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Port Dues Cocktail

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Kerrygold Port Dues Cocktails // stirandstrain.comThis post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Recipe and ideas are my own.

This past Monday, in our Monday Booze News, I referenced that the newest wave of tiki cocktails and culture is turning down a darker road (I joked that it had become a moody teenager). This new turn, which is apparently referencing a much older version of tiki… just proves that the fantasy can be whatever you’d like it to be in your head.

Kerrygold Port Dues Cocktails // stirandstrain.comWhat I’m getting at is this, Tiki cocktails have come a long way and these new modern nods are just as interesting, and sometimes, much more complex and delicious, than the originals. And today I have a very out there, very delicious, addition to this new wave, the Port Dues Cocktail.

Kerrygold Port Dues Cocktails // stirandstrain.comKerrygold Port Dues Cocktails // stirandstrain.comIf you’re a familiar reader around here you may have noticed that I partnered with Kerrygold Irish Cream a few months back and I have been experimenting with this Irish cream liqueur to show how versatile (and OMGGGGG so good) it is. There’s a lot of times people see a liqueur and box it into a known and familiar category, and I feel part of my job here is to break those rules. Sure, I made frozen Irish Coffee cocktails with it and Grasshopper brownies, but did you check out the edible cocktails and the egg cream??

Kerrygold Port Dues Cocktails // stirandstrain.comSo I’m super excited about this cocktail, with nods to some of my favorite tiki drinks and especially to the Missionary’s Downfall with the herbal, minty notes from the fernet. You’d be surprised, but there are actually quite a number of tiki drinks out there that incorporate a hint of chocolate in them too. Using the creamy, rich Kerrygold Irish Cream here gives this dry, rum forward cocktail with a sour punch an unexpected twist with a hint of chocolate at the end.

Could the Port Dues be the dark, brooding cousin to the bright and poppy drinks of the midcentury? Try one and find out!

Kerrygold Port Dues Cocktails // stirandstrain.comPort Dues

1-1/2 ounces aged rum, Haitian 8 year used here
1/2 ounce tawny port
1/2 ounce Kerrygold Irish Cream
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 ounce fernet
1 dash Angostura bitters
Garnish: mint and brandied cherries

In a shaker filled 2/3 with ice, combine rum, port, Kerrygold Irish Cream, lemon juice, fernet, and bitters. Shake 20 seconds and strain over a rocks glass filled with fresh crushed ice. Garnish with mint and brandied cherries.

Holiday Gift Guide: Christmas in Hawaii

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Mele Kalikimaka! Get your surf board and a Mai Tai, we’re going gifting!

Holiday Gift Guide: Christmas Hawaii 2018 // stirandstrain.com

Cocktail gifts as bright and colorful as a Hawaiian sunset. And slushie machines. And light up fountains. For the person in your life who likes a side of tropical flair with their drinks, we’ve picked out a few of our favorites that would make great additions. Coconuts, pineapples, RUM, and more pineapples. I think all our bases are covered.

1. Mele Kalikimaka Sign 2. Slushie Machine 3. Copper Pineapple Bar Spoon 4. Leaf Glasses 5. Glass Straws 6. Banana Dolphin Pin 7. Coconut Mugs 8. Tiki Bitters 9. Glass Decanters in Yellow and Orange 10. Coconut Rum 11. Light Up Fountain 12. Pineapple Cocktail Shaker

 

Catch up on all the gift guides here!

Gift Guide: Father’s Day 2018

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Dad does not want a tie this year…unless that tie is covered with tiki drinks.

Gift Guide: Boozy Father's Day Gifts for 2018 // stirandstrain.com

What kind of boozy Dad do you have? I’m sure we’ll find a gift for him! Mail order of the month club Dad? Now with Rum! Athletic Dad? Beer bike! Swinger Dad? Sexy coasters! DIY Dad? Mix your own cocktail! Grilling Dad? Hot Dickel! Nerd Dad? Vader-Stein! Gourmet Dad? Beer chocolates! Getting Dad a bad gift is not an option this year.

1. Flaviar world of spirits members club 2. Whiskey Wood Engraving 3. Cocktail Crate Classic Old Fashioned Mixer 4. Darth Vader Stein 5. Sexy Legs Coasters 6. Tiki Cocktail Tie 7. Hot Dickel 8. Theo Beer Chocolates 9. Peroni Bike

Catch up on all the gift guides here!

