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Aloha! I mean hello! We continue the theme of “tiki”, which, as it seems to us, successfully started thanks to the legendary Mai Tai cocktail. Tiki is a special kind of cocktails that are far from classical mixology, but at the same time are an integral part of it. Only one mixed drink in this category managed to get into the IBA collection, but many of them deserve every self-respecting bartender to be able to prepare at least a couple. So, in this article, you will learn what tiki cocktails are, who invented them, as well as several recipes for the most popular of them. Go!
On the eve of Tiki
The first Hawaiians arrived from Polynesia, bringing customs and culture to the 51 states. At the same time, they brought with them figurines of idols, gods, the first people on earth, as you please. These were wooden or stone idols of a mysterious appearance, with triangular faces, short legs and a disproportionate mouth, instilling terror in opponents. Actually, the word “tiki” denotes these idols, and a rather large group of them: from the ceremonial statues of the Maori (a tribe in New Zealand) to the modern statues of their tree from Hawaii.
In mythology, tiki statues most often symbolize the first person on Earth, but in Hawaiian culture, these are primarily gods. In New Zealand, women wore miniature gods, which were believed to protect them from infertility. In Hawaii, tiki symbolizes various gods that protect against certain misfortunes:
- Ku (Ku) – god of War
- Lono – god of agriculture and peace
- Kane – god-father, patron saint of sunlight, forests and water
- Kanaloa – god of the sea
When the Americans became interested in travel and discovered the new world of Polynesia and Hawaii, they, quite predictably, became interested in original idols. Tiki culture penetrated American society after the 1930s and firmly established itself in the minds of ordinary citizens, thereby creating a unique social phenomenon. Shortly thereafter, the first tick bars appeared.
Fathers of tiki cocktails, tiki bars, tiki culture
Some historians, abusing the trust of citizens and, apparently, narcotic substances, firmly argued that we got tiki cocktails thanks to ancient civilizations or even aliens who crashed on Earth in the Polynesian region. In fact, everything is much more prosaic: the first tiki bar was opened by Don Beachcomber in 1934, who was immediately followed by his eternal opponent Trader Vic, the same inventor of Mai Tai. Their bars were furnished with Polynesian and Hawaiian idols, and drinks were served in Tiki-styled glasses.
It is Vic and Don who are the fathers of tiki cocktails, which they gave to the entire West Coast of America. “Doctor Funk”, “Zombie”, “Fog Cutter”, “Mai Tai” … These names are opposed to the unshakable “Manhattan”, “Martini”, “Bloody Mary”, which true sybarites sip in a suit and tie, while crazy tiki cocktails are drunk in a Hawaiian shirt open or not at all. The tiki cocktail is the quintessence of the carefree life of the Pacific Islanders; it is a special chic and an incredible selection of ingredients.
Don Beachcomber
Don Beachcomber (1907 – 1989)
A well-known rum smuggler during Prohibition, his real name was Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gant. In the 30s, he opened his first tiki bar on McCadden Street in Hollywood, where Charlie Chaplin himself used to frequent. At one time he was a good friend of Trader Vic, but later they parted ways and they became real rivals, opening competing chains of restaurant bars. Don Beach came up with a huge number of cocktails, about 70. The most famous: Zombi, DoctorFunk, Missionary’sDownfall, QBCooler, RoyalDaiquiri, etc. Don refused to serve more than two “Zombies” per person in his bar, because otherwise the drunk at the exit of the bar really looked like a Tiki’s head.
Trader Vic (1902 – 1984)
His real name is Victor Jules Bergeron. He is the founding father of Trader Vic’s chain of bars-restaurants decorated in the Polynesian style. His handiwork: Mai Tai, Scorpion, Fog Cutter, Montego Bay and many other mixed drinks. Mai Tai was the only tiki cocktail to make it into the IBA collection. In early childhood, Vic contracted tuberculosis and lost his leg. In front of his guests, he liked to stick a fork into a wooden prosthesis and tell how he lost his leg on distant voyages.
Several recipes for tiki cocktails
The following mixed drinks are just a variation of the authentic tiki cocktails created by Don and Vic. The first four variations (twists) are by Alex Kraten and his bartenders at the Artesian bar at the Langham Hotel in London. For the recipes, special thanks to Fedor Evsevsky, a good man and author of the legendary book “The Bartender’s Bible”. By the way, another interesting feature of tiki cocktails is that the main ingredient is always rum. Perhaps this is quite justified.
Dr. Funk (Twist on Don Beach’s iconic cocktail)
Innings:
- sling or highball.
