Autumn and I have recently been tinkering around the bar, trying to create some new cocktails. Although we’ve come up with some amazing rum-based drinks recently, we thought we would switch things up and try our hand at the lesser-used alcohol of the tiki world: Tequila.
We asked ourselves, “how can we tikify a margarita, while still staying true to its roots”? We ended up landing on a drink we call “El Escondite”. It contains the basic ingredients of a Margarita (tequila, orange, lime), plus some tropical additions (fresh orange and pineapple juices, Liquor 43, and honey simple syrup). The following post provides the necessary ingredients and steps for making this drink at home. Let us know what you think in the comments - cheers! Recipe/ Instructions: Glassware: Any Glass Ingredients:
Cocktail Steps: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and shake with ice for 10 seconds. Strain into a glass with crushed ice, and add bitters (optional step) Garnish: Garnish with a salt rim and lime wedge Wayward Spirits Rating: Overall Score - 4.5 “El Escondite” is a refreshing take on a standard margarita, while adding layers of complexity and tropical flavors (and still staying true to recipe). It’s an especially good replacement for those of you who are not huge fans of the flavor of tequila (full disclosure: I’m one of those people), because the fresh juices and honey help mask the alcohol just a tad. Next time you are serving up a round of margaritas, surprise and delight your guests with this unique twist! Cheers!
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Do you ever get the “lime in the coconut” song stuck in your head out of nowhere? We do. A lot. For too often in fact... If you don’t know what we’re talking about, check out the song “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson here or watch the video directly below:
This song gets stuck in our head so often that it finally inspired us to create a tiki drink in its honor: the Ode to Harry Nilsson And just like the song, this drink might just be one of our favorites here at Wayward Spirits - using lime and coconut (obviously), allspice dram, pineapple juice and multiple rums. The following post provides the necessary ingredients and steps for making this drink at home. Let us know that you think in the comments - cheers! Recipe/ Instructions: Glassware: Any Glass Ingredients:
Cocktail Steps: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and shake with ice for 10 seconds. Strain into a glass with crushed ice, and add bitters (optional step) Garnish: Garnish with a lime wedge Wayward Spirits Rating: Overall Score - 5 The Ode to Harry Nilsson is so good that it might be just as addictive as the song. To summarize: It’s quintessentially tropical, light yet substantial, and flat out tasty. It’s certainly a crowd pleaser, and sure to appeal to almost any self-proclaimed tiki fans (and even fence sitters who don’t usually go for tiki cocktails...). Give the drink a try, and let us know that you think! Pro tip: play the Coconut song by Harry Nilsson while drinking it for the full experience!
Keeping with the fall-themed tiki recipes we have recently been posting, we present another Wayward Spirits original cocktail: “The Phoenix”
The Phoenix strikes a unique balance between bitter and sweet -- blending guava, citrus, cinnamon, Campari and Rhum Agricole. The results is a light-yet-complex tiki cocktail that tastes like a distant cousin of the Jungle Bird. The following post provides the inspiration for the drink, necessary ingredients and steps for making it at home. Let us know what you think in the comments - cheers! Inspiration for The Phoenix The Phoenix was created by Wayward Spirits founder John Enoch after soaking up some sun pool-side in Los Angeles. When choosing between bitter and sweet cocktails, John has always leaned slightly more towards bitter - often opting for Campari, Aperol, or Gin-based cocktails in summer time. Recipe/ Instructions: Glassware: Collins glass Ingredients:
Cocktail Steps: Combine all ingredients in a collins glass with crushed or chipped ice. Swizzle with a bar spoon or swizzle stick. Add orange bitters. Garnish: Garnish with a pineapple frond or lemon wedge. Wayward Spirits Rating: Overall Score – 5 "The Phoenix" is tiki’s answer to the Aperol Spritz or Negroni -- balancing all of the major tasting preferences: bitter, sweet, fruity, citrusy, savory, boozy and complex. It’s also a fantastic drink for friends or family members who say they are not a fan of traditional tiki drinks (i.e. they imagine overly-sweetened resort drinks or poorly made Mai Tais). Give the drink a try, and let us know that you think! It’s an especially tasty cocktail for those warm fall days that still feel like summer.
