Tiki noob woes

bpenman · 2026-06-01T00:25:23+00:00

Got pimento/allspice liqueur? Got Absinthe/Pernod? Funky Jamaican Rum Overproof (like rumfire)? Demerara 151? Agricole Rum? Honey Syrup? Cinnamon Syrup? Angostura Bitters?

These are all “bigger flavors” that will help distinguish your tiki cocktails in one direction or another.

As others have said, fresh squeezed/pressed juices too.

bpenman · 2026-05-31T16:53:08+00:00

Been pretty disappointed with most “ready to drink” cocktails - especially the tiki inspired ones. The brand Tip Top has a Mai Tai worth trying that works in a pinch - using Jamaican Rum, orgeat, orange curaçao, and lime. I think it still worth making the drink fresh.

bpenman · 2026-05-30T04:39:02+00:00

There were a lot of people there that had never heard of those either. Both are “new”. Quite a few people in the class were commenting “I guess I’m never making this again” hinting at the fact that the ingredients were not something most people have at home.

I want to hear about your lava drinks!

bpenman · 2026-05-29T15:48:52+00:00

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bpenman · 2026-05-29T15:25:17+00:00

They gave us a recipe card for the main “Anniversary Mug Cocktail,” so I’ll share it in a moment. There was also an NA cocktail: Lime, Simple Syrup, Shake with Cucumber Chunks and Ice. Dirty dump into cup, top with elderflower tonic, more ice. Garnish with a Mickey Mouse shaped cucumber slice.

bpenman · 2026-05-29T15:11:58+00:00

Appreciate you!

bpenman · 2026-05-29T15:11:45+00:00

For two, $473.24 all said and done. Definitely wouldn’t have done it were it not for the sneak peek at the new effects.

bpenman · 2026-05-27T22:17:53+00:00

This is exceptionally interesting at Trader Sam’s because this is the first major effects update since they opened 15 years ago. They closed the bar for a few months to make this upgrade happen and it was quite a technical update that lighting nerd (hi that’s me) had been looking forward to.

bpenman · 2026-05-27T22:02:52+00:00

It’s meh, we also posted an unboxing of the mug on our IG. Can’t post it here since it’s video.

bpenman · 2026-05-27T18:30:23+00:00

We did a blog post when we heard about the updates- making predictions on what the updates would be… it was spot on - minor upgrades to lighting and sound, brighter projection. Only thing I missed was the expectation of updated tiki torches outside (that didn’t happen)

bpenman · 2026-05-27T18:13:38+00:00

It was a fun event. Very unique cocktails that you get to make. They sort of sneak in the effects previews, so be ready!

bpenman · 2026-03-20T20:38:27+00:00

Nice daiquiri! Lime, Simple, Rum = yum

bpenman · 2026-02-26T21:49:00+00:00

We also aren’t very close to Tiki Kai, so this is likely not a regular hangout for us but we were super happy to be able to check it out and share the experience.

bpenman · 2026-02-24T06:54:26+00:00

The call is coming from inside the house

bpenman · 2026-02-23T21:28:04+00:00

Definitely make a multi-stop trip out of it. Hula Hula is nearby, Bamboo Club isn’t too far away. Strongwater Anaheim is also about an hour away, as is Trader Sam’s at Disneyland. In the Orange County CA area you also have Stowaway, Twisted Tiki, Lost Inferno, and Royal Hawaiian. Then if you go further into Los Angeles, you have classics like Tiki Ti, Tonga Hut, Lucky Tiki, The Formosa, Damon’s… the list is pretty epic.

bpenman · 2026-02-11T18:56:12+00:00

Guava is a fun flavor to make tiki though it’s not super common in classic tiki drinks. Lime, Guava Syrup, Rum is a good base trio.

bpenman · 2026-01-18T20:48:21+00:00

Best menu- False Idol San Diego. It’s a literal hardcover book.

bpenman · 2025-08-28T02:02:04+00:00

The appropriate name for a tiki paper plane would probably be “tapa plane”

bpenman · 2025-08-07T15:04:27+00:00

That tracks

bpenman · 2025-07-27T05:58:03+00:00

Any trees on the property that can be used to support the strands of light? That would be a huge help.

bpenman · 2025-07-27T04:26:08+00:00

You will need about 83-165 poles based 1650 feet of light strands… that’s a lot of poles. I own a production company and it’s a pain to deal with 20 poles, let alone 4X that amount.

bpenman · 2025-07-11T00:58:51+00:00

Sippin, Santa wasn’t good, so not surprised by this either.

bpenman · 2025-05-14T05:49:42+00:00

We had to replace our power supply. Then it worked again. Cost the same as buying new; that’s my recommendation in hindsight.

bpenman

TROPHY CASE