#63: Sidewinder's Fang

 For the final drink of the family visit, I get to end with another great one, the Sidewinder's Fang.  This drink comes to us, supposedly, from the legendary Mai-Kai Polynesian Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from the 1960s.  Drink is still served there, and one of the few places to serve it in its original 48oz goblet glass.  As you can see in the Brother-photo, the drink is large, requiring a sidecar even when in a hurricane glass.  Also, Ryan and I are expressing a completely normal level of enthusiasm for booze.

• 1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 oz orange juice
• 1 1/2 ounces passion fruit syrup
• 1 oz dark Jamaican rum
• 1 oz Demerara rum
• 3 oz club soda

    This concludes the visit of the Badgerow Clan to the great Tonga Hut Cocktail Lounge.  Once father Badgerow and I finished off the last of the Tonga Punch Bowl, it was off to our next destination... which included one more Tiki Bar of course.  See you next week!

#62: Pieces of Eight

    Many times have I stated that I've been looking forward to certain drinks for a long time, but this one may be one of the most highly anticipated, Pieces Of Eight.  This may be one of the most awesome drinks on the menu.  It is a perfect mixture of some pretty common tiki ingredients, but comes together to make the perfect tropical drink.  This amazing concoction was created at the Pieces of Eight restaurant in Marina Del Rey, California in the 60s.  The restaurant has since closed, but the drink lives on:

• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
• 1.5 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1.5 oz passionfruit syrup
• 1.5 oz light Puerto Rican rum
• 4 oz ( 0.5 cup) crushed ice

   A trip to the hut with four people wouldn't be complete without a classic Tonga Punch Bowl.  Lit up with 151 in the famous waterfall holders that make up the centerpiece of this perfect community bowl, it makes an entertaining and effective booze sharing experience.

#61: Don's Daquari

   
Coming into the final stretch on the Grog Log, I'm bound to run into many classics, and Don's Daquari is one of those.  A simple, effective drink, this one leans heavily towards the sweet side.  Honey mix, lime and Puerto Rican rum is the full deal on this one.  Created by Don the Beachcomber circa mid-century in Hawaii, it's hard to argue with the classics:

• 0.75 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.75 oz honey-mix
• 2 0z light Puerto Rican rum

    This week, the whole family makes a visit to the hut!! Brother, Father and Mother Badgerow all stop in for some polynesian paradise drinks.  Between the four of us, we got to sample quite a bit of the menu, including several off-menu drinks whipped up by Lisa-Marie and Ian.  Mom B pictured above, with a group photo below, where apparently I'm already under the influence of some Rum.

    Brother and Mother hanging with the Hut mascot, Big Mo.  And now, time to move on to the next adventure of the evening.

#60: Eastern Sour

   
Finishing this trip to the Hut is the Eastern Sour.  This is another classic, served in the 50s sometimes at Trader Vic establishments, and yes there was also a Western Sour that was made at Kon-Tiki restaurants.  The Sour part comes from the mix of a mountain of sugar, and bourbon.

• Juice of 1/2 orange
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 oz orgeat syrup
• 1/4 oz rock candy syrup
• 2 oz rye or bourbon

     There ya go, a nice mix of sweet and sour to result in a lively tiki cocktail flavor.  My guests this week were my co-captain Mike McKee, and Thy Than, making her first appearance since way back on drink number 7!  Good times had by all, and another successful Tonga Hut adventure.  Cheers!

#59: Jasper's Jamaican

     Continuing this week is one of the sweetest wine-goblet drinks I've ever had at the hut, Jasper's Jamaican.  A word of warning to those who avoid super-sweet drinks, this is about as candy-coated as it gets, a big pile of sugar.  A unique twist on this particular drink is that it comes with an intense, almost peppermint aroma, giving it a spicy holiday scent.  This is from the Pimento Dram, it turns out.

• 1 1/4 ounces gold Jamaican rum
• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce pimento dram
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

Give that one a go when you're feeling the need for a sugar rush, it will not dissapoint.  Pictured here also is Michael McKee's Blood Orange Honi Honi, a special mixture put together by Lisa Marie at The Hut.  Super fantastic.

#58: Trader Vic Grog

    Time to kick this visit off with a guaranteed good time, the famous Trader Vic Grog.  Not to be confused with the Trader Vic version of the Navy Grog, this drink is a spinoff, with equal delicious punch.  Served in a double old-fashioned with a mint stalk, this is about as classic as Trader Vic Tiki can get.

• 1 part fresh lemon juice
• 1 part unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 part Passion Fruit Syrup
• 2 parts dark Jamaican Rum
• 1 dash of Angostura Bitters per ounce in a part

Pour over ice, and you got yourself a cocktail!  Definitely one worth revisiting at any fine establishment that carries this recipe.  Cheers.

#57: Shrunken Skull

     The final drink for this eve is the super classic Shrunken Skull.  This drink was (and still is) a staple at mid-century tiki venues, especially Don the Beachcombers.  It is a very flavorful drink, usually served in a tiki vessel like a skull, here it is served in a highball which does it much justice due to its bright red appearance.  Took me a few sips to deduce the origin of the flavors on this one:

• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz pomegranate syrup or grenadine
• 1 oz gold Puerto Rican rum
• 1 oz Demerara rum

Shake with ice cubes, pour unstrained into a mug.  As you can imagine, it is a tangy sweet drink with a lot of kick to it.  Definitely a solid tiki cocktail.