Happy first day of fall from Wayward Spirits! To kick off one of our favorite seasons, we present a new fall-themed cocktail: the Tropic of Virgo.
This drink was created by Wayward Spirits founder John Enoch, and inspired by his girlfriend Autumn. Autumn is the founder of CoffeeMate, a coffee blog based in LA, where she writes coffee and coffee shop reviews, product reviews, industry thought pieces, and more. Check out her blog here. The Tropic of Virgo incorporates some of our favorite autumn tasting notes: cold brew coffee, coconut, allspice, and orange. The result is a tiki-themed cocktail that is a bit heavier and richer than usual, while still maintaining a tropical flavor profile. Inspiration for the Tropic of Virgo The Tropic of Virgo was inspired by the short period of time between summer and autumn, when the weather begins to turn cold, and summery tiki cocktails feel somewhat out of season. For months, John and Autumn looked for ways to join the world of tiki and coffee, both being heavily influenced by tropical climates, cultures and flavors. We chose to name the drink the Tropic of Virgo because:
Recipe/ Instructions: Glassware: Brandy Snifter Ingredients:
Cocktail Steps: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake for 10 seconds. Pour over crushed ice, and top off with additional ice until the glass is full. Add bitters. Garnish: Garnish with grated nutmeg and a dehydrated orange wheel. Wayward Spirits Rating: Overall Score – 4.5 The Tropic of Virgo is truly the perfect fall-themed tiki drink, combining autumn flavors (coffee and allspice) with tropical tastes (orange, coconut, and rum). If you are looking to make your Halloween or Thanksgiving holidays feel a bit more tropical this year, the Tropic of Virgo might be just the drink for you. Plus, it’s a nice in between if you can’t decide between a night cap or post-dinner coffee. The only reason this drink falls shy of the full 5-star rating is because it is a bit rich, and hard to drink more than one or two at a time.
Ahoy tiki aficionados! John here, following up on my previous post where we began featuring our favorite drink recipes from our recent trip to Palm Springs.
As a second installment to this series, we’ll be reviewing the Après-Ski Swizzle from Easy Tiki. This drink was a nice change of pace from the Mai Tais and Zombies we enjoyed on our getaway and utilizes one of my all-time favorite cocktail ingredients: green Chartreuse. If you are looking for a unique twist on a tiki cocktail, look no further than the Après-Ski Swizzle. The following feature will provide the origins of the drink, necessary ingredients, and steps for making it at home. Cheers! Après-Ski Swizzle - Brief History: The Après-Ski Swizzle was created by Nathan Hazard from the Coconut Club in Los Angeles. According to Easy Tiki, “Nathan Hazard’s Après-Ski Swizzle reads like tiki on vacation in the alps. The familiar tropical flavors are all there – rum, orgeat, pineapple, lime – joined by the 130 botanicals that make up Chartreuse’s signature profile.” Recipe/ Instructions: Glassware: Any glass (but Easy Tiki calls for a tiki mug or Zombie glass) Ingredients:
Cocktail Steps: Combine all ingredients in a glass and top with crushed ice until full. Swizzle with a swizzle stick or barspoon for ten seconds until chilled. Garnish: Garnish as you see fit. We recommend a dried orange slice and flower (but a pineapple wedge is also a popular choice) Wayward Spirits Rating: Overall Score – 4.5 The Après-Ski Swizzle is a tasty and refreshing take on the swizzle. It has the tried-and-true flavor profile of a tiki drink (with lime, orgeat, and rum), while introducing the unique complexity of green Chartreuse. As a huge Chartreuse fan, this drink was easily one of my favorite drinks of the trip. However, the botanicals do tend to overpower the other ingredients, so try scaling up the other flavors to make the drink feel “more tiki” if you’re looking for a more tropical taste. Give the drink a try and let us know what you think in the comments! Cheers!
