Tag: Orgeat

Posted on

Crowd-Pleasing Tiki Recipe: Blue Hawai-Tai Cocktail

I had a lemon to kill and I’d been thinking about revisiting this hybrid Mai Tai / Blue Hawaii cocktail that I developed a few years back. It leans sweet, so feel free to pull back on the simple syrup, but I do still think this works and can be a crowd-pleaser for cocktail newbies.

Blue Hawai-Tai by Kevin Crossman
1 oz Lemon Juice
½ oz Orgeat
½ oz Simple Syrup
½ oz Blue Curacao
1 oz White Overproof Jamaican Rum
½ oz Aged White Rum
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice. Shake and dump into a small snifter glass.

  • Giffard is an amazing orange liqueur that also happens to be blue, strongly recommended.
  • Any overproof Jamaican rum would do fine here, demonstrated in this case by the Monymusk. If you like it more punchy than use one that’s 100% pot still, like Worthy Park Overproof or Rum Fire.
  • For the white rum, use one with a bit of age and ideally at least some pot still components to remind you that a Mai Tai started with an aged rum. My old bottle of Denizen 3 works great, as would Probitas, Breezeway blend, or Myers’s Platinum White.
  • Latitude 29 Orgeat is great in this application as the syrup is fairly clear and not cloudy like some orgeat can be.
Posted on

Modified Hawaiian Sunset

The Hawaiian Sunset was a cocktail from the Aku-Aku restaurant at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas, circa 1960s. Famously used by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry in his books, the cocktail features vodka as a base spirit and grenadine for color and flavor.

As described by Beachbum Berry, the recipe is as follows.

Hawaiian Sunset – Aku-Aku Original
½ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Lemon Juice
½ oz Orgeat
1 tsp Grenadine
1½ oz Vodka
Shake with cubes and strain into cocktail glass.

If I can use a lighter style rum in place of vodka I’ll take that option every single time. I also thought that I’d like to taste more of the grenadine, especially since I’m testing the Portland Syrups Grenadine. So, I came up with a modified version that focuses more on the grenadine and uses rum instead of vodka.

Hawaiian Sunset – Revised
1 oz Lemon Juice
¼ oz Orgeat
½ oz Grenadine
1½ oz Light Puerto Rican Rum
Shake with cubes and strain into cocktail glass.

This is really delicious, thanks to Portland Syrups Grenadine that has a lovely floral taste that leans a little into some black cherry flavors but obviously still is primarily pomegranate flavor. The rich syrup pairs well with the Latitude 29 Orgeat that I use to stand up to the lemon juice and the Don Q Cristal Rum adds some legit rum flavor that I greatly prefer.

Thanks to Kristi and Jessie for bringing back this cute little bottle of Don Q direct from Puerto Rico!

Posted on

Yuzu Fuzz and Improved Mai Tai at the Tikeasy in Livermore

Mrs. Mai Tai wanted to go to Livermore for a night out and we eventually found ourselves at Tikeasy at Rosetta Roasting. Julie expressed interest in trying the Yuzu Fuzz, Rosetta’s award winning original cocktail that features Japanese Gin, yuzu reduction, and lemon – garnished with a buzz button blossom. It’s really great and very well-balanced, especially if you like floral notes in a cocktail. The buzz button numbs the tongue if you take a little bite and I guess makes the drink taste sort of different, but it’s so good I don’t think numbing is an improvement. It’s a fun party trick if you’re out with friends, though.

We also tried an improved Mai Tai, now that Tikeasy is making house-made orgeat. It is definitely better than the previous version that used a commercial orgeat and it is still one of the best Mai Tais in the Bay Area. There are even a few new pieces of decor including a tapa cloth wall and the artwork that inspired the design of the Mai Tai glass.

We also tried some food at Tikeasy, including a wondering Polynesian flatbread plus spam musubi. Rosetta is famous for their cakes and the pistachio cake is really amazing. Livermore was hosting their annual Rodeo, so the Rosetta team dressed the part, even if we all know they’re rather be wearing aloha-wear.

The Tikeasy at Rosetta is open Wednesday to Saturday for cocktails and food in the evening, now doing a tiki menu every day they’re open. Be sure to check them out if you’re in the Tri-Valley.

