Beachbum Berry's Recipe Round Up

By Jeff "Beachbum" Berry

As a bum, I'm always happy to let others do my work for me. So it is with
great pleasure that I present these eight recipes, invented not by me but
by other cocktailians whose paths I've had the pleasure of crossing.

THE VOYAGER
First up is the Voyager, by Robert Hess. As proprietor of the cocktail website
Drinkboy.com, Robert usually focuses more on promoting classic
cocktails than on creating new ones. But after being bitten by the Tiki
bug, he decided to try his hand at inventing a rum-based exotic drink.
"The Tiki craze of the 1940s and '50s centered around the notion of
Polynesian restaurants being sort of a mini-vacation," says Robert, "so I
chose to name this new drink 'Voyager' to play on that notion … and the
fact that I'm a Star Trek fan played a small role as well." To boldly go
where no drink has gone before, shake 2 ounces light rum, 2 dashes
Angostura bitters, and 1/2 ounce each fresh lime juice, Benedictine, and
falernum (see below) with ice cubes. Strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned
glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

PAUL’S FALERNUM #8
Falernum is an aromatic ginger-lime syrup. You can use either Fee Brothers
or Velvet Falernum in the Voyager, but more adventurous gastronauts
might want to try making their own. That's what Paul Clarke did when
he couldn't find falernum in Seattle, where he presides over the drink
blog cocktailchronicles.com. It took Paul over a year of fiddling to come
up with his Falernum #8, which he feels "is a happy medium between
the fruity, spicy flavor of Velvet Falernum and the tart, viscous character
of Fee's." To make yourself a batch, round up 6 ounces of Wray & Nephew
Overproof White Rum, the zest of 9 medium limes (with all traces of white
pith removed), 40 whole fresh cloves, and 1 1/2 ounces of peeled, julienned
fresh ginger. Combine these ingredients in a jar and seal. Let the
mixture soak for 24 hours, then strain it through moistened cheesecloth,
squeezing the solids to extract all liquid. To this liquid add 1/4 teaspoon
almond extract, 4 1/2 ounces strained fresh lime juice, and 14 ounces
cold-process 2:1 simple syrup (that's two parts sugar to one part water,
shaken in a jar or bottle -- without heat -- until all the sugar is dissolved).
Mix it all together and you've got Falernum #8, which should keep in the
fridge for about a month.

THE MATADOR
"I was born and raised in North Carolina," says Chris Gillikin, "but
it was during a two-and-a-half year stay in Los Angeles that I
found my Mecca, the Tiki-Ti." Ray Buhen, one of the first bartenders
to work at Don The Beachcomber's in the 1930s, opened
the tiny East Hollywood bar in 1961. His son and grandson now
operate the Ti, where Ray's tropical drinks made a big impression
on Chris -- especially the Blood And Sand, which features a
tequila float poured from on high as customers chant "Toro! Toro!"
Back home in Charlotte, feeling nostalgic for his nights at the Ti,
Chris came up with his own version of the Blood And Sand, which
he calls The Matador. Shake up 3/4 ounce each fresh lime juice,
sugar syrup, and red table wine, plus a dash of Angostura bitters
and plenty of ice cubes. Pour it all into a 14-ounce glass, then
float 2 ounces Casadores reposado tequila. Chanting "Toro!" is
optional.

THE CROSS-EYED SKULL
Erich Martin is another Tiki Ti aficionado. A self-described “gearhead”
who regularly rides his motorcycle across town from Marina
Del Rey to the Ti, Erich's attention first strayed from transmission
fluid to tropical drinks after ordering a flaming concoction at
Kelbo's in 1982. He thinks it might have been a Scorpion Bowl.
"I got too lit to remember," explains Erich, "but I'll never forget
that piece of burning bread in the center!" He started mixing
drinks as a hobby four years ago, and the fruit of his labors is an
original creation called The Cross-eyed Skull: Into a cocktail shaker
pour 1/2 ounce each fresh lime juice, triple sec, and creme de
cassis; 1/4 ounce each Grand Marnier and sugar syrup; and 1 1/2
ounces brandy. Shake well with ice cubes and pour into a skull
mug or old-fashioned glass.

