#15: Loni Honi

As evidenced in this photo, I was highly suspicious when it was time for the Loni Honi, a small drink served in a sipping glass.  However, this tiny cocktail packs a strong punch, making this the first Tiki Drink I've ever had that requires sipping.  Puerto Rican rum, Benedictine, and Lemon Juice mix to create the semi-fruity version of a whiskey-like drink, complete with nose, burn and aftertaste.  I imagine something like this could be enjoyed with some tiki torches in a backyard evening pool party.  Speaking of party, the gang came to hang for this voyage to the Hut: Ellen Harris, Jessica Forer and Matt Flynn.  See you next week!

#14: Pago Pago

This week I take a stab at a rhythmically-named tiki-favorite, the Pago Pago.  This is an easy drink to take down, the mix of flavors makes the booze difficult to detect, and pretty dangerous.  The core flavor of Pago Pago comes from Pineapple and Lime, and the special ingredient: Chartreuse.  Slam some creme in there with Barbados-based rum (Mount Gay) and you got yourself a cocktail.  Excellent drink, mixed excellently by The Hut.

#13: Red Tide

 Finishing week 5 of the Grog Log is the Red Tide.  Similar to the Polynesian Spell, in terms of strong fruit flavor, this cocktail uses tequila as the alcohol base, mixed with orange juices, and uses pomegranate as the forefront flavor.  I've seen some recipes claim to use Vodka and Cranberry to make a Red Tide, but personally I think this pushes the flavor closer to a Hurricane.  The Tonga recipe gives it a tangy flavor, with a bit more kick.  Mike McKee graciously came down to join me this week, and managed to take down some Tiki flavors himself, here he is soaking up the booze and the ambiance of the Hut.

#12: Planters Punch

Here is another classic to cross off the list, the Planters Punch.  This popular recipe is a mixture of a variety of flavors, including pineapple, orange, two different kinds of rum, lime and grenadine. 

• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz sugar syrup
• 1/2 oz gold Jamaican Rum
• 1/2 oz dark Jamaican Rum
• 1 oz gold Virgin Islands Rum
• 1/2 tsp grenadine
• 1/2 tsp falernum
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 6 oz crushed ice

The result is a sort of sweet-and-sour tangy flavor, with a good alcoholic bang to it.  A must-have on any boat-drinks list.

#11: Polynesian Spell

 

Probably the fruitiest tasting drink on the Log so far, the Polynesian Spell uses Grape Juice for the foundation of the flavor, creating a deep rich taste that disguises the booze.  The Beachbum Berry recipe is as follows:

• 1 oz grape juice
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 oz triple sec
• 1/4 oz peach brandy
• 1/2 tsp sugar syrup
• 1 1/2 oz gin

A good starter for a multi-drink night.  Speaking of which, Foursquare was kind enough to remind me what week it is on the Grog Log Journey:

#10: Lychee Nut Daquari

Closing out the night for me this time is a rare drink: the Lychee Nut Daquari.  Tonga Hut prides itself on using fresh ingredients, and I was fortunate enough that they had Lychee Nut on hand to crush up and blend into this fresh concoction.  The flavor of course is extremely heavy on Lychee Nut, blended with a bit of coconut and white rum. 

• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz lynchee nut puree
• 1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur
• 2 oz light virgin islands rum

Shake well with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Very unique flavor on the Grog Log.  Until next time, Aloha.

#9: Mango Cooler

The first drink on the journey to incorporate Vodka, the Mango Cooler.  The fresh Mango Juice adds a powerful flavor to this one, especially since Vodka is a more transparent flavor than Rum, the mixture of Mango and Lemon juice makes it a citrus-heavy addition to the Grog Log.

• 3 oz mango nectar
• 1 1/2 oz orange juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau
• 1 1/2 oz vodka

Shake well with ice cubes, and pour unstrained into a tall glass.  Works best garnished with an orange slice.

#8: Astro Aku Aku

Astro Aku Aku is a crazy drink.  This beast will knock you out if you're not careful, it's a good one to start the night with.  It is based off of the popular "Suffering Bastard" drink (which will come later), and was invented at the Hawaii Kai restaurant.

• 1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice 
• 1 oz papaya nectar 
• 1/2 oz apricot nectar 
• 3/4 oz sugar syrup 
• 1/2 oz falernum dash Angostura bitters 
• 1 oz 151 demerara rum 
• 1 1/2 oz gold Puerto Rican rum

Two different kinds of rum, Payaya and Apricot nectar, Lime and syrup come together to make a unique mixture of sweet and sour flavors.  It almost resembles pineapple if you're not aware of the individual ingredients.

