Month: October 2021

Posted on

Frozen Disco Banana

Quick stop the other night at The Kon-Tiki Room at Palmetto to get a shot of the Disco Banana for a project I’m working on. I love this cocktail that was developed by Jeanie Grant back in her Pagan Idol days. It’s on the menu at Zombie Village where it is blended fresh and served in a coupe.

At the Kon-Tiki Room, the Disco Banana is a frozen drink from their slushy machine. Suuuuper cold! Still quite nice and just the right amount of banana flavor. The Pearl Diver glass is interesting and means that this is actually a pretty large serving.

We continue to be impressed with the service at the Kon-Tiki Room; the bartender was enthusiastic about doing something off menu for one of the people in our party. Vaccination checks and entry couldn’t be easier and a nice crowd for a Thursday even without a show across the street at the Fox Theater.

Posted on

New Cocktails at The Kon-Tiki

Mrs. Mai Tai and I had dinner with some friends at The Kon-Tiki. While there, we got to try some new cocktails that are coming soon to the 4th edition of the printed Kon-Tiki cocktail menu.

First up is “Mezcal in the Banana Stand,” with Dry Sherry, Banana-Honey, and Lemon. Mezcal is still a bit out there for me, but this was quite nice and not too much of a punch to the gut, and definitely mellowed over time. A very nice tropical cocktail.

Second is the “Martinique on Fleek,” a Wray and Ting riff using Clement Blanc rum (so, 100 proof!). Very refreshing and an interesting change of pace.

Third is the “Kon-Tiki Spritz” with White Aperitivo, Pineapple Liqueur, White Wine, and Seltzer. Mrs. Mai Tai really liked this, and I think it’s an interesting cocktail with some fine tropical nods but also totally outside the typical rum, gin, or agave spirit-based cocktails.

I’m super excited to see a new printed cocktail menu at The Kon-Tiki coming soon. I’ll be there this coming Wednesday for Ohana Night and who know what else!

Food wise, we tried the Queso (good, but not exotic) and Coconut Shrimp (also good), along with the Kon-Tiki Burger and Buffalo Cauliflower that we’ve had before.  Music last night featured Latin rhythms and was really great. Peppy but still mostly instrumental and definitely not “modern” sounding. Kudos to the DJ.

Posted on

Spring Until Yesterday

Happy birthday to Oakland tikiphile Laura Murphy (aka Pearl) who’s birthday is today.

To celebrate, I made one of Laura’s original cocktails named Spring Until Yesterday. Quite tasty using some of my favorite rums from Jamaica, and flavors such as Coconut and Falernum that I didn’t realize worked so well together. Give it a try.

Spring Until Yesterday by Laura Murphy
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Coconut Creme
¾ oz Falernum
1 tsp Herbstura
¾ oz Rum Fire Overproof Jamaican Rum
1 oz Coruba Dark Rum
Flash blend with ice, then pour into glass or mug. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon and a bouquet of mint.

Herbstura: equal parts Herbsaint (or Pernod/Absinthe) and Angostura Bitters

Posted on

Aged Clairin Mai Tai

I’m such a big fan of Saint Benevolence rum, especially their Rum Clairin expression. An unaged rum from Haiti, I’ve long extolled the virtues of this flavorful, savory spirit.

The newly available aged expression is the same rum, just aged in barrell for at least a year. A great way to see how barrel aging changes a spirit, and makes the rum more approachable for many consumers.

It tastes great on its own, not “too oaky.” And it is wonderful in a Mai Tai of course. Had to use one of my tall Saint Benevolence glasses.

Saint Benevolence is worth seeking out. I bought my bottle of Aged Clairin at Bitters & Bottles.

Posted on

Worthy Park Blind Taste Test

I posted this to my Instagram stories and it seems to have drawn some interest.

When I posted about Worthy Park 109 a couple days ago, I mentioned that this new black rum from Jamaica tasted more like a Demerara rum from Guyana than the funky rums that Worthy Park is most famous for. Those Worthy Park rums are most notably expressed with Rum-Bar Overproof, but also many of the Hamilton rums that use Worthy Park distillate as their base. And then some people said that 109 didn’t taste anything like a Demerara and I was only looking at the color. Well, I’ll never turn down a challenge.

Hence the blind taste test with some Jamaican, Demerara, and blended rums. I compared the WP109 to Hamilton 86 from Guyana, Blackwell Black Gold from Jamaica, and the new Hamilton Zombie Blend that is a blend of rums from Jamaica and Guyana.

Tasting Notes

To me, the 109 tasted most similar to Hamilton 86. I know that caramel coloring is present in both and in theory does not impart taste, but to me these were very close. The 109 being 100% pot still and higher ABV did have a better mouthfeel and a richer taste.

The Blackwell was a poor choice for this comparison, since it was so clearly not really in the same league as the others. Beside the lower ABV (40%) there definitely was a sugary taste that made it stand out. The color isn’t that black either. I should have maybe tried Coruba instead. I find the Hamilton Pot Still Black to be quite funky (using Worthy Park distillate) so that wouldn’t really have been a good comparison either. In other words, Worthy Park 109 isn’t just a higher proof “black Jamaican” but something a bit different.

As for the true Demerara/Jamaican hybrid, I found the funky notes in the Hamilton Zombie Blend to be quite forward. While delicious and wonderful (and easily sippable at 59% ABV) it too didn’t really taste like the Worthy Park 109.

As I mentioned in my post the other day, I found the rich and heavy and boozy characteristics of the Worthy Park 109 to be delightful in a Mai Tai where I’m looking for rich and heavy and boozy. This one is a keeper.