Tropicbird with Denizen Merchant’s Reserve

2015-10-282015-10-28 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Woo! This Denizen Merchant’s Reserve Rum is giving me ALLLLLLL sorts of ideas. I’ve been rolling through the Beachbum Berry’s Total Tiki app and making a lil checklist of recipes I’d like to try with this most excellent of Rums. Needless to say, the list is getting quite long.

If you guessed that Tropicbird is a variation on a Jungle Bird, you’re right! Congrats! You know your Tiki drinks!

The subbed ingredients in this cocktail are Merchant’s Reserve (subbed for Jamaican Rum), Aperol (subbed for Campari), and Cane Syrup (subbed for Simple Syrup). I also reduced the amount of Pineapple Juice because I didn’t have to cut the bitterness of Campari with extra juice.

Pretty pretty Tropicbird. Won’t you sing to me?

Tropicbird

2 oz Denizen Merchant’s Reserve Rum
3/4 oz Aperol
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Cane Syrup*
Garnishes: Pineapple Spear Bunny Ears, Luxardo Maraschino Cherry, Pineapple chunks

Combine ingredients over ice and short shake. Strain into double Rocks glass over cracked/crushed ice and garnish.

*1:1 Ratio of Cane Sugar and Water.

My my, you’re the prettiest bird I’ve ever seen. Thanks to Denizen for creating this undeniably fabulous Rum!

Muertito Vivo at Glady’s Caribbean!

2015-10-232015-10-22 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Wooooooooooo! So a while back, Shannon Mustipher and I were working on Secret Tiki Drinks at Glady’s Caribbean, and now one of them is on the menu!

Yeaaaah y’all!

Muertito Vivo = Spiced Tiki and it’s just as interesting as you might imagine! The Jägermeister + Pastis makes this drink really intesting. It’s also really dry thanks to the Santa Teresa Rum + Allspice Dram + Lime juice, yet super refreshing!

Let’s not forget, TIKI FLAAAAAME!

If you live anywhere near NYC, stop by Glady’s Caribbean in Crown Heights, Brooklyn for Muertito Vivo and some of the best Rum Cocktails ever!

Denizen Merchant’s Reserve + Mai Tai

2015-10-092015-10-09 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Back in July, Nick Pelis, the founder of Denizen Rum, emailed me to say thank you for using their Denizen Aged White Rum in so many of my cocktails. He then offered a bottle of Merchant’s Reserve if I’d like to use it in some recipes. I replied with, “oh my gosh, no, thank you!” because y’all, I LOVE DENIZEN RUM! I’ve used it more than all other Rums cause it plays well with others and is so damn tasty.

Well, after a couple months of email-tag, I’ve got my bottle of Merchant’s Reserve and it’s just as wonderful as the Denizen Aged White!

BEHOLD! FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE GLORY!

The first and perhaps most important thing to note on the label are the words, “Rum” and “Rhum”. Both at the same time, on the same label…do you catch what I’m getting at? It’s both aged Jamaican Rum & Martinique Rhum blended together!

The flavor profile is out of the world: funky and grassy, sweetly caramel and dry, fruity and herbaceous. It’s the best of both worlds at the same time and it totally works.

In one of my emails with Nick, he referred me to this Cocktail Wonk review, (highly recommend) that contained a very important bit of info down in the comments section by one Martin Cate. Namely, Denizen Merchant’s Reserve was created to be akin to the Rum in one of the original Trader Vic Mai Tai recipes!

With that bit of information in mind, I thought, well the very first drink I make with this Rum will most definitely be a Mai Tai!

And it’s the best damn Mai Tai I’ve ever made! The complexity, dryness, grassy and funky notes make the Merchant’s Reserve the best Rum for a Mai Tai. Like soooooo, so, so the best.

I don’t have Curaçao at home, so I used Cointreau instead. Killer. Supremely delicious. Tears of happiness.

Denizen Merchant’s Reserve Mai Tai

2 oz Denizen Merchant’s Reserve
1/2 oz Cointreau or Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Orgeat*
1 oz Lime Juice
Garnish: Lime shell, Mint sprig

Combine ingredients over ice and short shake. Strain into double Rocks glass over cracked or crushed ice and garnish.

*Depending on the kind of Orgeat you have, you may want to use 1/4 oz Orgeat & 1/4 oz Cane Simple Syrup. My Orgeat the BG Reynolds kind and isn’t very creamy.

There will be many more Denizen Merchant’s Reserve cocktails in our future. Stay tuned! Thank you Nick for the supremely delicious bottle!

Tour de Tiki starts tonight!

2015-10-08 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Yo! ALL MY NYC TIKI-HEADS!