Aloha fellow tiki enthusiasts! John here, finally getting back to the swing of things and sharing some of our favorite drink recipes from our week away in Palm Springs!
We dabbled with over 20 recipes on our trip, and the Siboney from Easy Tiki was one our favorites. It’s relatively simple to make, and contains heavy flavors of pineapple, passion fruit, and lime. This was especially refreshing in the 115-degree weather we were having on our trip. The following feature will provide the history of the drink, necessary ingredients, and steps for making it at home. Cheers! Siboney - Brief History: The Siboney first appeared in Rum Cookery & Drinkery, published by Trader Vic’s in 1974. Easy Tiki features an adaptation of the drink created by Antonio Martinez from Bootlegger Tiki in Palm Springs (one of the reasons we chose this recipe for our trip – see our guide to Palm Springs here). This adaptation of the Siboney is a bit more rum-forward than the original recipe and amplifies the pineapple flavors through the use of Plantation Stiggins’ Fancy pineapple rum. Recipe/ Instructions: Glassware: Collins or Double Old Fashioned (but the Easy Tiki recipe calls for a coupe glass) Ingredients:
Demerara syrup recipe (if needed):
Cocktail Steps: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake over ice for 10 seconds. Strain into a glass over crushed ice and garnish. Garnish: Garnish with a half-lime “island” and cocktail umbrella. Wayward Spirits Rating: Overall Score – 5 The Siboney is a delicious and well-rounded cocktail. Nice and boozy, while bursting with tropical flavors of pineapple and passion fruit. It is especially refreshing for hot days, and very easy to make. Try adding El Guapo Polynesian Kiss bitters to give it a small bit of “spice” that is lacking. Otherwise, this drink is close to perfect as-is. Cheers!
Recently while visiting Autumn’s family, I decided to break out my traveling bar kit and whip up some batch cocktails.
Faced with a very limited supply of rums and juices, I threw together the following drink using leftover ingredients from a round of piña coladas. Interestingly, this drink was the absolute hit of the night, and officially crowned “John’s PCP” as it is just THAT addictive. The following feature will provide the necessary ingredients and steps for making it at home. Let us know what you think in the comments. Cheers! Wayward Spirits Recipe: Glassware: Any glass Ingredients:
Cocktail Steps: Combine all ingredients in a glass with ice, and swizzle with a bar spoon. Add bitters once drink has been mixed. Garnish: Garnish with an edible hibiscus flower or lime wheel. Wayward Spirits Rating: Overall Score – 4.5 This recipe is a good example of a happy accident when it comes to cocktails – refreshing, fruity, boozy, and well-balanced without an initial recipe. Autumn claims it’s one of her favorite drinks that I’ve ever made, but I feel like there something missing (preventing the ever-so elusive 5-star rating) Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Autumn and I were supposed to travel to the Cook Islands in September, but due to COVID-19, our trip was cancelled and put on hold for the time being. Feeling disappointed, we decided to take a week-long trip to beautiful Palm Springs, CA. Palm Springs has been one of our regular weekend getaways for the past two years now, providing a much-needed escape from the city life of Los Angeles and long hours spent at the office. Warm weather, an abundance of pools, and appreciation for everything retro and nostalgic make it the perfect desert oasis getaway for those seeking an easy and accessible escape. The following suggestions are based solely on our personal experiences, so there may be some additional things that are worth seeing. Be sure to do your own research as well – that’s half the fun of traveling!  