Posted on

Modified Scorpion Recipe

After having the individual Scorpion at Trader Vic’s last week I thought I’d revisit this classic at home. This is a prime example of the Trader Vic’s recipe style, featuring both orange and lemon juice, a split base of spirits, and Vic’s signature sweetener, orgeat.

This sometimes comes out too tart, and I’ve long felt that the juicy cocktail needs bolder spirits. So, I did some modifications on the ratios by dropping the orange juice a little and bumping up the orgeat. This was originally made with a lightly aged “white” Puerto Rican rum, but I think that something with more flavor would be better. Look for something bolder like Denizen White, Planteray 3 Star, Hamilton Breezeway Blend, or Myers’s Platinum White. The brandy or cognac is often lost in this and as a richer spirit I want to taste it so I’ve doubled that from what Trader Vic called for.

  • Valencia Oranges are a little sweeter than Navel Oranges and would be recommended for this cocktail.
  • Now with four ounces of spirts, you can feel better about using this Trader Vic’s Scorpion Bowl and maybe even splitting it with someone special.

Scorpion by Trader Vic (modified)
1½ oz Orange Juice
1½ oz Lemon Juice
¾ oz Orgeat
2 oz Brandy or Cognac
2 oz Aged White Rum
Flash blend with 8 oz crushed ice. Dirty dump and top with more crushed ice, garnishing with gardenia, orchid, or citrus wheels. Serve in Mai Tai glass or tiki mug.

Posted on

My Favorite Mai Tai 12: What Makes The Ultimate Mai Tai?

Mai Tai media week continues with another new video to watch this weekend.

Those looking for a deeper dive into the Mai Tai will likely enjoy the new episode of Tiki with Ray’s “My Favorite Mai Tai” video series. We sat down with Ray and Pete from Bamboo & Bitters to discuss the Mai Tai’s ingredients, lore, and personal preferences.

The Mai Tai is very special to many people, including myself of course. But those who are paying close attention should note in this video how many times I chose not to gatekeep the drink or specific ingredients. I know what I like in a Mai Tai, and I’ll talk about things you should be thinking about when making one at home or ordering one at a bar. But I pass no judgement if you prefer it this way or that way. It’s your Tai, not my Tai.

Thanks to Ray for driving a great discussion into this cocktail and to Pete for having us over at his amazing basement bar, The Fo’c’sle.

Posted on

The Sex Panther at Prowl

Prowl is a jungle themed lounge in Las Vegas’ arts district, next door to Stray Pirate and co-owned by the some of the same crew. We landed early evening on Friday to find a small mixed crowd and one bartender holding court. The thematic elements include some LED screens, plenty foliage, and a stone idol on one wall. There are a variety of seating areas and booths, plus some great looking lamps that’ll give you retro vibes.

The menu has all kinds of fun nods, including “For a Good Time, Call 1-888-87-PROWL” (call it, it works), Monstera Mash, and Mustache Ride. As a fan of the Anchorman movie back in the day, I was immediately were drawn to Sex Panther and then very intrigued by the Mai Tai meets Margarita ingredient list that includes Mexican rum, tequila, pepita orgeat, and of course “bits of real panther.” This was a good cocktail, though I would have preferred it over crushed ice rather than served up.

Our bartender Jacklyn did a great job checking in with our party and we all seemed to enjoy the vibe and the cocktails. There are a variety of merch options including glassware designed by McBiff, hats, and more. The Arts District is really booming with great cocktail bars, with Prowl being another recent fun addition.

Posted on

Small Hand Foods Orgeat

We’ve been doing this deep dive into Mai Tais thing for a while now and I do feel it is important to challenge assumptions and revisit past experiences to see if products or the palate has changed over the years.

When I saw a new label on this bottle of Small Hand Foods Orgeat it gave me the opportunity to try this orgeat again. Small Hand has a great reputation for bottled cocktail syrups and I also am a strong advocate of their bottled ready to drink Mai Tai. But in the past I haven’t liked the taste of this orgeat nor the way it separates, requiring shaking.

Well, folks, for better or worse the taste of this orgeat has not changed. I personally find it to lean far too much into a marzipan direction, so much that I can most definitely taste it in a Mai Tai. It isn’t my thing but might be yours, though, and I’ll look forward to trying this again in another few years. In the meantime, I’ll continue to use Small Hand’s tangy and delicious and tangy Passion Fruit Syrup that’s wonderful.