Tiki Love

Let us talk of the tiki.

I've already documented my tiki-flavored introduction to my fascination with alcohol in an earlier blog entry, but the fantasy-Polynesian world perpetuated by those who adhere to the theme remains a delight of mine. I will once again push off the story of the Zombie, but I will hint at one theme that story will expound upon: the origin of these drinks, the early 1930's post-Prohibition versions of the classic tiki drinks, were designed to be beverages for adults, not candy liquid.

This drink is pictured in the

Black & Silver Polka Dot 

Cosmo Pilsner (16.5oz), 

available on the 

Contemporary Complements website. 

The black tiki mug is from 

Frankie's Tiki Room 

in Las Vegas.

That said whenever I try a new recipe, I must always bear in mind that my wife likes drinks to be a bit on the sweet side. Where many of the classics of the genre are tart combination of lime or grapefruit juice, I always need to have a bit of pineapple juice handy to bring the sweetness up to my wife's preferences. It's not a big deal to spike her drink after decanting my own, but it does illustrate a guiding principle in my mixology missions: it don't matter what you did to it, if they ain't gonna drink it. If I can bring up the sweetness a bit (using appropriate and moderated means, of course) in order to make my primary audience more enthusiastic about the drink, then bring on the grenadine and pineapple.

Today's drink does not suffer from said lack of sweet. The Blue Hawaii has a creator (Harry K. Yee of the Hawaiian Village Hotel, circa 1957), a mission (help Bols sell blue curacao), and a profile that definitely settles it on the sweet end of the spectrum. It has a seafoam green-blue color that's almost a shame to hide in a tiki glass, but it's very much the kind of drink that won't surprise you coming out of said glass. As always, make your own sour mix (see the Long Island Iced Tea recipe for my sour mix notes) to take out might be a bit too much sweet, but otherwise this is a drink that's very easy, uses basic alcohols, and is as tiki as a Hawaiian lei.

Blue Hawaii

3 oz. fresh pineapple juice
.5 oz. blue curacao (I use Bols)
.75 oz. rum (I use Bacardi white)
.75 oz. vodka (any midrange will do, such as Absolut)
1 oz. sour mix

Shake vigorously with ice, pour into tiki mug or tall glass.

This recipe appears in Beachbum Berry's Sippin' Safari, and is also available on his app, Beachbum Berry's Tiki +, for the iPhone or iPad.

The Nutty Irishman - Jello Shot

Jello shots were never on my radar through my college years; I wasn't much on Jello, and it always seemed like too much trouble to make when the alcohol you were going to use was already ready to use, and measuring cups make good glasses in a pinch. That said, my wife started playing with Jello shots as part of our annual New Year's celebrations, and quickly became very good at both the preparation and the flavor mixing of Jello shots. (As a note: yes, I know I'm throwing around a brand name casually again-without the hyphen, even. I'm in Vegas, and you're lucky I can still string sentences together. Also, find me something better than Jello or Knox gelatin, and we'll consider revising.)

All of the above is simply to say that when it comes to Jello shots, I'm an enthusiastic proponent, but I leave the preparation to the experts. So, without further ado, here's Julie. I love you, and I promise that Vegas has been an appropriate amount of fun....

On that note... he may not be a fan of Jello but he has been a great addition to the Jello shot quality control department (taste tester) as I've tried new combinations over the years.  Thanks dear!

I too was never into the whole Jello shot thing in college.  It wasn't until about 10 year ago that I ventured into the world of mixing Jello with the 'alcohol of choice."  Because it was all new, the best delivery system was also trial and error.  The first year I actually used glass shot glasses and we quickly discovered they were too deep to effectively get all of the jello out of the glass.  Then I tried ice cube trays... not the best shape.  Next were the JELL-O Bean molds... those were too small but very fun and colorful when mixed in a big bowl (great for parties).  I also tried the Jell-O egg molds but those were too large and not easy for consumption.  So, within the past 5 years we've gone to using the .75oz condiment cups and lids from Gordon Food Service - (the 1oz cups are too deep).  These cups work the best!!  They're easy to stack and store in the fridge while they are setting up, they make for easy travel and they make for easy clean-up.  As most of my friends & family will tell you I'm pretty 'green' and try to always take into account the environmental impact of my purchasing... but the use of the disposable plastic cups is one exception I make.

Most of my Jello shots have been made using flavored JELL-O and then adding alcohol to compliment and/or improve that flavor.  I know the typical addition is vodka because it has a higher alcohol content - but I'm of the theory that if I'm going to eat it - I want to enjoy it.  So, I've tried many combinations over the years but have a few tried and trues that are always on the list when I ask for special requests.

