Episode 49 - Gintiki! Tropical Cocktails With Gin (and friends)

Do you have “Beachbum Berry Remixed” yet?   You don’t?  Well go get it!  We’ll wait right here.

You have it now?  Great!  Now let’s get on with these fantastic drinks that you can make with gin! 

Gentleman Dave likes his gin.  Gentleman Dave was also recently in Hawaii.  Therefore, it seemed like a logical choice to combine this very British spirit with Polynesian Pop!  Enter the Beachbum and these two great drinks.

First up is the Honolulu Cocktail.  This couldn’t be simpler and answers the question, “What would a tried and true gin drinker drink in a Tiki bar where most of the drinks are made with rum?”  

The Honolulu Cocktail
by Jeff Berry from “Beachbum Berry Remixed” possibly from the Brown Derby in Hollywood, California, USA circa 1940.

1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/4 ounce orange juice
1/4 ounce pineapple juice
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 tsp powdered sugar (do NOT substitute granulated)
1 dash Angostura bitters

Dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice, then shake everything with ice cubes.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Isn’t that something?  Like a Tom Collins Plus.  Or a gin Screwdriver.  It’s a little drier than your average tropical cocktail, but it’s sure to please the gin drinker in your group.

Gin, meet pineapple. Pineapple, this is gin.

Next up is the big one, and we mean BIG!  Like "8 1/2 ounces of liquid" big.  This is the Bali Bali from the Bali Ha’i at the Beach in New Orleans.  You may have to prepare a little shopping list for this one but it is definitely worth the extra work.

Bali Bali
by Jeff Berry from “Beachbum Berry Remixed” from the Bali Ha’i at the Beach, New Orleans, circa 1950’s.

1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce fresh orange juice
1 ounce unsweetened pineapple juice
1 ounce dark Jamaican rum
1 ounce light Virgin Islands rum
1 ounce gin
1 ounce Cognac
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce falernum
1/2 ounce passion fruit syrup

Shake well with ice cubes.  Pour unstrained into a tall glass.

That's a tall drink of water. . . and rum . . . and gin . . . and Cognac . . . and juice . . . and syrup . . . and ice.

We know we’ve said this before but . . .HOLY MACKEREL THIS IS A GREAT DRINK!  There is nothing not to like about this cocktail.  First of all it’s huge!  Over a cup of drinking pleasure for you.  It’s not super sweet, it’s fruit juice sweet.  The booze in it can’t overpower the fruit juice flavours.  They get along together like a house on fire.  Sure, you can’t drink a bunch of these, but why would you want to?  Have one and see where it takes you.  I’m guessing it takes you to a sun kissed shore where palm trees sway and sea birds slowly circle overhead.

See you next time for our 50th Episode!

The drink so BIG it required two shakers!