Ingredients:
- 40 ml of Bacardi Superior rum;
- 20 ml of Bacardi rum 8;
- 20 ml aperitif Suze;
- 20 ml freshly squeezed lime juice;
- 20 ml pomegranate syrup;
- 50 ml soda water.
Preparation:
The cocktail is prepared using the Throw (Cuban Roll) method in two mixing glasses. All ingredients, except soda, must be mixed in one glass, and then pour the mixture from one glass to another and back several times, while holding the dishes high on top of each other. Pour the resulting drink into a glass, after filling it with crushed ice to the top. Top up with soda, top with ice and garnish (umbrella/cherry/pineapple wedge/ground pepper).
Fog Cutter #2 (FogCutta #2, Trader Vic’s cocktail twist)
Ingredients:
- 30 ml of Greek brandy Metaxa 12 yo;
- 30 ml of aged genever;
- 30 ml Japanese plum wine Umeshu;
- 30 ml of tangerine juice;
- 15 ml freshly squeezed lime juice;
- 5 ml Disaronno liqueur;
- 10 ml sugar syrup;
- Peychaud’s bitters;
- dash of rose water;
- 15 ml of rum Bacardi 151 (float).
Preparation:
To garnish: rose bud / lime wedge / sprig of mint / large swissle stick / rose water (20 ml) / dry ice (50 g) / hot water (150 ml) / small teapot. Swish all ingredients except Bacardi 151 with crushed ice in an Umeshu jar. Pour Bacardi 151 on top. Serve with a swizzle stick. Garnish with a mint sprig, rosebud, lime wedge and rose cloud*.
* In order to prepare a “rose cloud”, dry ice, rose water and hot water must be placed in a teapot. To cover with a lid. Serve with a cocktail.
Risky Business (Zombie twist)
Ingredients:
- 30 ml of Bacardi Superior rum;
- 30 ml of Bacardi rum 8;
- 20 ml of Bacardi 151 rum (float);
- 15 ml of Demerara rum;
- 25 ml of sandal wood liqueur (it is brought to Artesian from Morocco);
- 5 ml of Greek resin Mastic;
- 15 ml freshly squeezed lime juice;
- 15 ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice;
- two desserts Amargo Chuncho;
- the fruit of maracui.
Preparation:
Squeeze passion fruit pulp into a large rocks glass. Add crushed ice and all other ingredients except Bacardi 151. Sweat through. Pour Bacardi 151 on top. Garnish and serve. For decoration: half a passion fruit / pineapple leaf / edible beads / large swiss stick.
Diamond Swizzle
Swizzle is a branch of a tropical shrub, ending with 3-5 branches at the end. She gave the name to the method of making cocktails: you need to lower the stick into a glass with a drink (always with crushed ice) and rotate it between your palms, lowering and raising it.
Ingredients:
- 50 ml of Bacardi rum 8;
- 25 ml Velvet Falernum liqueur *;
- 1 piece of lime;
- 5 ml dark cane sugar syrup;
- 5 ml Chartreuse green liqueur;
- 6 mint leaves.
Preparation:
At the bottom of a highball glass or other tall glass, lightly crush three mint leaves with sugar syrup with a bar spoon. Fill a glass with crushed ice and pour in the juice of half a lime, rum and liqueurs. Mix thoroughly with a swizzle and add more crushed ice if necessary. Garnish with half a lime, three mint leaves and sugar.
* VelvetFalernum is a syrup or liqueur flavored with allspice, almond, lime, anise, ginger and cloves.
Hurricane
Ingredients:
- 50 ml of rum Havana Club Anejo 3 Anos;
- 50 ml of rum Havana Club Anejo 7 Anos;
- 30 ml of marakui syrup;
- 30 ml freshly squeezed orange juice;
- 30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice;
- 5 ml Grenadine.
Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with crushed ice and shake well. Pour into a hurricane glass with crushed ice. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Zombie (Twist on Don Beach’s cocktail)
Ingredients:
- 20 ml of rum Havana Club Anejo 3 Anos;
- 20 ml of rum Havana Club Anejo 7 Anos;
- 20 мл рома Havana Club Anejo Especial;
- 15 ml of cherry liqueur;
- 15 ml apricot liqueur;
- 5 ml Grenadine;
- 30 ml of pineapple juice;
- 30 ml of orange juice.
Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake well. Pour into a hurricane glass with crushed ice. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Cocktails are very complex in terms of ingredients, but no one forbids you to experiment with the compositions and change the ingredients at your discretion. This is called mixology =). Devote some of your time to tiki cocktails and they will reward you generously in return. Aloha! I mean, for now!