Palm Springs - Brief History and Influence on Tiki The following history of Palm Springs was heavily informed by the Palm Springs official city website (link here) and Wikipedia (link here): For thousands of years, the Coachella Valley was home to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. During the winter months, they established their village around the natural hot mineral springs (current site of the Spa Resort Casino). In summer, to escape the extreme temperatures of the desert floor, the small band moved to the canyons where it was more comfortable because of the higher elevation. In 1884, Judge John Guthrie McCallum of San Francisco and his family became the first non-Indians to settle here. McCallum, with the assistance of local Indians, built a 19 mile stone-lined ditch from the Whitewater River into Palm Springs bringing in pure, precious water for irrigation. Dr. Wellwood Murray, of nearby Banning, opened Palm Springs' first hotel, called the Palm Springs Hotel, which was conveniently located directly across the road from the Indian bathhouse where his guests could take advantage of its warm, curative waters. In 1909, Dr. Harry and Nellie Coffman started their sanitorium, The Desert Inn, which was originally a place for those suffering from tuberculosis. The Inn later became a world-renowned resort hotel catering to the very wealthy, which included captains of industry and well-known millionaires such as the Vanderbilt and Hearst families. Hollywood discovered Palm Springs as early as about 1919. The desert was considered a choice filming spot for many silent films, and stars such as Rudolph Valentino, Ernest Torrence, and Theda Bara could be easily spotted in town. Since then, Palm Springs has become known as "The Playground of the Stars." Many have had homes in the city or have stayed at famous places such as the El Mirador Hotel and Charles Farrell's Racquet Club. Post-World War II, architectural modernism flourished within the city. Inventive architects designed unique vacation houses, such as steel houses with prefabricated panels and folding roofs, a glass-and-steel house in a boulder-strewn landscape, and a carousel house that turned to avoid the sun's glare. Palm Springs architecture became the model for mass-produced suburban housing, especially in the Southwest. This "Desert Modern" style was a high-end architectural style featuring open-design plans, wall-to-wall carpeting, air conditioning, swimming pools, and very large windows. In addition to architecture, Hollywood values permeated the city of Palm Springs as it combined celebrity, health, new wealth, and sex. As Lawrence Culver (2010) explains: "The bohemian sexual and marital mores already apparent in Hollywood intersected with the resort atmosphere of Palm Springs, and this new, more open sexuality would gradually appear elsewhere in national tourist culture." Serving as a desert oasis escape for celebrities and Los Angelenos, Palm Springs flourished around the same time as the tiki craze which was taking over Hollywood in the mid-19th century. As a result, many of the local hotels and bars were heavily influenced by the movement, some of which still stand to this day (see below for some of those tiki bars and resorts).  When to Go We suggest taking your trip in late spring/early summer (April, May, or June) or late summer/early fall (September or October), when the weather is ideal for walking around the city or enjoying a drink by the pool. The height of summer (July, August) is also a fantastic time to visit, but the weather is sure to be on the hotter side (around 115 degrees Fahrenheit or so). Additionally, the following local festivals occur annually in Palm Springs. You may want to consider planning your trip around one of these events:
Where to Stay Where you stay heavily depends on the type of trip you are looking for: Weekend escape, rest and relaxation, or downright party vibes. We typically look for a relaxing and tropical atmosphere, opting to stay at Airbnbs or one of the local hotels. Here are some of our top suggestions:
What to Do Our trips to Palm Springs are typically meant to be an escape from work and city life, so we frequently spend our time near a pool with a cocktail in hand. However, the city has a lot to offer when it comes to both relaxation and stimulation. Here are some of our favorite things to do (however, many of these activities are currently closed due to COVID-19, so be sure to check the websites if you are planning a trip soon):
Where to Eat Palm Springs plays host to a large variety of wonderful restaurants, providing dining options for just about any eater. There are plenty of upscale restaurants if you are looking for an especially memorable meal or event, as well as an abundance of no-frills eateries for a quick-but-satisfying bite to eat. Here are some of our suggestions:
Where to Drink
Palm Springs has a thriving enthusiasm for all things retro and nostalgic, including tiki bars which were popularized right as Palm Springs grew into its own. In many ways, Palm Springs seems perpetually locked in the 1960s, which provides a perfect backdrop for tropical drinks and bars, making it an ideal destination for tiki-enthusiasts. Here are some of our favorite tropical bars from our trips (however, this is just the tip of the iceberg):
