Tiki 2010 Archives - The Pegu Blog

What Did We Learn During This Year’s Tiki Month, Doug?

Feb 28 2010

Well, I had to let Tiki Month 2010 peter out just a bit this year. Real life intruded a bit and I couldn’t keep up the frenetic pace all month long. Still, I had a blast, and I hope you did too. So now, in a nod to my favorite late night TV host, Craig Ferguson (that’s CraigyFerg on the Tweety), and spurred on by Dr. Bamboo, PBBOTI’s own anniversary ruminations, I’d like to discuss a few of the things I learned this February.

I learned that There´s a fine line between a tropical drink and a Tiki drink because a Tiki drink is a tropical drink that is Tiki.

I learned that Tiki music is powerful stuff. Play the right song, and you can get carried away by it all.

I learned that once you finally find the right use for that bottle of Lemon Hart, it suddenly empties really, really, fast….

I learned that rambutan fruit scares grown adults….

I learned that now even books have trailers!

I learned that the right illustration will get you traffic….

I learned that Hawaiian shirts are properly called Aloha shirts… and men wear them to business meetings in Hawaii.

I learned that with seven Tiki posts unfinished and unpublished from this year’s Tiki Month, I have a great head-start for Tiki Month 2011!

I learned that when you do a theme month, you build up a lot of material for when it’s over, even with Tiki Timeouts.
Speaking of Tiki Timeouts, I learned that James Buchanan hod to go buy his own booze while President.

Mostly, I learned that this Tiki blogging thing is still cool, and I’ll be looking forward to next year’s extravaganza. I hope I’ll see you here next year, but with the next post, we return to our regularly scheduled programming! Please stay tuned!

Aloha!
hula dancer cocktail

The Lui Lui

Feb 23 2010

This little concoction is another creation of Don the Beachcomber. The Lui Lui dates back to the pre-war Tiki era, when Don was still just constructing his wing of the Tiki edifice. It is also one of my favorites of his creation (I’m more of a Trader Vic guy, at least when it comes to recipes). This is bright and exotic, with the dryer, tangier mix of flavors that you more often find in the older recipes.
It also has the singular advantage of providing me with an excuse to crack open my last two, previously un-remarked upon here bottles from Trader Tiki, the cinnamon syrup and the vanilla syrup. Since those bottles’ arrival was what cemented my determination to Tiki out again this year, I needed to put them to some use!

LUI LUI

1/2 part fresh lime juice
1/2 part orange juice
1/4 part Trader Tiki’s cinnamon syrup
1/4 part Don’s Spices*
2 parts gold rum
1 dash Angostura Bitters
4 parts crushed or small ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and flash blend for about five seconds. Pour into a glass and top off with more crushed ice. The garnish should be the longest strip of orange peel you can produce, with the end hanging over the edge.
* Don’s Spices = 1 part Trader Tiki’s vanilla syrup, and 1 part pimento dram

I dug this one out of Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari. Well, actually I reminded myself of the details in Tiki+, since I can’t find my copy of Safari right now! Wahhhh!

Wobbling Through the Grog Log

Feb 22 2010

I recently reviewed Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log for Tiki Month. I thought I’d do a little Rule 2 work and point you to a much more comprehensive homage to the Log. Pegu Blog Board of Tiki Idols member Tiare has undertaken a Bloggessy she entitles Mixing Through Grog Log. This is a bit of Rule 2 on Tiare’s part as well, as she is riffing on Erik Ellestad’s mammoth jeremiad, Stomping Through the Savoy, over at Underhill Lounge. Erik is attempting to survive making every cocktail in The Savoy Cocktail Book, in order. (Itself ~~a riff on~~ similar to Julie Powell’s Julie/Julia Project of movie fame).
Tiare is making a run at the much more human task of running through the Grog Log. Not only is the Log shorter, but it is a Best Of compilation. Also, Tiare has made the decision to do an original variant on each of the Bum’s entries, and you can get a nice insight into the mind of a Tiki expert on crafting drinks. Plus, it gives her a chance to post a second, gorgeous picture….
The great thing about that is it gives me an excuse to steal a couple of her pictures to illustrate! Here are the pictures from Mixing Through Grog Log 5. On the left is Beachcomber’s Punch, on the right is Tiare’s variant, Tiki Queen Punch.

The Wildfire Movement That is Tiki Month

Feb 21 2010

Apparently, everyone is buying into this Tiki Month thing….

Tag - Tiki 2010