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Online Ordering at Kon-Tiki is a Breeze

Got to try out the online ordering system at everyone’s favorite Oakland Tiki Bar, The Kon-Tiki. The system was easy to use and conveniently allows you to order before the restaurant opens (now 4-8 pm Mon-Sat). Give it a try.

The system is useful too, in that it reminds you of the rum bottles available for sale. I picked up the Denizen Vatted Dark and it’s wonderful. It also allows you to make comments for each item (such as sauce on the side). The loaded Tater Tots are back and they’re wonderful. The peppers have a little kick but not too bad. The tots traveled great, too. Still crispy when I got home. And the Jerk Almonds had a great favor too. The Kon-Tiki Cheeseburger was amazing as always, though do note that it comes with chips now, not fries.

The Kon-Tiki Zombie cocktail was a delight. I made sure to carefully pour over ice.

There are a lot of new murals in downtown Oakland, in support of Black Lives Matter. They look amazing and of course have an important message.

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Foursquare 2007 Found!

You can’t win if you don’t play.

If you like it, buy it!

Whatever the metaphor, the victory was mine today when I almost literally stumbled across this box of the famed Foursquare Exceptional Cask 2007 rum. There were three bottles left, I only took one. Sometimes you get lucky, but you’ll never know unless you’re there to see what pops up.

Patronize your local liquor store. And if you want to try it, then buy it.

Can’t wait to give this rum a try and compare it to the Foursquare 2004 already at home.

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Juneteenth Cocktail

Trying to learn more about this event and future national holiday. I didn’t have strawberries but wanted to make a red drink.

1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Liber & Co. Blood Orange Cordial
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1 oz Light Rum (I used Denizen White)
1 oz Saint Benevolence Rum Clairin from Haiti

Shake with cubes and top with soda.

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Singapore Sling

I don’t have Benedictine, so I have been using the 1937 Don the Beachcomber recipe. I have felt this lacked complexity so I have been thinking of things to add to it. This time I tried a bit of Passionfruit Syrup. It was maybe a little better but still something is lacking. But I do like the heavy cherry taste and the gin makes it refreshing.

Singapore Sling
½ oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Cherry Heering
1 oz Dry Gin
¼ oz Passionfruit Syrup

Shake with ice cubes add 1 ½ oz Soda and pour into tall glass.

Glassware by The Kon-Tiki.

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Monkey Business

This cocktail was created by Laura Murphy and I liked it when she and Woody Miller finished their Kon Tiki Expedition Rum List back in January.

Laura posted the recipe yesterday, in tribute to her mother who passed away a year ago. Her mom had helped with the testing and Laura’s post includes the recipe written out in her mother’s handwriting. Truly heartbreaking. Hang in there, Laura.

This cocktail needs to get out there, so here’s the recipe. I tried it with both the Giffard and Tempus Fugit Banana Liqueurs and I’d say that maybe the Giffard had a slightly more banana taste. But otherwise these were very close, and both were delicious.

Monkey Business by Laura Murphy
¾ oz Lemon Juice
½ oz Falernum
¼ Dry Curacao
1 oz Banana Liqueur
½ oz Hamilton Pot Still Black rum
1 oz Plantation 5 yr Rum
2 dashes Forbidden Bitters

Ideally, garnish with banana wedge and dehydrated lemon wheel.

This is a really good cocktail. Give it a try, and raise a glass.

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Makai Island Kitchen and Groggery Open in Santa Cruz

We have a new tiki bar opening, now that Makai is now open in Santa Cruz.

Initial reports are that this is a pretty good tiki bar, considering its touristy/general audience location. We’ve added it to our write-up of Tiki Travels: Central California.

Makai Island Kitchen & Groggery

Located on Santa Cruz’s picturesque wharf, Makai offers a good tiki experience while still appealing to a wide audience. The interior includes work from Bamboo Ben and the bar rotates. Food is family-friendly and reasonably priced, including Pupus, sandwiches,  bowls, and island-inspired entrees. Cocktails aren’t comparable to craft cocktail tiki bars, but are more than worthy considering the general-audience clientele. They serve a large variety of classic tiki drinks, including both a 1944 Mai Tai and an Island Mai Tai, along with a few originals.

Photo courtesy Alexis Antionio / instagram.com/atomictikigal
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Pusser’s Rum Happy Hour

Had a great time yesterday watching Suzanne Long deliver a fabulous Instagram Live rum presentation for Pusser’s Rum.

Suzanne is such a pro at these things, and always know how to welcome an audience. Several times she stopped the presentation to welcome those who had just joined and level set in her presentation about rum basics, the tradition of British Navy Rum, and then more about Pusser’s Rum. Their new 15 year expression contains no sugar and is wonderful.

The cocktail uses the Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof rum, which I find to be fabulous. Pretty affordable for what you get, it is delicious in cocktails such as Suzanne’s Gunpowder Swizzle. If you don’t have this rum, you can fake it by using 1.5 oz of Pusser’s Rum (Blue Label) and .5 oz of a 151 Demerara rum.