s drink,so there’s your tie-in.

    Mix #154 Green Lantern

    2oz gold rum
    2oz pineapple juice
    1oz blue curacao
    1oz lime juice

    Flash blend and pour into Green Marine Tumbler.

    So my Blendjet is still down,so I just shook this. It’s not really green,more turquoise. And it’s really tart. I added some Demerara syrup to finish it. But hey,it’s still better than drinking green beer.

    Oh,and since I like to inform as well as entertain,here’s the Wiki link that actually tells you about the day.

    Have fun! (PS: if you want some good green drinks,check out my Midori mixings)

  • Ready for takeoff.

    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!