Coconut Economy

I am a Fellow in good standing in the Fraternal Order of Moai.

Some of you know that already. Some of you don't, or don't care. We of the F.O.M. have a little 'thing' going on the side called Coconut Economy.

What is Coconut Economy? It is a commerce site where the Fellows can buy, sell, or trade goods and services. Everyone is invited to shop, and I encourage you to stop by and see what we have to offer.

Recently added is a custom creation from Andy. She was inspired to create an Orchid Bikini based on an image from an album cover. The piece was a huge hit at the Sarong-O-Rama fashion show at this the 2008 Hukilau.

And. tapa-covered hip flasks from Loki and Stumpgrinder. Show your Tiki-Colors and carry your beverage of choice in style.

And, from the Velveteen Lounge we have some pillows worthy of your home bar in a variety of prints and styles.

All of this and more is just a click away.

Stop by, check it out, show your support of the artists of F.O.M.

The Bengal Cocktail

Its that time again..... Mixology Monday! And this time Metagrrrl is hosting, and the theme is 19th Century Cocktails.

Now, I don't have much of a library for cocktail books. The Internet is almost useless for searching for cocktail recipes, unless you know exactly what you are looking for so you can exclude everything else. And, when I do find older recipes I have a hard time breaking out of the Tiki-Drink frame of mind, which makes thinking about specific ratios of '20 drops' of an ingredient hard to figure. But! All of that is kind of the reason for Mixology Monday in the first place, trying something new. So.....

My one good book that has recipes that qualify for this months theme.....
Cakes & Ale
by Edward Spencer.


A fun book that Andy got for me at the Antique Show in Palm Beach (you have to go in the winter!) that focuses mostly on food, dinner and its preparation mostly. In the back, second to the last chapter, is a collection of recipes from sources known and unknown. I got really excited because there is a recipe for Orgeat that I still want to make, but that will be a future entry here. Anyway.....

I am flipping through the recipes and spot a recipe for the Bengal Cocktail. Now, I just read earlier today that Darcy over at the Art of Drink posted the same cocktail. But wait, its the same in name only! OK, closer review, its almost the same. But not quite. OK, its only sort of like it......

The Bengal Cocktail:


Fill tumbler half full of crushed ice. Add thirty drops of maraschino, one table-spoonful of pine-apple syrup, thirty drops of curacoa, six drops of angostura bitters, one wine-glassful of old brandy. Stir, and put a shred of lemon peel atop.

Or, in the modern format for presentation:

30 drops Maraschino

30 Drops Curacao

1 tablespoon Pine-Apple Syrup

6 drops Angostura Bitters

1 Wine-glassfull Old Brandy.

Stir in a wine goblet with half-glass of crushed ice. Garnish with lemon.


First, the recipe:

I don't have 'good' Old Brandy. I have some good brandy, but it is Extra-Fine, not Extra-Old, so it is much sweeter that what I believe this recipe called for. And then, Drops? I think Darcy had the same issue trying to figure out how to pour that on the modern bar. I cheated and pulled out the eye-dropper and started counting.

If this recipe is as old as the book lead me to believe, Pineapple had to have been a pretty exotic flavor for a cocktail and I am guessing not something every bar has sitting around waiting to be used. I could be wrong, its just a guess.

And, poking around on the internet, I find a variety of variations on this recipe, the strangest includes apple and orange juice. That is the greatest challenge with researching 'older' drinks like this, unclear authorship, conflicting and/or competing stories of genesis. Which one is 'THE' cocktail? Well, as soon as I find the right size batteries for the Time-Machine I'll ask around myself.

Then, the cocktail:



What is it like? Well.... pretty good actually. A bit sweet for my tastes, but that may be my brandy selection more than the actual drink. It is a beautiful reddish color in the glass, the dark of the bitters really bring out the color of the brandy, and the contrast of the bright of the lemon, visually exciting and really makes you want to pick this one up.



The end result:

I can recommend this one as it stands. I will be playing with it to see if I can tame the sweetness for my palate. I am going to have to spend a bit more time looking at Brandy's at the local package store.

Weeki Wachee Weekender

Weeki Wachee Weekender
Originally uploaded by chipandandy

Its On!

It is a Holiday weekend so you should already have the time off!

It is an amazing piece of Roadside America!

It is Mermaids!

What more could you ask for?

Please join us on Labor Day Weekend for a visit with the Mermaids at Weeki Wachee on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

There will be a Pot-Luck luau Friday Night. We have access to a grill so something that can be cooked is an option.

