Promo only, not for sale. But these stickers featuring the logo by B-Rex look great in black!
Available anytime you see me in the flesh, including at Tiki Kon.
Fiji Rum Mai Tai for Survivor Finale
It is still one of my favorite shows, even after all these years. Since the show is filmed in Fiji I made a Mai Tai with Isle of Fiji rum. And served in a coffee mug from a previous season.
Happy Birthday Star Wars
The original Star Wars movie opened today 45 years ago. I’m celebrating tonight with a “Mai Tai Fighter” that we originally had at a Smuggler’s Cove event.
Just a regular Mai Tai, with an OFTD float, and quite delicious.
Recipe: No Pain, No Gain
Everyone loves playing with the rums in a Mai Tai, with bars competing for the best custom blend and home bartenders organizing blind taste test parties. But why stop at the Mai Tai? Why don’t we do this for the Painkiller?
Well, there is a certain reason.
Pusser’s Rum trademarked the Painkiller cocktail, which means that legally it can’t be called that unless you use Pusser’s rum. Which is kind of ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Pusser’s – especially their boozy Gunpowder Proof which is so flavorful and clocks in at 109 proof.
So, today’s cocktail isn’t a “Painkiller” at all. It is something else. But, you know, it kind of isn’t different.
No Pain, No Gain by Steve Perez
3 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Cream of Coconut
1½ oz Rum Fire Jamaican Overproof Rum
1½ oz Plantation OFTD
Shake with crushed ice and garnish with nutmeg
Steve Perez was talking up this rum blend last week at Dr. Funk and after a hard day it seemed like the perfect time to try this rum made with one rum at 63% ABV and another at 69%. So, quite boozy! More importantly, quite flavorful. I do feel that Jamaican rums can add a lot to this style of coconut-forward cocktail.
Thanks for the suggestion Steve!
Glassware: Tiki Goth Club
Rum-Bar Overproof
Regular readers know I love Jamaican rum, and one of my favorite styles is the unaged white overproof. Wray & Nephew Overproof is the affordable standard bearer for this style of rum, but I do prefer when this type is 100% pot still distilled and featuring a heavier body. “Overproof” because it is issued at 63% ABV.
Rum-Bar Overproof from Worthy Park Estate is such an entrant, and I recent obtained a new replacement bottle so I’d be sure to have some on hand at home. It is an intense and fragrant rum that fills the room with a wonderful fruity scent. It also tastes great – closer to Rum Fire than Wray in flavor profile and overall mouthfeel. It is an intense flavor.
I enjoy this type of rum with grapefruit soda, especially the Ting soda from Jamaica if you can find it. I also find that Squirt works well enough and is much more available. I’ve also used this cocktails such as my Blue Hawai-Tai or even as a half or full ounce of White Overproof rum in a Mai Tai alongside something more refined.
Mai Tai in Pop Culture: Mr. Dooley
From this past weekend’s SNL. The Mai Tai stuff starts at 3:29.
Um… I guess we shouldn’t get hung up on using bad glassware when you’re trying to cover for a dead body, but Mai Tai fans know what the real tragedy is here.
Jet Pilot at Dr. Funk
Several people ordered these when I was there on Thursday, but it was too much booze for me to have that night, so I picked one up on an impromptu visit on Saturday. This off-menu cocktail seems to be made to classic specs, using good ingredients that Dr. Funk is always known for. Fantastic, so layered and flavorful.
For dinner, I did the chicken skewers again and Mrs. Mai Tai and I split the Nacho Fries which were pretty good. Julie had the mushroom curry she’s had before and says it is still very good.
Dr. Funk’s new outdoor bar space is open now on the weekends starting at 8 pm. Dubbed “Bootleggers Bay,” the venue’s menu includes the full food menu from Dr. Funk and a smaller selection of cocktails: Daiquiri, Mojito, Scotch Colada, Mexican Firing Squad, Caipirinha, Bitter Hurricane, Spanish Paloma, and Mai Tai – plus several beer options. Plenty to choose from considering the party crowd I’m sure will be present.
Menu photo via @socy.delreal stories
Ohana Thursday at Dr. Funk
The mid-month Ohana meetup is now the 3rd Thursday starting this month and based on last night seemed like a good change. We had a nice group of folks attending. Join us starting at 5:00 and ending … later. We still have a standing meetup on the 1st Sunday staring at 5:00 – remember, no food at Dr. Funk on Sundays/Mondays.
Thanks to Trader Don for the photo of Sean and me.
Music last night was a playlist of Ukulele covers of Bob Marley and Eagles songs, which I thought fit in just fine and was more than reasonable. There was even a little exotica, and in any case it is always appreciated when the venue sticks to the atmospheric theme rather than giving in to playing classic rock and ruining the vibe.
Dr. Funk has added on to their outdoor patio, just in time for summer. There are even plans for an outdoor bar for certain days (presumably weekends) when crowds are heavier.
The Mai Tai was Dr. Funk’s standard, with Plantation Xaymaca subbing for their standard rum blend. I keep throwing different rums at the Dr. Funk Mai Tai and it never disappoints.
Pineapple Salsa Served in a Pineapple
Made this for a potluck at work.
- Pineapple
- Red Onions
- Bell Pepper
- Lime Juice (1 oz)
- Seasoning (Cilantro etc)
Paranubes Anejo Aguardiente de Caña
I received a gift card to Bitters & Bottles and picked up this aged cane spirit from Mexico.
Such interesting flavors. You can taste the Olive-like cane juice source in this rum, but the spiced aging notes from new American oak barrels gives this a bit of a Scotch-like taste. You can definitely savor this spirit, bottled at 53.8% ABV.