Just a quick announcement to say that the Kween of NYC Rum, Shannon Mustipher from Gladys Caribbean, has created a Tour de Tiki and it starts tonight at King Tai Bar! Check the Facebook event here.

National Rum Day 2015

2015-08-142015-08-13 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

I’ve made so many Rum cocktails since I started this blog that I can’t even count them all. With all those #TikiTheSnowAway drinks last January, to a million Daiquiris, to various and sundry Rum cocktails, I am constantly asking myself, “where’s all the Rum gone?” I thought perhaps those crazy Monkeys from the “Blame the Monkeys” series had drunk it, but no.

It was I who guzzled the Rum!

This sunday is National Rum Day, so let’s give a huge round of applause for the glorious Rums you’ve got in your Home Bar! Here’s my lil tribute:

Brugal Extra Dry is probably the closest I’ve got to a standard light Rum, yet way more delicious than most. It’s excellent in Daiquiris, Piña Coladas, and anything light, bright and fruity. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Brugal Extra Dry is aged and has a wonderful nose of Coconut, Toasted Marshmallow, and Pineapple/Citrus.

Cocktails: DKO Punch, Classic Daiquiri, Pineapple Cinnamon Daiquiri

Denizen Aged White Rum. I’ve probably used this one at least 2x more than all other ones because it this White Rum has loads of flavor. With grassy, banana, and pineapple/citrus notes, Denizen White Rum really packs a punch. I love using it in shaken fruity Tiki cocktails but also stirred drinks. LUV U DENIZEN.

Cocktails: DD’s Shrunken Skull, Golden Banana Grog, Captain Corcoran

Yes, the House of Angostura makes more than just bitters! They make several killer Rums and a delicious Amaro too! I got this Rum to replace the beloved Flor de Caña 7 (my liquor store switched Rums on me!) and though not quite as smooth, the Angostura 7 makes up for that smoothness with versatility. Totally tasty and has a short, wide finish which makes it really useful for Tiki/Tropical cocktails. Angostura 7 is also great if you’re going to be making a drink with an Amaro, Liqueur or another ingredient with a longer finish.

Cocktails: Blame the Monkeys No. 3, DD’s Shrunken Skull

The funkiest one of my bunch, Smith & Cross Navy Strength Jamaica Rum is UNBELIEVABLE! Literally unbelievable. It’s so damn good. It is also 1/2 of the greatest split base of all time! I think about it every time I want a drink to get a little bit wild. Tons of fruity funk right in your face and a beautiful finish + that Navy Strength for bite! CHOMP!

Cocktails: Gamekeeper’s Grog, Seafarer’s Sour, West India Docks, Orgeat Gabor

If you’re into Rum and haven’t yet checked out the Ministry of Rum, you best head over there and get into it. A very tall man named Ed Hamilton has catalogued nearly every Rum on earth and used his vast knowledge to start a line of his own Rums. I just got this Demerara Hamilton 151 after Lemon Hart went RIP and It’s like 1000x better, no lie! The Tiki gods will bless you when you get this Rum.

Cocktails: my version of a Painkiller, Jet Pilot, Cobra’s Fang

Last but definitely not least, Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ragged Mountain Rum. Now, I got this during that trip to the Berkshires back in the spring but DID NOT OPEN IT! Why didn’t I open it? Because it’s a Rum which has been aged in Bourbon casks for the purpose of actually tasting like Bourbon! It’s Bourbon Rum! I tasted it at the distillery and was Bourbon during the first wave, then the Rum hits you on the way down your throat. Totally out of sight! Totally magnificent. It totally won a Double Gold at the SF Spirits Awards. Boom! I wanted to wait til the autumn for this one, so look for it in some drinks soon!

Hope you’ve enjoyed Home Bar Girl’s lil tribute to National Rum Day! Let’s all make some tropical cocktails to celebrate! Cheers!

#RumForTheHills: Painkiller

2015-08-122015-08-11 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

National Rum Day is this Sunday y’all, and what better way to celebrate than with one of the best Tiki drinks ever! As I mentioned in my Hamilton Tiki Takeover post, I went to a Caribbean restaurant the other night for a Ministry of Rum tasting & Tiki party, and had several stunning Painkillers made by the incomparable Shannon Mustipher.

I can’t get this drink out of my head, it will not leave me alone! So I decided to try to make one at home and see how it turned out. It turned out pretty damn good although Shannon’s is better!

The main difference between my Painkiller and Shannon’s is that she has Pusser’s Rum and I do not have an English Navy Rum. To overcome this challenge, I decided to mix two Rums together: Angostura 7 Year Rum and my newly acquired Hamilton 151 Rum to up the proof and give the drink that Navy Rum bite.

It was a good combo!

Never forget the Nutmeg y’all. The Nutmeg is everything for this magical drink!

