Month: October 2020

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Saturn Variant: Janus

A criminally underrated tropical cocktail is the Saturn, a late 1960s recipe that includes several syrups along with Gin. I decided to riff on it using Rum instead of Gin, so I named it after one of Saturn’s many moons.

Janus
½ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Orgeat
½ oz Passion Fruit Syrup
¼ oz Falernum
1½ oz Rum
Shake with crushed ice and strain into a Coupe glass.

I tried this with the best White Rum around, Probitas. That rum is a mix of Barbados rum and Jamaican rum and is so delightful when you want to taste the rum in a cocktail of this style. I also tried this with Smith & Cross Jamaican rum, which is heavier than the Probitas but still not overpowering the rest of the ingredients. If you made this with each of the rums it probably would reinforce your style preference (I preferred the Jamaican) but both are excellent.

I really like the subtle flavor of the Falernum in this, and I think it pairs well with the Passion Fruit Syrup and the Orgeat.

Give it a try and let me know how you like it.

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Trader Vic’s Warehouse Sale

Robust crowd for today’s once-in-a-decade warehouse sale at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville.

You can see how long the line stretched, a factor on the social distancing in the line and also the total crowd size. I was in the far right section just before it snaked back upon itself. Arriving at 10:00, I was able to enter the parking lot and peruse the wares at around 11:40 or so (I was the last of the third group let in). Credit to the hearty souls who waited in line even longer – they got the really impressive stuff (not idea for how much $$ though). The day was beautiful and people were in good spirits.

I didn’t go home with anything, but I was glad to see what was available. It’s always a pleasure to visit the home of the Mai Tai.

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Nepalese Dinner

I don’t have too many opportunities to pair my Khukri rum made in Nepal, but it worked out tonight with some delicious dumplings and sides from Everest Momo. It’s delicious.

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Coronado Luau Special

This recipe was recommended by Nathan Robinson who tried it with Blood Oranges. I needed to use up my Valencia Oranges though so went with the traditional Orange Juice.

This is recipe from the Luau Room at the Coronado Hotel, and noted by the inclusion in Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log.

Looking at the recipe I thought that this wasn’t very balanced and had too much juice/sugar. Turns out that’s exactly how it was. I added some Brandy and it was better, but this one likely won’t be going into rotation. I riffed a bit on the ingredients, so check the Grog Log or the Total Tiki app for the original recipe.

Coronado Luau Special
3 oz Valencia Orange juice
1½ oz Lemon juice
½ oz Lime juice
1 oz Demerara syrup
1 oz Dark Jamaican rum (Coruba)
1 oz Light rum (Denizen White)
¾ oz Cognac
¼ oz Ferrand Dry Curacao
¼ oz Orgeat (Latitude 29)
Float 1 oz Brandy
Flash blend

Be sure to check out more recipes and posts from Nathan Robinson who has some great photos on his feed.

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Don’s Spices no. 2 Mai Tai

A little bit of a riff for the Mai Tai tonight. It’s a regular Mai Tai but replaces the Demerara/Rock Candy Syrup with Don’s Spices no. 2. That’s equal parts Vanilla Syrup and Pimento Dram/Allspice Liqueur. I used BG Reynolds Vanilla Syrup and St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram.

I don’t love cocktails that are Allspice forward, but just a little can be really great. This was a wonderful Mai Tai.

Glassware by B-Rex, paired with a B-Rex mug and Disney mementoes. The Mai Tai glass is still available so check out the B-Rex site.

2 oz Denizen Merchants Reserve Rum
½ oz Ferrand Dry Curacao
½ oz Latitude 29 Orgeat
¼ oz Don’s Spices no.2
1 oz Lime juice

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Tiki Mug Monday

This is a Woody Miller mug made for a local home bar. I was lucky to score one from the bar owners and it’s perfect for “Spooky Season” (a term that somehow I’ve missed until this year). This one is truly horrific.

The liquid inside is a secret elixir, known only to the creator.

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Blood Orange Eastern Sour

For a while now I’ve been extolling the virtues of Valencia Orange Juice in cocktails. So much sweeter and flavorful than standard bottled orange juice or even fresh squeezed from Navel Oranges. Blood Oranges seem to be in season, so I thought I’d make my favorite OJ-forward cocktail and see how it compares.

Blood Orange Eastern Sour
¾ oz Lemon Juice
2½ oz Blood Orange Juice
¼ oz Orgeat
¼ oz Sugar Syrup
2 oz Bourbon (Wild Turkey 101)

I really liked this version. Obviously the first thing you see is how deep the red color of the Blood Orange juice is. The flavor is a little bit more tangy than the Valencia but still works well with the rest of the ingredients. I might up the Orgeat by another ¼ oz if I make this again. If you can find Blood Oranges, give this a try.