The new issue of Exotica Moderne arrived, with my article about the Disco Banana cocktail by Jeanie Grant. Haven’t heard of this amazing cocktail? That’s why I wrote the article! It is one of my all-time favorites.
The article includes Jeanie’s original sketch for the cocktail, so check out the article to learn more about how this cocktail got its name. Thanks to Jeanie for telling me the origin story!
The typo in the captions for the two photos came from me. Minor dyslexia.
One of the aspects of The Kon-Tiki that I made sure to include in my recent Exotica Moderne article about the bar was their participation in community events and partnerships with businesses and organizations in Oakland.
Such was today’s Holiday Bazaar. Several local vendors were set up inside and there was a small holiday cocktail menu and burgers available from the bar. Not really tiki, except for Woody Miller. I bought the lovely green glass tree from Arcadian Stained Glass and some goodies from The Disco Greenhouse. And I bought some rum from the Kon-Tiki Bottle Shop.
The cocktail menu was quite festive, including a drink riffing on the bar’s Krampus themed decor. I sampled the tasty Disco Banana riff “Bad Banana” that dialed back the cocktail’s harder funky notes in favor of a fruitier blend that likely played better with the non-tiki crowd.
Cheers to the Kon-Tiki crew for putting together a great community event.
Finally cracked it. After numerous attempts at making the beloved Disco Banana at home, I finally made one that compares at least a tiny bit to the cocktail made fresh at Zombie Village or The Kon-Tiki Room.
The secret?
I got a tip from the drink’s creator Jeanie Grant to freeze the crushed ice, and use more than you’d typically use due to the higher proof rum. And sure enough, the crushed ice that was left in the freezer was certainly dryer than ice directly from the ice crusher.
Disco Banana by Jeanie Grant ⅓ Banana ¾ oz Lime Juice ¾ oz Cinnamon Syrup ¼ oz Demerara Syrup ¼ oz Creme de Banana ¾ oz Unaged Agricole Rhum ¾ oz Unaged Jamaican Overproof Rum Blend with ice Garnish with grated cinnamon and a banana chip
Quick stop the other night at The Kon-Tiki Room at Palmetto to get a shot of the Disco Banana for a project I’m working on. I love this cocktail that was developed by Jeanie Grant back in her Pagan Idol days. It’s on the menu at Zombie Village where it is blended fresh and served in a coupe.
At the Kon-Tiki Room, the Disco Banana is a frozen drink from their slushy machine. Suuuuper cold! Still quite nice and just the right amount of banana flavor. The Pearl Diver glass is interesting and means that this is actually a pretty large serving.
We continue to be impressed with the service at the Kon-Tiki Room; the bartender was enthusiastic about doing something off menu for one of the people in our party. Vaccination checks and entry couldn’t be easier and a nice crowd for a Thursday even without a show across the street at the Fox Theater.
Next door to Palmetto and from the same team behind The Kon-Tiki and Palmetto is The Kon-Tiki Room. The soft-open was last night and once again those of us in the Bay Area are spoiled by yet another awesome tiki bar.
Though it shares a kitchen with Palmetto and there is a door in between the two establishments, The Kon-Tiki Room is really it’s own standalone destination. The nondescript door awaits your entrance and inside there’s a nautical themed bar with bright colors to pair well with Palmetto’s art-deco vibe. But whereas Palmetto is bright and shiny, The Kon-Tiki Room is dark and mysterious. There are several little nooks and a large bar running through the space.
The nautical design from artist Woody Miller is inspired by ports of yore, with dramatic scenes of barrels, cargo, and some skeletons. Not really “pirate themed” per se but definitely a little bit of that. There’s a medium sized tiki in the back of the bar.
Small bar bites are available but cocktails are the focus here. We tried several and they ranged from good (Singapore Sling) to great (frozen Disco Banana, Cou-Cou Comber). The Mai Tai features Agricole rhum and is excellent. Not grassy at all, but the savory elements shine in this cocktail.