We hope you enjoyed our guide to Palm Springs - please share your own travel tips or suggestions in the comments section! Wayward Spirits
Trader Vic's Mai Tai Mix - Product Review:
I’m typically a strong advocate for fresh, homemade ingredients when it comes to making cocktails - however, every once in a while, I’ll take a shortcut (as long as it doesn’t compromise taste). When it comes to tiki cocktails, there are even fewer of these shortcuts available, as the quality of ingredients usually directly dictates the end result (as this type of cocktail often relies on fresh fruit and citrus). For me, the Mai Tai is a good example of a drink which is just complicated enough to make a shortcut feel desirable. While recently shopping at my favorite liquor store (Beverage Warehouse in LA), I stumbled upon the Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Mix. Originating from one of the giants of the tiki world, I felt a sense of obligation to give it a try and see how it holds up to my homemade recipe. The Trader Vic’s Mai Tai mix did not disappoint, tasting very similar to the Mai Tai I usually make (and taking a quarter of the time). The mix doesn’t even need to be stored in the refrigerator after opening - which is a huge plus if cocktail ingredients take up half of your fridge space (as they do in my house). While I’m still an advocate for using fresh ingredients when you can, it’s okay to cheat every once in a while (as long as it tastes as good as Trader Vic’s Mai Tai mix)... Trader Vic's Mai Tai (using mix): Glassware: Double Old Fashioned Ingredients:
Cocktail Steps: Pour Mai Tai mix and dark rum into a double old fashioned glass, over crushed ice. Squeeze the lime juice into the drink, and give it a swirl with a bar spoon. Garnish: Sprig of mint and/or lime wheel Wayward Spirits Rating: Overall Score – 4.5 For the reasons mentioned above, the Trader Vic’s Mai Tai mix earns 4 stars for taste (similar to the Mai Tai I make from scratch), and an addition .5 star for being a huge time saver. Moving forward, this Mai Tai mix will be a new addition to my liquor cabinet for those days I’m feeling too lazy to break out the fancy homemade syrups and juices. I look forward to reviewing some of the other products Trader Vic’s has to offer, but happy drinking until then!
You may (or may not) have noticed that it’s been some time since my last blog post. In full disclosure, I’ve been trying out a new diet that has been kicking my butt, and I’ve felt a little bit tired of rum the last couple of weeks.
To get out of this “rum funk”, I decided to dabble with the lighter side of tiki cocktails, and try the Max’s Mistake recipe from Smuggler’s Cove SF. It’s a gin-based tiki cocktail, with passion fruit, citrus, and honey. Certainly lighter than the coconut cream drinks I’ve been whipping up recently, and a delicious option for those hot summer days when dark alcohol just doesn’t sound appealing. The following feature will provide the origins of the drink, necessary ingredients, and steps for making it at home. Cheers! Max’s Mistake - Brief History: According to Smuggler’s Cove, the drink was created while Martin Cate was bartending at Trader Vic’s and named after the “Ray’s Mistake” at Tiki-Ti (one of my personal favorites here in LA). Max’s Mistake was an accidental combination of two other drinks. Recipe/ Instructions: Glassware: Brandy Snifter or Pearl Diver Glass Ingredients:
Honey syrup recipe (if needed):
Cocktail Steps: Combine all ingredients (except the sparkling lemonade) in a cocktail shaker, and shake for 10 seconds. Pour over crushed ice, and then top off with the Fentimans Sparkling Lemonade. Finally, give the drink a quick stir with a bar spoon. Garnish: Garnish with a sprig of mint. Wayward Spirits Rating: Overall Score – 4.5 This cocktail was exactly what I needed to get over my “rum funk”. Max’s Mistake is a delicious and light tiki drink that is bound to please those who prefer slightly sweet drink that does not taste too “boozy”. The passion fruit, lemon, and honey compliment the gin beautifully, making this another “keeper” for the recipe book. Try adding a bit more Fentimans Sparkling Lemonade if you don’t taste enough citrus the first time around. |
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