This poses a slight challenge for me. While Tiki is actually quite cool and not kitsch at all, as some would think, it also requires a lot of work and cool glassware. Despite the challenges, the appeal of Tiki lies in the ability to transport you away to an exotic time and/or place, without ever having moved you at all.

Tiki culture was purportedly created in 1934, by one Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, more affectionately known as Don the Beachcomber. It is from his brilliant mind that our cocktail comes from today. With a mix of tropical fruit juices, and loads of rum, Don’s Zombie is one fantastic drink. And with all things awesome, they are often shrouded in secrecy, apparently Don’s bartenders didn’t even know the makeup of many of his drinks, they just mixed out of bottles coded by numbers or letters. Nonetheless, several variations of the Zombie are out there, and this one comes to us courtesy of Ted Haigh.

Don the Beachcomber’s Zombie
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum
1 oz 151 Demerara Rum
1 oz White Puerto Rican Rum
1 oz unsweetened Pineapple Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1 dash Angostura

Shake with ice, pour into fancy pants glass (traditionally a hurricane glass of course), and let yourself be transported away. As a disclaimer, while the glass in the picture you see below may seem empty, I can attest that there once was not just one, but two Zombies in that glass. Cheers!

This twist on a classic is tasty and adds layer upon layer of complexity to the drink. While it may seem to be an unlikely pairing, the Campari and Goslings actually work wonders together, and while the Absinthe is understated, it serves to pull the ingredients together in harmonious balance. Cheers!

Benjamin Barker Daiquiri
1 1/2 oz Gosling’s Rum
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Absinthe
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup

Although rarely seen on a cocktail menu today, a flip is a fantastic way to get into beer cocktails. In its most basic iteration, a flip is simply beer, spirit, and sweetener. Flips can also include egg, and may be served hot or cold.

This flip variation was created by Owen Schmidt, while he was still bartending at the Bayou Oyster Bar and features a combination of amaro and stout. The initial creation utilized a locally brewed oatmeal stout, but any stout that is thick and creamy will do. This drink can easily be used as a starting point to experiment with other amaro/stout combinations. Cheers!

Breakfast In Bed
3 oz Oatmeal Stout
1 1/2 oz Amaro Abano
1 whole egg
Dash Orange Bitters

This beer pours very dark, almost jet black, with a thick and creamy mocha/tan head. First impressions from the nose was choco­late and some roasti­ness from the malts. Also present were some resin pine aromas from the hops with just a hint of citrus in the background. On the taste you definitely notice the chocolate and malt up front which then quickly fades into the hoppy bitterness and is coupled with grapefruit, lemon, and grassy flavors. The finish is long and mildly bit­ter,­ with some slight roasti­ness around the edges.

Over­all, I really enjoyed this ver­sion of a Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale from Alaskan Brew­ing Com­pany. If you are a fan of this style, you may be a tad dis­ap­pointed as it is a little more laid back than others. If you are not a fan of this style, this is the per­fect beer to help you change your mind. Cheers!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Yamazaki 12 pours a dark golden brown, darker than many other 12 year old whiskeies. The nose is well malted, and has hints of dried fruits, warm honey and butterscotch. The taste is quite dry, with an almost astringent quality, paired with hints of vanilla, citrus zest, caramelized toffee and just a hint of oak. The finish is long and has hints of spices with a little more of that astringency lingering in the background.

The Yamazaki 12 is an outstanding whisky, especially if looking for an introduction into Japanese or Scotch Whisky. A 750ml bottle will usually run between $40-$50, which is not a bad price for such a great tasting spirit. Cheers!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

“Vancouver is such a rich, vibrant cocktail city. We couldn’t help but come back for a second year”, said Ann Tuennerman, Founder of Tales of the Cocktail®. “With all the friends we’ve made north of the border, it’s really become our home away from home.”

This year the festivities have grown, and will include five tasting rooms, Meet the Maker, a specialty coffee bar and the Mott’s Clamato Caesar Bar. In addition there are 6 fantastic seminars that are sure to provide excellent information. In the evenings, guests will attend parties, and take part in a pub crawl that highlights some of Vancouver’s best restaurants and bartenders. In short, this is an event that you will not want to miss.