Painkiller-4

I followed the Painkiller recipe from Beachbum Berry’s Total Tiki app while keeping in mind that I was using two Rums. I also made a last minute decision to add some Angostura Bitters to the mix for complexity. Yummmm.

Home Bar Girl’s Painkiller

2 oz Angostura 7 Year Aged Rum*
1/2 oz Hamilton 151 Overproof Demerara Rum**
4 oz unsweetened Pineapple Juice
1 oz fresh Orange Juice
1 oz Coconut Cream
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Garnish: Orange wedge, Pineapple chunk, Cinnamon stick, grated Nutmeg, Hawaiian surfbort

Combine ingredients with a lot of crushed/cracked ice and shake it baby! You want this drink to be really frothy. Dirty pour (don’t strain, pour ice and all) into Tiki mug. Garnish with all of the things.

*If you have Pussers Rum or an English Navy Rum, use 2 1/2 oz.

**This Hamilton 151 Demerara Rum is the shit. It blows Lemon Hart out of the water. I AM NOT KIDDING.

This drink will literally make you feel like you’re on vacation, so get ready for some Tropicaaaaaal breezes! Happy Rum times to you all! If you have any Rum cocktails that you would like to share on Instagram, use the hashtag #RumForTheHills.

Hamilton Tiki Takeover at Glady’s: Photo Essay

2015-08-012015-07-31 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

On July 28th, my girlfriend, some friends and I went to the best event ever: Hamilton Tiki Takeover at Glady’s Caribbean restaurant in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Shannon, the beverage director and Rum Kween, invited me a few days before and I was beyond excited.

Ministry of Rum tasting! Ed Hamilton in Brooklyn! Tiki drinks with some of the best Rums ever! WOOOO!

Instead of saying millions of words about how marvelous this event was, I’m gonna do this Photo Essay style. Thanks to Blueprint Spirits for hosting the tastiest Rum event ever.

The supreme menu for the evening: Kill Devil Grog, Bird of Paradise, Reanimator, Ministry of Rum Flight.

Lil birdies waiting to contain the fabulous Bird of Paradise cocktail.

Reanimators waiting for Tiki flames!

FLAAAAAAAME!!

Note the Jerk Pork next to this Reanimator. Yummmm.

The Carmelized sugar and charred lime smell on the Reanimator was legit out of sight! So was the drink itself. Definitely one of the most smooth, yet complex, yet refreshing, yet mind-blowing Tiki drinks I’ve ever had.

Here are the ingredients.

Reanimator

Rhum Agricole Ambre
Hamilton Jamaica Rum
Hamilton 151 (RIP Lemon Hart)
Honey
Falernum
Grapefruit Juice
Lime Juice
Absinthe
Bitters

Next, I asked Shannon if we could go off menu and make a Daiquiri with Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Gold Rum, Lime and Giffard Banane du Bresil Liqueur. It was so much tastier than I could have hoped!

Shannon, master of measurement.

The specs for this totally righteous Daiquiri were:

2 oz Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Gold Rum
3/4 oz Giffard Banane
3/4 oz Lime Juice
Lime wheel in coupe

Shake it like a rocket, double strain. Slurp.

Now, Glady’s already has a killer selection of Rum. This was probably 1/4 of their total collection. Needless to say, I wanted to check out their regular menu.

But instead of checking out the whole of their menu, we just ordered as many Painkillers as we could handle! Best coconut drink ever and Pusser’s Rum really makes this drink. Piña Coladas ain’t got nothing on the Painkiller!

I wasn’t able to photograph Ed Hamilton (he was a busy busy man!) but I did get to chat with him for a minute.

Me: “Hi! My name is Dani and I’m a really big fan!”

Ed: “Hi Dani, you don’t look very big!”

Me: “Well, no, I’m kind of small.”

Ed: “You see (stands up and towers above me), I’m very big! Haha!”

Then I tasted the Hamilton 151 and damn, it really is 100x better than Lemon Hart. I told him so and then said, “well it’s ok that Lemon Hart is dead.” And he said, “Lots of people have told me that they like Hamilton 151 more and yes, Lemon Hart is dead.”

From the lion’s mouth!

Hope you enjoyed this photo essay and be sure to get some Ministry of Rum in your collection!

Isla Papaya

2015-07-292015-07-29 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

A couple of days ago, we got a Papaya. Every time we get a Papaya, we let it ripen, chop it into square-ish chunks and put it in our daily smoothies. Well, a thought occurred to me, “If you like the texture of Papaya in smoothies so much, why not put it in a frozen cocktail?”

HMMMMMM!

So I did what any smart Home Bar Girl would do and I asked Instagram what they would do with Papaya in cocktails.