There will be a Carving and Music Jam Friday afternoon into the evening as long as people are willing to work or play. Bring your tools, or you instrument, or both, and have some fun with the Ohana.

Saturday is the Big-Event! The Former Mermaids will have control of the Lagoon and will be performing for your pleasure.

Saturday night will be a Dinner with the Ohana, details are still being worked out with the restaurant so more on that soon.

It will be a whole lot of fun, even more so with you there.

Tails of the Merman

OK, it is finally done! Episode Five!

Tails of the Merman on YouTube

This project was so much fun! I am hoping that we can do some more with it, spin-offs with the Henchman, a Mer-vixen story line. And of course many more cocktails with a generally underwater theme!

Give a watch! Give it some stars! Let us know what you think!

Rum?

I have been reading more and more about my beloved spirit........

Drink Dogma had something very interesting to share on the subject.

I am happy to see some discussion on Rum that doesn't involve a Mojito or "Tall-Fruity Drinks." And I am really happy to see someone who's taste in liquors I trust come around to the realization that Rum really is a quality spirit and worthy of comparison to other 'finer' spirits.

Welcome to the Rum World!

Oh, and if anyone else cares to join us, bring limes!

Goodbye Arthur....

And thank you very much for keeping my imagination active.


http://www.clarkefoundation.org/

Sometimes you wonder

Wreck Bar
Originally uploaded by chipandandy

Just what exactly was going through your mind when you push that little button on the camera......

Was it the company?

The drink?

The Mermaid?

Or is it just a cool photo?

Mixology Monday - Reminder

Ready?

Set!

Hit the books! The net! Wherever you get your ideas for the bar. Mixology Monday is soon.

Check out Kaiser Penguin for more detail.


Hmmmm..... overly potent drinks.... I think I have a couple to fit the bill

Flaming Cocktails

Flaming Demonstration 2
Originally uploaded by chipandandy

What can be more exciting than setting a cocktail on fire for the delight and amusement of your guests?

Not much, really.

I mean a great cocktail is a thing of beauty, but a great cocktail on fire! That is something truly entertaining.

Before I go any further, the Ealoli Lawyers inform me I have to remind you that mixing fire and the home bar is not something to take lightly. Igniting alcohol is a dangerous thing and precautions should be taken. Know where your fire extinguisher is and know how to properly put out an alcohol fire. And that would be a wet towel for those of you scratching your head right about know.

And if you think this isn't serious buiness, search "flaming drinks gone wrong" on youTube. This one is my favorite.

Now, on to getting some fire into your glass.....

Alcohol is flammable. Simple enough. Anything more than about 30% alcohol by volume will burn, The higher the proof of the liquor, the better the burn. Some liquors burn better than others, as seen in this video:



Thank you to Loki from Modernday Hobbit for helping me with that one. Left to right in the video is Vodka, Gin, Overproof Rum, and Grand Marnier. Yes, Gin will burn (See! I told you! Dude, you so owe me a cocktail!)

The Ealoli lawyers informed me that I must remind you not to stick your fingers into a pool of alcohol that is one fire as I did in that video. I don't mind, but they get nervous easily.

Where was I? Oh yeah, getting fire into your glass.

Well, first you need a cocktail. Then you need something to hold the flame. Then you need a match.

The cocktail, that should be easy.

Something to hold the flame. Unless you happen to have a vessel designed for fire, this is not so easy because you really shouldn't just pour some overproof rum on your drink. You can, but there are better ways to do it. Matt Maranian in his book Pad suggests using a lime or lemon shell with a crouton safely skewered inside. That works really well, except the crouton is inedible and tends to smell bad as the flame uses up the alcohol. What works better is a sugar cube, and if you don't burn it too bad is still edible.

Lastly, you need a match. Or lighter. Or two sticks and some string. Or super-human powers with the ability to summon fire on command.

Oh, the Lawyers are on about something, but the duct tape is making it hard to understand what they are saying.

If you would like to see the whole process of the drink and fire, check out This video from Don at Experiment33. And, keep an eye out for the ceiling fans.

OK, so now I have an idea how to ignite my cocktail, how do I get a picture of said cocktail?

