Author: Kevin Crossman

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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.

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Blood Orange Mai Tai

Apparently blood oranges are in season, so I played around with them. First up is this Mai Tai made with white spirits and topped with some blood orange juice. Seems perfect for Halloween.

2 oz Probitas White Rum
¾ oz Cointreau
½ oz Orgeat
1 oz Lemon juice
Float ½ oz Blood Orange Juice

Very tasty.

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Kona Club is Now Open for Take-Out

Tiki Bar number 13 for me in 2020 is Oakland’s Kona Club. This dive/tiki bar on Piedmont Avenue is known for their incredible interior by Bamboo Ben and also for having a dive bar sensibility when it comes to cocktails and liquor. They just reopened this weekend from 4-8 pm for takeout cocktails so I took a drive to check it out.

You don’t get to go inside, as Kona Club has cleverly converted their exterior window to a walk-up window for to-go orders. A small set of cocktails are available, long with some beer selections. The requisite food component is a slice of pizza and a small side salad to complete the “meal.” Nothing to write home about but it’s also only $2. The team is looking to update the food option as they go, so check their Instagram for updates. Cocktails are available as a single for $10 or a double for $20.

The Madadamia Nut Chi-Chi is blended fresh and survived the trip home in good shape. The Mai Tai is the same as what Kona Club normally serves, which is to say it’s an Island Style with light rum (they used Myers’s Light Jamaican rum last time I was there). On a hot Sunday afternoon it wasn’t the greatest Mai Tai I’ve ever had but it was plenty cool and definitely refreshing.

Especially if you’re a local, support the business and give Kona Club a try.