Post #712814 by Hurricane Hayward on Wed, Apr 2, 2014 12:37 AM

TikiTacky,

I hope you're enjoying the book. I've been meaning to recommend a few more favorites, and coincidentally they include the same ones that Jeff likes:

Colonial Grog (rating: 7 out of 10) - A stellar small sipper, spicy and sweet with bold flavors.

It turns out that this Don the Beachcomber classic is the drink that inspired Mariano Licudine to create The Mai-Kai's Samoan Grog, which is very similar in style and taste. It even once featured the same ice shell. Check out my full review of both drinks, plus my tribute recipe:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/03/22/mai-kai-cocktail-review-the-delicious-samoan-grog-wasnt-born-to-be-mild/

On my list, the Voodoo Grog ranks right up there with the Planter's Punch (rating: 8 out of 10). Spicy and creamy with lots of nuances of flavor. The sweet offsets the strong nicely.

The Tiki Bowl (rating: 7) is a classic Trader Vic's drink with familiar flavors (rum, OJ, lemon, orgeat), similar to the Scorpion but with cognac instead of brandy.

And the Tropical Itch by Joe Scialom (rating: 7) is rich and decadent with quite a punch from 5 ounces of alcohol. To me, it's superior to the Tropical Itch recipe by Harry Yee that was in Remixed and Intoxica, though the true inventor of the backscratcher-garnished concoction will probably remain a mystery.

Still many more to go, including two more Mai-Kai ancestor recipes, so I'll report back soon.