Those include:

Peach Jello w/ DuKuyper Peachtree Schnapps

Berry Blue Jello w/ DuKuyper Blue Curacao

Grape Jello w/ DuKuyper Grape Pucker or Creme de Cassis

Lime Jello w/ Amaretto Di Saronno

Orange Jello w/ Pinnacle Whipped Vodka

Black Cherry Jello w/ Absolut Watkins Vodka (almond & coffee flavor)

Note: There is a Jello Shot note on my Contemporary Complements Facebook page with more fun combinations.

All of these combinations are great but last fall, as were planning for the New Year's party, I started looking for something more... adventurous.  That's when I started searching the web and ran across the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen blog and book.  They have put together a great collection of recipes and presentation ideas.  That being said I've now been experimenting with Knox unflavored gelatin a bit more.  It's been a lot of fun and it's what led me to my first layered Jello shot and this weeks "Drink" of the Week in observance of St. Patrick's Day - enjoy!

This Jello shot is pictured in the

Shamrock Shot Glass, available on the 

Contemporary Complements website.

The Nutty Irishman Jello Shot

This jello shot has been adapted from the ever popular drink and created into a layered jello shot that will make any St. Patrick's Day celebration (or any party for that matter) complete.

Preparation can be done in a variety of containers including standard shot glasses, a loaf pan and then cut into squares or .75oz condiment cups.

Kahlua Layer:

1/2 cup brewed coffee or espresso

1 envelope Knox gelatin

1/2 cup Kahlua coffee liqueur

Pour the coffee into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin - allowing to soak 1-2 minutes and then heating over low heat, stirring regularly, until gelatin is fully dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in the Kahlua.  Pour mixture in container of choice and chill until fully set (approx. 1 hr.).

Frangelico Layer

1 cup Frangelico

1 envelope Knox gelatin

Pour the Frangelico into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin - allowing to soak 1-2 minutes and then heating over low heat, stirring regularly, until gelatin is fully dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Remove the chilled Kahlua layer from the refrigerator and carefully pour the Frangelico mixture over the top.  Return to the fridge and chill until fully set (approx. 1 hr.).

Bailey's Layer

1/2 cup water

1 envelope Knox gelatin

1/2 cup Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur

Pour the water into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin - allowing to soak 1-2 minutes and then heating over low heat, stirring regularly, until gelatin is fully dissolved.  Remove from heat, stir in the Irish Cream and allow to cool slightly.  Remove the chilled Kahlua/Frangelico layers from the refrigerator and carefully pour the Bailey's mixture over the top.  Return to the fridge and chill until fully set - overnight recommended.

Old Faithful

This drink is pictured in the

Wave Polka Dot  11.5  oz. Pub Glass, 

available on the 

Contemporary Complements website.

Aaaah, the rum and Coke. Steady, omnipresent, always available, and still manages a variety of flavors (and quality) based on the rum used. This and the Long Island Iced Tea are the two drinks I have probably consumed the most over the years, and it's almost a default drink when I'm out and don't know whether to trust the bar service yet.

Let's start by defining some parameters. I set the Cuba Libre aside as separate for the moment. This drink is a very specific thing: Bacardi Gold, Coca-Cola, and fresh lime juice (supplied by the obligatory wedge). It's a wonderful drink, and each ingredient serves the drink well: the Coke adds the cola flavor and the sweetness; the Bacardi modifies the sweet into richness by adding the familiar Bacardi bite with the molasses undertones that the gold rum provides; the lime adds a splash of citrusy freshness, masks a bit of the carbonic acid, and blends the two strong flavors together. This, however, is not about the Cuba Libre, as most places are going to use either fountain Coke, crap rum, dried-up old lime wedges, or some combination of the three.

No, we are going to focus on the two-ingredient version of this drink: Coca-Cola and rum. There's no point arguing the first ingredient–no Coca-Cola, no drink. Pepsi fouls up the drink into a syrupy mess, and although other colas bring interesting flavors to the story, when an ingredient is as readily available as Coke is, and produces such marvelous results as it does, that we shouldn't just accept it and move on. (Note that I'm not going down the road of so-called "Mexican Coke", Kosher-for-Passover Coke or the Coke I get in Europe, but suffice it to say that if I can get the nonstandard stuff, I get it.)