#7: The Rum Runner

Despite my somewhat non-plussed expression, I'm pretty excited to be tackling one of my favorite drinks of all time, the Rum Runner.  For east-coast-based patrons like myself, the Rum Runner is a common drink on the Atlantic Coast, served out of beach bars from Atlantic City down to Florida.  For those not familiar, this drink has a sweet flavor to it, often served with a floater of 151.  The beachbum berry version is as follows:

• 1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 7/8 oz blackberry brandy
• 7/8 oz crème de banana
• 5/8 oz grenadine
• 3/4 oz 151 caribbean rum

Banana, Blackberry and Spiced Rum make a solid beach drink.  Below, Natalie, Thy and myself enjoy our final round of drinks for the night at the Hut.

#6: Castaway

Following the bitter flavor of the Singapore Sling is the much sweeter Castaway.  A popular drink in the Grog Log, Castaway has a rich Pineapple flavor, mixed with Gold Rum.  Based on the Jamaican Dust from Durian's Red Hand Restaurant in New York City, this simple drink delivers solid tiki satisfaction.

• 3 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
• 0.75 oz Kahlua
• 1.5 oz gold Jamaican rum

#5: Singapore Sling

Tiki fans will surely recognize this common recipe, the Singapore Sling.  Most people probably know what to expect with one of these; gin serves as the base for this bitter drink, with cherry brandy, club soda, and a bit of grenadine to take the edge off. 

• 1 ½ ounce gin
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• ¼ ounce sugar syrup
• 1 ½ teaspoon powdered sugar
• 2 ounces club soda
• 1/2 ounce cherry brandy
• Maraschino cherry
• Lemon slice

Tonga Hut garnishes this beast with a large minty stalk to give it additional aroma-based flavor on consumption.  Guests Natalie Xavier and Thy Than show off their awesome drinks here as well!

#4: Fog Cutter

Following the uniquely designed "Hell in the Pacific" is another unusual drink, "Fog Cutter".  It was designed in the 90s when Tiki Culture was starting to make a comeback.  Containing light rum, lemon and orange, this one has a citrus tangy flavor to it.  Tonga Hut goes with the Trader Vic / Grog Log recipe, which is as follows:

• 2oz light Puerto Rican rum
• 1/2oz gin
• 1oz brandy
• 1oz orange juice
• 2oz lemon juice
• 1/2oz orgeat syrup
• 1/2oz sherry

Shake everything (except the sherry) with ice, pour unstrained.  While this drink is usually served with a floater of sweet sherry on top to give it the sweet-edge, Tonga Hut instead garnishes the drink with a stick of rock candy.  A zealous visitor decided to photobomb this moment with some VitaCoco.

#3: Hell in the Pacific

Hell in the Pacific is one of the more unusual pieces on the Log.  You can see in the photo, it is essentially a Rum Sno-cone.  Very strong rum concoction poured over a hill of crushed ice.

• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
• 1/4 oz pomegranate syrup
• 1 1/2 oz Lemon Hart 151 Demerara Rum

Shake well with crushed ice, and pour into pilsner glass.  As seen in photo, a whole lot of shaved ice is preferred.  Solid unique drink, on to the next!

#1 (and #2): Oceanic Punch

The journey kicks off with the Oceanic Punch.  The flavor reminds me of a "Killer Kool-aid", but with a Grapefruit spin on it.  Very sweet, will have to try this again sometime.  It should be noted that every Grog Logger gets the "Mai Tai" checked off for free, since they figure if you know about the Loyal Order, you've probably had a Mai Tai in your travels.  So technically this drink is #2.  (Also, to the left you can barely see an Old Skool Zombie, enjoyed by Mike McKee, as we celebrate the maiden voyage of this journey)

Aloha! It Begins!!

On August 21st, 2012, I discovered a great treasure, the oldest standing Tiki Bar in LA, Tonga Hut.  Since then it has become one of my favorite Tiki Bars in the nation, my go-to location for great Tiki Libations.  In April of 2013, I made another discovery, that Tonga Hut is home to several Tiki Traditions, including a society that they've dubbed The Loyal Order of the Drooling Bastard.  Of course, when I heard about this, immediately I went and asked them: "How do I become a member!?".

THIS is how.  The famous Jeff "Beachbum" Berry's Grog Log list.  A collection of 78 of his favorite tiki recipes, collected while on his journeys across North America to the Tiki Temples that used to exist in mid-century.  You must complete all 78 drinks, for better or for worse, over the course of 52 weeks.

This "Grog Blog" will be a memoir of this challenge, as I take a very tasty journey through the Tiki Drinks of America.  Lets Begin!