Well, you need to set up a few things first. You need a stable setting for your camera. If the position of your drinks and camera is not near a light switch, you need an assistant. Ignite your drink and take a picture. Turn off the lights and take another shot (without the flash) using what ever low-light setting your camera has. Then, present the two pictures side by side, like this:




The first two glasses are holding Bacardi 151, the third is Grand Marnier (which is a bit expensive to burn like this, but it smells so good). The second glass has a sugar cube added to show the flame better. It acts as a wick to lift the flame and the sugar burning adds some nice color to the flame.

A little bit of Link Love

Miss me?

Thank you for that, but I know I only have about six people who read regularly (thanks Mom!).

Well, January is Mardi Gras Season and this year it was a short season. Damn that Lunar calendar thing..... This year our Krewe managed to pull off a Masked Ball and Luau, the creation of an eight foot tall Moai for the parade, costumes, beads, and then win an award for it.

Check out the Krewe Kon-Tiki blog to see what kind of chaos and mayhem we've been up to.

Here is a link to my Flick'r pool if you want to see more.

And, while I have your eyeballs for a minute.... A bit more Link Love:

I managed to snag a bit part in a friends video project, Tails of the Merman. It is a five part serial and we are about to finish filming the fifth installment. I'll keep you updated as it gets closer to broadcast.

Happy New Year!

Drink Well!
Originally uploaded by chipandandy

Happy New Year to all of you.

2008 is looking like it is going to be a banner year for cocktails and those who make them. I know I have several dozen ideas for things I am working on and a trip to some of our local ethnic markets will get me going.

Have fun in 2008! Drink lots and drink well.

Amore-a-rita

Amore-a-rita
Originally uploaded by chipandandy

I think I spend too much time at my local liquor store.....

The night manager of my local liquor store 'gets' things for me. When he finds something interesting, or odd, or generally not something everyone else is asking about, he sets one aside for me. It makes me feel important as much as it makes me realize how much time and effort (and money) I have invested in my home bar.

But, putting aside the fact that I am a lush, sometimes it pays to have someone like the night manager watching out for me. Case in point....

Parfait Amore

The flavor is most unique, and if you follow the link you will be even more intrigued if you have never sampled this particular ingredient. The bottles has a picture of oranges, the color is something akin to grape-jelly, and the aroma is something you would want to wear as a perfume. And don't let any of that stop you from adding a bottle of this to your bar. Trust me.

Well, I got a bottle. And I started digging through my meager library, then started asking the Internet since it knows everything, and came up with a few recipes that called for Parfait Amore. But, I wanted something more. Something that would really showcase the unique flavors and aroma. But what to use....

Gin is the obvious choice since most of the recipes I found were Gin based. Plymouth worked well, Hendrick's not so much. Gordons, Bombay, I was running out of options. So, being the Rum fan that I am I started playing with the Rums, and nothing was quite hitting the mark I was hoping for.

OK, time to call in reinforcements....

I have two friends nearby whose skills behind the bar I trust and whose taste in liquor I appreciate. Lets see what they come up with. After trying a few things, Loki over at The Modern Day Hobbit says "What about Tequila?"

Hmmmmm..... I am not generally a Tequila fan, and the Wahine starts to gag at the mere mention of it. But, I do have a bottle of some Milagro Silver on the bar. The wahine says it is for cooking purposes only, but sometimes a margarita is just the thing you need after a long day.

And speaking of Margarita.... What better way to test this theory than a Margarita. It is a simple drink, a 1-2-3 drink that should show off the Parfait Amore, that is if it plays well with the Tequila and lime. Well, one measure of fresh lime, two of Parfait Amore, three of Milagro Silver, some abuse in the shaker with ice, and....

In a word, DAYUM!

OK, that is not really a word, but it is what we all said when we got our first taste. The fresh lime is, of course, fresh and lively. The Silver Tequila is wonderfully smooth and tasty, and the two play very well with the Parfait Amore. The lime brings out all of the floral bits on the nose and the Tequila brings out and complements all of the stronger flavors on the tongue.

This is what I was looking for!

The color is an intriguing Blue-grey and doesn't show well on the camera. I tried to light it with a flashlight, but that just made it even more blue. The aroma as you pour is something that will draw you into the cocktail and will pull others from around the house to the bar. And the taste is going to make you ask for far more than you should probably have.

So, if you don't have a bottle of this yet, start shopping. And pick up a bottle of a nice Silver Tequila as well. You won't be disappointed.

Amore-a-Rita

• 1 measure of fresh lime


• 2 measures of Parfait Amore


• 3 measures of Silver Tequila

Shake hard with cracked ice, strain into a cocktail glass.

Enjoy.