The Tiki Mug Collection

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Stir and Strain's Tiki Mug Mondays Collection // stirandstrain.comIf you’ve been over to the Stir and Strain Instagram page lately (and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?!), you might have noticed a colorful trend starting to appear down the page: tiki mugs!

I’ve been a long time collector of tiki mugs but what good is having a collection if you never take them out to admire them, right? So I thought I’d get a little personal and share some favorites every Monday until I feel like I’ve shared enough.

So, if you’re a lover of tiki mugs, soon-to-be lover of tiki mugs, or just get a voyeuristic kick out of looking at other people’s stuff (all you Hoarders show fans…I’m looking at you), then click on over to our Instagram, give us a follow, and oogle along with us every Monday.

And hey! It’s not just my mugs. I’m encouraging Stir and Strain fans to show off your mugs too by including the hashtag #sstikimugmondays on your posts so everyone gets a look!

Gift Guide: Father’s Day 2016

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All Dad wants to do is drink good booze, read about some booze, and he doesn’t want rose gold barware. And maybe a steak. Actually, yes, grill him a steak too.

Father's Day Gift Guide 2016 // stirandstrain.com

Want to surprise Dad with something new? Well, how about the best American Brandy sampler you need in your liquor cabinet right now? And don’t try and slip in some chintzy jigger you scored at the airport on the way to see him. Cocktail Kingdom now has gunmetal black bar tools: the manliest of the manly. Oh but he’s that manly? Well, just get him an Opinel knife. You can zest, cut, and I don’t know what else with this knife…cut down a tree to make a barrel? Books? Yes, Dad wants books. About booze.

1. Whiskey: A Spirited Story with 75 Classic and Original Cocktails 2. Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki 3. Leopold Jigger 4. Koriko Hawthorne Strainer 5. Japanese Style Jigger 6. Opinel Blue Knife 7. Copper & Kings American Brandy Sampler 3 Pack: American Craft Brandy, Butchertown Brandy, and Un-Aged Apple Brandy

Tropical Rum Peach Frozen Blended Cocktail frozen peach cocktails part two

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Frozen Peach, Rum, Coconut Blended Cocktail // stirandstrain.comSee? I told you more ways were coming to use up all of your last summer peaches!

So this weekend would mark the last weekend before Fall official starts and while that’s laughable here in Southern California, what with our week of 100° temps, I do want to start transitioning into Fall flavors. But first, we’ll leave summer with a tropical BANG. A bang with rum and cinnamon and coconut and more peaches.Frozen Peach, Rum, Coconut Blended Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

And more rum, because we’re calling it tropical.

You know guys, if we’re all thinking ahead. Maybe we should just freeze a bunch of peach slices, and then in a few months when we’re complaining about the cold, we can turn the heat up really high in the house and make a couple of these frozen peach cocktails? That sounds like a plan.

Frozen Peach, Rum, Coconut Blended Cocktail // stirandstrain.comAnd while we’re on the subject of future endeavors, Stir and Strain will be taking a much, much needed vacation in October. A real one, unlike last year’s where I spent countless nights staying up scheduling out content and then still kept working through the break. I have to start convincing myself now that I don’t need to bring my laptop to go look at Fall foliage for two weeks.

But until then, we got a few more recipes and a couple extra special treats coming up! And now onto those cocktails…

Frozen Peach, Rum, Coconut Blended Cocktail // stirandstrain.comServes 4.
6 ounces white rum, such as Caña Brava
4 ounces coconut cream, such as Coco Lopez
2 ounces simple syrup
2-3 ripe peaches, pitted and cubed
8 dashes Angostura bitters
1 ounce dark rum, such as Blackwell, divided (optional)
Ground cinnamon and 4 cinnamon sticks, for garnish

  • Combine rum, coconut cream, simple syrup, and Angostura in a zipper-lock bag or resealable container. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
  • To serve, transfer the rum mixture to a blender and add 3 cups ice. Blend at high speed until well mixed and thick, about 45 seconds. Pour into 4 highball glasses and top each with 1/4 ounce dark rum (if desired), a dash of cinnamon, and a cinnamon stick.