So, we are left with the rum to discuss. I defaulted to Bacardi Gold for years, and won't argue with it today. I went through several other phases (Gosling's, Navy and Myer's rums notably), and while I'm overseas I'm a Havana Club maniac, but I've recently settled on a relative newcomer to the game: The Kraken Rum. It's a 94 proof black rum, with a bit of spice thrown into the mix. It has a bit sweeter of a taste profile than I might usually consider, but the extra proof offsets it in a rum and Coke. The spice set complements the cola profile nicely; basically, it's everything I want in a rum and Coke.

What ratio to use? Well, if you're making it easy on yourself and simply emptying a 12 ounce can into a glass, there's a pretty tight borderline I'd suggest. You might not think a half-ounce of alcohol would make a difference in 14 or 15 ounces of drink, but there's a really bright line change in the taste of the drink between 2.5 and 3 ounces of Kraken in your can of Coke. At 2.5 oz. of rum, the Coke continues to maintain its last shred of sweetness, pleading that it's still a soda with stuff in it; at 3 ounces of rum, it's all collapsed into itself and you're left with the cola and the rum coexisting on equal terms. If you want that little bit of sweetness to remain, simply cut it back to 2.5 oz. of rum.

If you're using one of those cute 7.5 oz. serving cans that Coke makes, you'll cheat the rum down a touch from two ounces; if you're splitting a 16.9 ounce glass bottle into two drinks, use two ounces per half and you're golden. Otherwise, to use the basic can of Coke and the bottle of Kraken rum you'll be obtaining in the future, I give you my recipe for rum and Coke goodness.

Rum and Coke

12 oz. Coca-Cola
3 oz. Kraken rum

Add a third of the Coke to a tall glass with ice, then add rum. Pour remaining Coke into glass.

Julischka

So, it’s 2004, and I’m attending my first Essen Spiel (anannual game convention that attracts upwards of 180,000 people every year) in Essen, Germany. We stay at the Hotel Arosa, and we’re having dinner at the end of theshow on Sunday night. At this dinner, I am introduced for the first time to anamber nectar called julischka.

This julischka glass is available from
Contemporary Complements by
special order.

Julischka is an Eastern European liqueur made from two basiccomponents: slivovitz (a plum brandy) and kruskovec (pear liqueur). It’s anaperitif (well, it’s usually an aperitif; we tend to make it a starter, thirdcourse, aperitif, and desserts 1, 3, 4 and 5). It’s sweet, fruity, with aslightly thick mouth feel and a lingering sweetness that never goes cloying.

The hotel dislocated the restaurant, and they’ve now endedup in Gelsenkirchen in their own place. Dragi, the cook, proprietor and SupremeHostess of the Essen Dinner (lifetime), makes one or more of the liqueurs, andadds a secret ingredient (eventually outed as hruska, a sour apple extract, ina very small quantity). I’ve discussed the initial process of replicating theliqueur on my Facebook page, but suffice it to say I’ve gone down a slightlydifferent path, spiking my blend with Zwack (more on that later) as adimensional layer. I can’t duplicate her julischka, and frankly don’t want to;this is about being able to talk with my American friends about the piles ofperfectly-cooked Argentinean steaks, the wienerschnitzel that’s paper-thin andbreaded expertly, the amazing goulash soup, and the hundreds (yes, hundreds) ofother menu items that we have available to eat there, and then be able to letthem have a little taste that honors the craftsmanship and flavor that we getto enjoy every time we visit.

Julischka

After the julischka atthe Waldhaus-Reese Steakhaus, Wiedehopfstrasse 17, Resser Mark. 45892Gelsenkirchen-Reese

1/4 c. slivovitz

3/4 c. kruskovec

3/4 oz. Zwack

Current paths ofinvestigation:

• Thereare only two major ingredients, so if I’m going to improve this, I have toimprove the alcohols involved, and kruskovec is the one I most want to playwith. I need one that’s thicker and clearer with the pear flavor, without goingtoo sweet. I can adjust the slivovitz to take more or less sweet out of it, butI want to start with the kruskovec as providing the next best opportunity forimprovement.
• I want to stay true to its geographic roots, and I do like the flavortouches that Zwack adds. That said, Zwack in the US is NOT what’s sold inGermany; Unicum (the REAL Zwack) is to US Zwack as a chainsaw is to a butterknife. I’m bringing home a little bit of the real thing to play with, hopingthat when I next put together a batch, I can see how this will affect theoverall flavor (probably forcing me to twitch the kruskovec up as well). Isthere another dimensionalizer out there to discover?...