#31DaysOfTiki: A Proper Lookback
How many limes did I use? How many unique rums? I've wondered too. Also featuring: my eponymous beverage
So one of the things I meant to do back in early September was do a complete run down of how #31DaysOfTiki went. But I didn’t really have a good home for it. That kind of writing is too long for Twitter or Instagram (and sharing through to Facebook) where I was chiefly putting the content, and it didn’t really belong in the more “serious” places I’ve cultivated for other writing, like my Medium. But now I have this whole new channel to just discuss fun things like tiki, which is long overdue anyway.
So how did it go? First, #31DaysOfTiki by the numbers:
In total volume, I used over 166 ounces of liquid to make all these drinks. Of that 58 ounces were rum! (probably more if we are being honest, I have a heavy pouring hand) I used 26 ounces of other liquors and liqueurs. The rest consisted of juices, syrups, and other odds and ends that are occasionally useful (like Topo Chico). Juice from 15 limes, 5 lemons, 5 oranges, a few different grapefruits at least (that’s likely underestimating given the volume of citrus moving through the kitchen, but…).
I actually only used 12 different rums (see you don’t need that many bottles). My workhorses (which I used 5 or more times in the month) consisted of:
Appleton Estates Signature Blend
Lemon Hart 151
Plantation 3 Star
Rhum J.M. VSOP
Ron del Barrilito 2 Star
Smith & Cross Jamaica Rum
The other bottles I used were:
El Dorado 12
Flor de Cana 12
J Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum
Neisson Agricole Blanc
Plantation Xaymaca
Pusser’s
And of course a special shout out to a rum I didn’t put in any drinks, but definitely floated on top, Stiggins’ Fancy.
Another time I’ll break down which bottles I’d recommend, as I’ve purchased some since then that I would potentially include in any future rankings of that. Perhaps you need to do some Christmas shopping for the burgeoning tiki lover in your life, and well, at this point, I’m much closer to having you covered than I was when I started this all.
I got to play with a lot of fun classics as a part of this, I even created my eponymous drink at the end (and without that drink, you actually only need 10 bottles in this list). But it’s such a fun drink that it’s worth doing. So here it is one more time if you happen to have missed it then
The Trader Jane
Here is what you will need:
.5 oz lime juice
.5 oz pineapple syrup (yes, syrup, but you could just go 1:1 sugar and juice)
.5 oz falernum
.25 oz Maraschino liqueur
1 oz Green Chartreuse
Some Stiggins’ Fancy to float (Plantation Pineapple Rum)
Put that all in your mixing tin, fill it up with ice, and do your thing. Strain into a Collins glass. Fill with crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple frond and 3 Maraschino cherries.
The inspiration for this was to do a more punched-up version of a Chartreuse Swizzle. I have a long love affair with Chartreuse and while the swizzle is a delightful drink, it’s fun to play with form and see where you end up. A touch more alcohol (though less Chartreuse, these are still some high ABV contents) and the addition of some elements that always play nice with Green Chartreuse and rum like Maraschino.
Remember, it’s as much art as science. Like baking, there are lots of rules to follow initially, and they will make your drinks better. But you never learn if you don’t try things. You will fuck up sometimes. That’s life. I get that fucking up with pricey bottles of liquor isn’t everyone’s cup of tea either. I try to keep my mixing bottles under $50, but plenty of people don’t want to spend that on several different bottles. I respect that.
If you happen to have everything else but the rum, you could always just sub gin in this and I’m sure it would work great, but I personally haven’t tried that yet. So that’s on you. But the whole point of all of this is doing what you like and working with what you got.
Of course, if you find something new you like that serves as some inspiration for you, well, that ain’t half bad either.
Have a happy Thanksgiving! Until next time, stay safe out there
This is Trader Jane’s, a periodic newsletter about drinks (mostly tiki) and other fun writing. Follow me on Substack for something once or twice a week (that’s the goal for now at least), and follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more timely updates on my beverages (and for lots of other things of course!)
And, as with any good drink, feel free to share (responsibly, of course)