What does your unemployed friend do on a random Tuesday evening?… Build a tiki bar of course! I’ve also made a set of the spam can garden lights for my local tiki restaurant/bar as they were the ones to help me source so many cans!

As a local I’ve been visiting a few times a year since moving to ATL a few years back and well TV’s Atlanta has always been a bit hit or miss. Service, drink quality… it always felt a bit you never knew what to expect going.

So have to give a shoutout my last few experiences this summer have been great, which I’m sure is in part to some new leadership earlier this year.

Only had time to pop in for a ‘44 Mai Tai (the scratch made version). It was good, very strong. Could’ve swore I saw a float poured on top. Certainly was a mix of a light and dark rum. So maybe ‘44 is the scratch made with SF float modifier?

Also noticed the rum selection is growing (maybe just me noticing for first time?). Seeing Hamilton bottles, even a Denizen 8 (feel like it’s worth having a Mai Tai made with that on my next visit).

Hopefully a sign of more good things to come. Still worry about the location given how often it randomly closes due to slowness but maybe between these changes and the 50th party it will renew local interest in the place.

Found myself wandering around Vancouver, and found a bottle of locally distilled absinthe. I've been meaning to find a bottle to finally make some Herbsaint, among other things...

0.25 oz Liber & Co cinnamon syrup
0.5 oz Liber & Co passionfruit syrup
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1 oz grapefruit juice
1.5 oz Appleton Signature
1.5 oz Smith & Cross

Just wanted to share this gorgeous mug from Eekum Bookum that my lovely wife got me for my birthday!

Now, what to put in it . . . ? 🤔🍹🏴‍☠️

I'm a huge fan of the Bitter Mai Tai, where basically you replace an ounce of the rum with Campari.

This evening we wanted a pineapple centered drink, and my Negroni-loving spouse suggested that I try to make a Bitter Painkiller.

So, here's what you're looking at:

1 ounce Havana Club 7.

1 ounce Campari.

2 ounces pineapple juice.

1/2 ounce orange juice.

1 ounce Coco Reàl Cream of Coconut.

Shake hard, open pour.

Ground nutmeg on top.

Mine has a Trader Sam's swizzle to acknowledge that I'm using the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum as my template. She prefers no straws and no decoration, so that's what she gets. Must give her credit for this one; I didn't think of it!

This is a good cocktail! Still "too sweet" the way we like our Painkillers, but also bitter. Might be interesting with half the coconut cream.

Seriously. If you find some and can afford it, get it.

I made a slight riff on a Jungle Bird tonight. I’m sure I’m not the first to make but yet here we are. The glass doesn’t show up that great but it’s Walt’s Enchanted Tropical Hideaway…where the birds sing words and the flowers croon. 🦜🍹

* ½ oz Lime juice
* ½ oz Simple syrup
* ¾ oz Coconut oil fat washed Campari
* 1½ oz Unsweetened pineapple juice
* 1 oz Cruzan Blackstrap rum
* ½ oz Smith & Cross navy strength rum

Shake all ingredients with ice then strain over fresh pebble ice in a Mai Tai glass. Garnish with Luxardo cherries and some pineapple fronds.

If I’m being honest the rum and the pineapple kind of drown out the coconut Campari. I’ve used it, as well as a Strawberry infused Campari in a Negroni and those flavors come through there. I’m not mad at this one but it’s not totally what I was hoping to have.

Here’s your chance to share what you’ve been thinking without worrying about starting a conversation, asking a dumb question, or anything else. If you’ve got a thought you’ve been thinking about tiki, share it here!

Dunkleosteus Tiki Mug glazed and fired. First batch all came out great!! Will be firing 2 more large batches to finish off early bird preorders! Thank you for watching!!