This year I am extremely happy to be covering this event as media. I will be attending everything I can, taking pictures as well as frantically scribbling notes, making sure that I can soak in as much as I can. If you are a cocktail enthusiast, or bartender in the Pacific Northwest, I would highly encourage you to check out this event. It is a great way to get involved in the fantastic community that surrounds our area! If you do come, drop me a note so I can make sure we meet up. Cheers!

This month’s class will be January 15th at 6:00pm, and we will be looking at the history of American Whiskey. We will dig into the main types of American Whiskey, enjoy some cocktails, and take part in a tasting of a variety of some bourbon and rye whiskies.

The class will be limited to 10 people, so if you are interested, or know anyone who is, reserve your spot now at the Bayou Oyster Bar, preferably between the hours of 5:00-7:00pm. It should be informative and a lot of fun, and I hope to see you there. Cheers!

Start by mixing together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice (freshly squeezed please) in a double boiler set on medium-low. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. This usually takes about ten minutes. Remove from heat and add in the butter and lemon zest. Stir until the butter is completely melted into the mixture. Now you can either just cover and cool in the fridge, or you can take the extra step of straining the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any chunks of egg that may have formed. I usually skip this last step as any little bits are usually too small to be noticed.

Lemon Curd
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
5 Tbsp unsalted butter (room temp)
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest

Now that we have our lemon curd, lets make a drink with it!

Breakfast themed cocktails have been on the rise as of late, and a good number of them seem to include such ingredients as black tea, lemon, marmalade, jams, honey, etc. Since I love all of these things, I had to go with the flow and mimic the masses, albeit with my own twists.

I started with an earl grey infused genever, added some homemade lemoncello and lemon curd, included a generous dash of simple syrup, and finished it all off with some lemon bitters. The resulting drink is fantastic; with the biscuity malt, astringent tea, and lemon flavors all coming together in harmony. Give it a try, I am sure you will like it. Cheers!

Tea and Crumpets
1 1/2 oz Tea-infused Genever
1/2 oz Lemoncello
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 barspoons Lemon Curd
Lemon Bitters

The Champagne Cocktail
1 Sugar Cube
Angostura Bitters
Champagne

Simple and effective, the addition of a bitters soaked sugar cube livens up the champagne, and the extra bubbles rising up your flute add that dramatic flourish.

The Kir Royale and other Twists
3/4 oz Creme de Cassis
Champagne

Simple adding a liqueur such as Cassis, St. Germain, Chartreuse, Aperol, or anything similar gives a nice flavor addition while still retaining that classic champagne cocktail feel.

The French 75
2 oz Gin
1 oz Lemon juice
1 tsp Simple Syrup
Champagne

Occasionally made with Cognac vs Gin, this champagne cocktail is strong and tasty. For those who aren’t big champagne fans, you can also substitute the bubbly with either a Belgian beer to keep the sweetness, or a nice IPA for a little more bitterness.

Soyer Au Champagne
2 dashes Maraschino
2 dashes Brandy
2 dashes Grand Marnier
2 dashes Pineapple Juice
1 scoop Vanilla Ice Cream
Champagne

This one is more of a dessert drink and it fits the bill perfectly. Sweet and creamy, this drink is masterfully blended to create a complex, flavorful cocktail that really hits the spot.

The Seelbach Cocktail
1 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Cointreau
7 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
7 dashes Angostura Bitters
Champagne

This one is for the whiskey lovers out there. Paired with a very generous amount of bitters, this one is for those who would otherwise be drinking Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs.

So there you have it, several variations that are sure to please everyone’s palate. So go out, celebrate and enjoy responsibly. Cheers!

Called for in just a few drinks, this caraway flavored liqueur works well in this cocktail, blending in with the Scotch and Vermouth. It doesn’t stand out, but instead provides a subtle addition to the drink. Be sure to use a less peaty/smoky scotch in this one. Cheers!

The Vowel Cocktail
1oz Scotch Whisky
1oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2oz Orange Juice
1/2oz Kümmel
Dash Angostura Bitters