Book Review: Easy Tiki by Chloe Frechette

While this book doesn’t break any new ground, it’s a quite accessible resource for people getting started. The book covers in light detail the history of tiki, basics of rum, and then presents fairly straightforward and simple recipes. No strange or unusual ingredients, like you sometimes find in these recipe books. It’s kind of like if 2019’s Minimalistic Tiki and Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails books got together and had a baby.

Too often when things are simplified in these books it ends up creating inaccuracies or the topics are so simplified as to be not understandable. Thankfully, Easy Tiki avoids these problems very well.

There are some good recipes here, including the Mai Sha Roa Na (from False Idol) and a very intriguing Breakfast Mai Tai. There is the Quarantine Order, Staycation, Carrot Colada, and a bunch of other interesting recipes.

The book is available now from your favorite booksellers. I bought my in Apple Books and the presentation in the app is pretty good. There are some very nice photographs too.

While this won’t replace the deep coverage you find the Smuggler’s Cove, Sippin’ Safari, or Minimalist Tiki books, Easy Tiki is a good resource and potentially helpful option for tiki newbies.

Pinky Gonzales

A Tequila cocktail for Cinco de Mayo

This was my once a year attempt to make a cocktail with tequila that I actually like. In years past I’ve tried the Pinky Gonzales, a Mai Tai variant from Trader Vic’s. Previously I haven’t loved this but this year the tequila taste was an enhancement rather than a detriment. I must be getting used to the spirit, or the balance of other ingredients worked better this time. Heavier Orgeat pour, possibly.

Pinky Gonzales
1 oz Lime Juice
½ oz Cointreau
“Heavy” ½ oz Orgeat
¼ oz Demerara Syrup
2 oz Tequila

Pictured is the famed 1972 Trader Vic’s Revised Bartender’s Guide. A seminal book then, a seminal book now. Tonight the toast is to the Trader.