The fresh, ripe fruit adds a ton of intense flavor in this creamy cocktail. The spice from the Angostura, the slightly sweet coconut and all that rum make for a fresh, tropical cocktail. For an extra boozy punch, float dark rum on top with a dash of cinnamon to enhance the aroma.

Looking for a more savory blended peach cocktail? Check out the Tequila-Suze frozen peach cocktail!

The Grog Log: Completed

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tongahut-groglog-completeThumb’s up!

So back in June I let you all in on a project I was completing at a local tiki bar, the Tonga Hut, where I was drinking my way through ALL of the drinks in the Jeff Berry book the Grog Log. Well guys, mission accomplished. I now feel like my tiki palate has expanded and if you’re in need of a go-to tiki drink, well, I can help you with that.

I wanted to compile all the Instagram photos I took of the drinks but it looks like after a few rounds I didn’t always tag them correctly, so here’s just a sampling of concoctions from the past year.tongahut-compilation

If you’re not local to the Los Angeles area but want to complete your own Tiki Cocktail training, you can score a copy of the Grog Log online through Amazon and start charting your boozy expedition today.

Now on to the next challenge!

{Now Closed} Giveaway // Summer (Cocktail) Reading

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Giveaway: Summer Cocktail Books! // stirandstrain.comIf you’ve been pondering what to read at the beach this summer, look no further! Today Stir and Strain in hosting a summer reading giveaway… of boozy books!

Whether you’d like to delve deeper into the mysteries of Vermouth, give yourself a weekend DIY project making shrubs, or chill out with a rum laden tropical treat on your own private island (a.k.a. your couch), these 3 titles will get the job done. Countryman press will be sending one lucky Stir and Strain reader copies of Shrubs: An Old-Fashioned Drink for Modern Times, Vermouth: The Revival of the Spirit that Created America’s Cocktail Culture, and Tiki Drinks: Tropical Cocktails for the Modern Bar. Here’s a little more on each book:

Shrubs: An Old-Fashioned Drink for Modern Times – A definitive introduction to the world of shrubs, from Martha Washington’s secret formula, to recipes utilizing the best of the farmer’s market.

Vermouth: The Revival of the Spirit that Created America’s Cocktail Culture – Vermouth has been an overlooked, under appreciated bar staple for over half a century, but distiller Adam Ford has set out to reclaim it, by telling its unique and fascinating story, and sharing vermouth-centric recipes that showcase some of the nuanced craft vermouths now on the market.

Tiki Drinks: Tropical Cocktails for the Modern Bar – A fun, colorful book packed with recipes for drinks, syrups, creative garnishes and more, all using fresh juices and syrups for balanced flavors.

Giveaway: Summer Cocktail Books! // stirandstrain.comI have been nose deep enjoying these books this past month and I think you all would love them too! Check out the options below to enter and get up to 7 entries to win. Giveaway ends at 11:59pm PST July 14th, 2015. Please see terms and conditions below (sorry, only open to U.S. and Canada residents). Good Luck!

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Stir and Strain X Grog Log

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tongahuts-photosWe take a break today from the regularly scheduled recipes and Booze News to update you all on what is about to be a few crazy weeks in the real life world of Stir and Strain. Some of you Instagram viewers may occasionally have seen some dimly lit Tiki drink photos over the past year tagged with #groglog on them and may have been scratching your head wondering what that all was about.

Well, my favorite Tiki bar in all the land, the Tonga Hut, has a not-so-secret club called the Loyal Order of the Drooling Bastard (which you can read about on the Tonga Hut website). In order to gain membership, one must drink every drink in the Grog Log over the course of one year (not all at once). Once you’ve completed the task, you get a plaque on the wall, and a fez, and a special coin that gets you a discount on drinks, and the undying admiration of all your peers.

Like many things in life, I’ve left a chunk of this until the last minute, and I have until August 13th to finish up the list. Follow along on this Tiki smorgasbord over at Instagram and, new to the dauntingly long list of social media applications I need to post on, Periscope (look for the links on Twitter, I have no idea how to link this up yet)!

So please, pull up a virtual barstool and join me for a few rounds of Tiki cocktails this summer.

Monday Booze News making a mountain out of beer, ceramics replace your wine glasses, and a drumstick Tiki glass

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Monday Booze News: sour beer and ceramic edition // stirandstrain.com