JAMAICA FAREWELL
Our next recipe comes courtesy of Daniel Reichert, a classically
trained actor who's also a classically trained bartender. Daniel
specializes in pre-Prohibition cocktails, which he dispenses at
catered affairs through his mobile mixology service, Vintage Cocktails.
"Memories of my father's Bay Rum cologne" inspired Daniel to
create the Jamaica Farewell, whose hint of allspice gives the drink
that singular Bay Rum aroma. Into your cocktail shaker pour 2
ounces Appleton Estate rum, 3/4 ounce each fresh lime juice and
apricot brandy, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, and 1 teaspoon pimento
liqueur (see below). Shake it all up with lots of ice, then strain
into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

KUKU’S PIMENTO LIQUEUR
Pimento liqueur is not made from the kind of pimentos you stuff
into olives, but from the pimento berry -- otherwise known as allspice.
It's available online from Jamaica, but Ohio-based liqueur
alchemist Matthew "Kuku Ahu" Thatcher has also come up with a
home-made recipe that's easier than you might think. Kuku starts
with 1/4 cup of dried whole allspice berries, which he grinds until
they have the consistency of ground coffee. "Place your ground
allspice into a saucepan with 1 cup of light rum and bring to a
boil," instructs Kuku, "then turn off the heat and stir. This will make
a tea. Funnel this hot tea, ground berries and all, into an empty
rum bottle. Work over the sink, and be careful. I have never had a
bottle break from hot liquid, but it could in theory happen." Next,
fill the bottle 3/4 of the way to the top with more of the same
white rum. Seal it and let it sit for at least 2 weeks, shaking it daily.
When the 2 weeks are up, filter through a double-layer of cheesecloth.
Discard solids, then filter again through a metal mesh coffee
filter, and a third time through unbleached paper filters. (If the
resulting reddish brown liquid is still cloudy, filter once more
through the paper.) Now make a sugar syrup by placing 1 cup
water and 1 pound brown sugar in a saucepan. Heat until the
sugar is dissolved, then mix equal parts of this sugar syrup with
your pimento-infused rum. Bottle it, seal it, and let it sit unmolested
for at least a month. "It will improve as it sits," counsels
Kuku, "and new subtle flavors will emerge that are not apparent
in the fresh batch."

VENUTIAN TRANSPORT
While you're waiting for your pimento liqueur to ripen, how about
a trip to Venus? While on a cosmic kick a few years back, Tiki carver
and artist Bosko Hrnjak came up with an interstellar twist on
blue drinks with his Venutian Transport. "I wanted a drink that
could go in a space-age setting," remembers Bosko, "thus the blue
color and the outer space name. The concept was, a couple of
these and you'd be transported to Venus. Ironically, when I designed
the Taboo Cove bar in Vegas they ended up naming the big lounge
next door Venus. Must've been in the air!" Blast off by placing in
your blender 2 ounces each orange, grapefruit, and fresh lime
juices; 1 ounce each falernum and blue curacao; 5 ounces white
rum; 2 dashes Angostura bitters and a scant dash of Pernod; and
1 cup crushed ice. Blend at high speed for 10 seconds, then pour
into pilsner glasses 2/3-filled with crushed ice. (One round serves 2 to
4 people.)

REVERB CRASH
Toast your safe return to Earth with a Reverb Crash, concocted by San
Diego musician Ran Mosessco. Ran originally hails from Israel, where
he started a band called The Astroglides; their repertoire includes such
surf instrumentals as "Cruisin' Down Menahem Begin Boulevard" and
"The Adventures Of Rabbi Jacob." To make a Reverb Crash, combine 4
ounces grapefruit juice, 1 1/2 ounces passion fruit syrup, 3/4 ounce
fresh lime juice, 1/2 ounce orgeat syrup, and 1 1/4 ounces each light
rum and dark Jamaican rum; shake well with crushed ice and pour into
a tall glass. L'chaim, dude!

Jeff is the author of several books on tropical drinks and cuisine.
His latest is Sippin' Safari. For details, visit the Trading Post at
www.beachbumberry.com.