Hellooooooo Papaya Bites!

Some fabulous people suggested that I use Papaya with flavours like Mint, Mango, Falernum, Chili/Spice, Honey, Tequila, Rum. Nice start! Then people gave suggestions like, “I just wanna chomp a juicy, boozy Papaya cube as I sip a drank.” YES PLEASE GURL.

So I took all of these ideas, and cracked open the greatest book on earth for a girl in search of flavor pairings, The Flavor Bible. I looked up Papaya and what do you know, many of the recommendations I’d already received were listed as a potential match. Awesome.

Then I grabbed a bunch of Papaya, threw it into a smoothie cup, looked at my Home Bar, and these are the ingredients that spoke to me. Remember, frozen drinks need more sweetness due to the large amount of ice in the mix.

Hope you enjoy and feel free to play around with whatever you’ve got in your Home Bar!

Isla Papaya

2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
1 oz Espolón Reposado Tequila
1 oz Patrón Citrónge Mango Liqueur
3/4 oz Velvet Falernum
Medium handful of Papaya, around 8 chunks
1 oz Lime Juice
3 pipettes Brooklyn Hemispherical Sriracha Bitters (sub any chili bitters)
8 oz Crushed Ice
Garnish: salted Papaya chunks speared by a Tiki Umbrella

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend for around 7 seconds. You want it to be well mixed but not overly blended and frothy. Pour into Tiki mug and garnish.

*btw, this recipe is for a 14 oz Tiki Mug*

May all your Frozen Tiki dreams come true!

Admiral Montenegro

2015-07-272015-07-26 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Y’all, it’s nearly August…YIKES! Ok, ok. Let’s all calm down a minute and reflect on what this means. 1. Summer is not over. 2. The light is changing and we’re looking forward to Autumn, which means that 3. Perhaps we want a lil depth and character in our Tiki drinks.

Amaro Montenegro is here to give us that character!

Hello Luxardo Cherries, hello frosty glass.

To the luscious Montenegro I’ve added Flor de Caña 7 (smoothest of all), Carpano Antica (the spices go so well with the Montenegro), Orgeat, and some Lime juice. This is a seriously satisfying and complex Tiki drink. Hope you enjoy!

Admiral Montenegro

1 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 oz Flor de Caña 7 Year Aged Rum
1 oz Carpano Antica Formula
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
Garnish: hollowed out Lime Half with Maraschino Cherries

Combine ingredients over ice and short shake. Double strain into double Rocks glass (or short Tiki mug) over crushed ice and garnish.

Cheers!

Blame the Monkeys No. 3

2015-07-212015-07-20 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Well, it’s officially Frozen Drink season. It started with National Daiquiri Day on Sunday and now, I just want everything frozen. ALL OF IT! Today’s frozen Tiki drink is part of an ongoing series of Rum cocktails + monkeys. “Why are we blaming the monkeys?” you may ask. Well, they’ve taken over my Home Bar and have drunk all my Rum!

Hello lil conniving Monkeys. Leave my Pineapple Spear Bunny Ears alone!

The inspiration for this particular version of Blame It on the Monkeys comes courtesy of Patrón Citrónge Mango Liqueur. This stuff is damn tasty and perfect for all our tropical cocktails. I luv it. To this we add two kinds of rum, a bunch of other fruitiness and a blender. Blend baby, BLEND!

*btw, this recipe is for a 14 oz Tiki Mug*

Blame the Monkeys No. 3

1 1/2 oz Angostura 7 Year Aged Rum
1 1/2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
3/4 oz Patrón Citrónge Mango Liqueur
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
3/4 oz Simple Syrup**
7-8 oz Crushed ice
Garnish: Pineapple Spear Bunny Ears, Pineapple, Maraschino Cherries, Monkeys.

Combine ingredients in blender and blend for around 7 seconds, or until nice and frothy. Pour into Tiki Mug and garnish.

**You may think this is a lot of sweetness, when making blended cocktails, you have to bump up the sweetness to compensate for all the ice. Feel free to reduce to 1/2 oz if you like.

Cheers to y’all in these hottest of times! May the Tiki gods favor you and protect you from these crazy monkeys!

Thanks to MBooth for the Patrón Citrónge Mango Liqueur!

Home Bar Girl

Just a grrrrrl making fabulous cocktails

tiki

Tropicbird with Denizen Merchant’s Reserve

Muertito Vivo at Glady’s Caribbean!

Denizen Merchant’s Reserve + Mai Tai

Tour de Tiki starts tonight!

National Rum Day 2015

#RumForTheHills: Painkiller

Hamilton Tiki Takeover at Glady’s: Photo Essay

Isla Papaya

Admiral Montenegro

Blame the Monkeys No. 3

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