Author: Kevin Crossman

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New Cocktails Coming to The Kon-Tiki

The Kon-Tiki has transitioned back to making freshly prepared cocktails and the crew last night were working like a well-oiled machine. I had a fab Daiquiri with Worthy Park rum and Mrs. Mai Tai had her go-to Uma Uma.

We got a little preview of the revised cocktail menu, coming soon. Chris Day’s excellent Donnie’s Element is available now (in non-frozen form) and we got to try this most excellent Blush Crush. This dainty cocktail has Rhum Agricole and Campari, two ingredients that are not usually in my wheelhouse. But there is something magical about the one – it is delicious.

It is so strange being inside the bar after so long, but also nice to see Kon-Tiki coming out of lockdown/to-go cocktail mode and thriving.

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Lesson: Stick to Tiki

Sometimes it is good to challenge your assumptions and revisit spirits and cocktails that you haven’t loved (or enjoyed at all) in the past.

Such was the case when I made two Martinis. While I preferred the Gin Martini over the one with Vodka, neither was enjoyable. Glad I tried it but won’t be coming back anytime soon.

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Remembering Alex Fritch

We’re all still dealing with the loss of our friend Alex. If you’d like to help the family, a Go Fund Me has been set up: Celebrate the life of Alex Fritch.

Those who met Alex were impressed by his easygoing and friendly manner. But Alex could be quick with a funny comment too. Both of these aspects are on display with the three videos below.

Down the Hatch Game

Recorded in July 2020, the two rounds here are an homage to the classic 1970s game show Match Game but with a focus on tiki, rum, and the bars in the Oakland, CA area. If you’re not a local, you won’t get a few of the “Oakhana” references, but if you know anything about tiki bars or tropical cocktails there will be a lot of familiar subjects.

Alex was one of the “celebrity panelists”, along with his wife Terra. Alex was put into the “Richard Dawson” chair on the second row, and filled the role of the droll but funny man so well.

5 Bottle Rum Challenge

Recorded in January 2021, Alex was the first person I contacted to participate in a fun round-robin discussion of our favorite rums in five and only five categories. Alex joined us online from his home tiki bar, Fred and Ginger’s Exotic Cocktail Bar and Lounge, and you can truly experience his knowledge and passion for rum.

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Our friend is gone

I’m completely devastated by the senseless loss of Alex Fritch, a victim of yesterday’s VTA shooting in San Jose.

I first met Alex and his wife Terra in 2019 and we became fast friends. Each of us have specific talents or interests, but Alex? He was the life of the party. Always there with a friendly quip, a kind word, or to make a funny face when you’re taking a selfie. The consummate host. The guy you wanted to sit at the bar with.

One of my fondest memories was going over to Alex’s home bar and doing some Orange Curacao taste tests and a photo shoot for the blog. I had finally found a friend to nerd out with on this rum and cocktail stuff. Now he’s gone.

Deepest sympathies to Terra and their kids.

There are tall ships,
And there are small ships,
And there are ships that sail the sea,
But the best ships, are friendships,
So here’s to you and me!

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Orange Blossom

I’ve been digging Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour from Spike Marble of the Hula Girls on YouTube for the past year, so I was more than happy to join Spike’s Patreon. The Breezeway pin was a nice bonus. Check it out each Friday.

Spike’s guest last week was Ed Hamilton of Hamilton Rum and Ministry of Rum fame. The episode was quite entertaining as the imposing Ed Hamilton made three different cocktails with Spike while talking about rum and the Hamilton Rum lineup. Having met Ed a couple times in person I’m sympathetic with Spike’s plight in that situation, even though Ed is quite friendly. After a rum demo in Oakland a couple years ago I came home and immediately ordered over $100 worth of Hamilton spirits, so the man really knows his rum.

The third cocktail that Ed made was the Orange Blossom. This was a little different, so I decided to make it according to the specs that are quite a bit less exact that are typical for tropical cocktail or craft cocktail recipes.

Orange Blossom by Ed Hamilton
1 part Hamilton Pimento Dram
3 parts Hamilton 86 Demerara Rum
Fill glass with fresh Orange Juice
Top with Ice

Did I mention how much I think Ed Hamilton knows rum? I will emphasize the point again. But, I have to say, this cocktail was actually less than the sum of its parts and I bet you’ve never had anything quite like this. They can’t all be winners. But hey, your milage might vary.