Back in the days of Trader Vic and Beach Bum Jerry, Tiki drinks where made with care using fresh ingredients and a assortment of quality rums. Somewhere along the way things deteriorated, along with cocktails in general, where quality and fresh where no longer important. Horrible artificial mixes and cheap spirits where substituted and we entered a dark time for mixed drinks. Thankfully all that has started to change and we are slowly seeing bars using fresh juices and quality ingredients in their cocktails. This has also resulted in a resurgence of Tiki Bars and Drinks. Bars like Trailer Happiness and Mahiki in London have helped put the Tiki drink back on the map. Martin Cate a Tiki Master has helped put the Tiki Drink back on the radar here in the US. He has a wonderful bar called Forbidden Island here in Alameda.
On a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon a few weeks back, I decided that it
was a perfect day for some Mai Tai's and various other Rum drinks and
made the pilgrimage to Forbidden Island. Martin is a scholar of this
style of cocktail and does a fantastic job of making some very serious
and delicious rum cocktails. I had to try a Mai Tai and we shared a
Scorpion Bowl just to get started. All the drinks have fresh juices and
are wonderfully balanced with a top quality assortment of Rums from
around the world. The Tiki drink is a balance of sweet and acid but
more importantly of textures and complexities. Then to round it all off,
they are also just a hell of a lot of fun to drink. Forbidden Island is
a brilliant place to get a rum education and sample all the best rums
on the market. This is one place that we left happier than when we came
in and the world seemed a better place afterwards. Cheers to Martin and
Forbidden Island for bringing back the Tiki!! - Jacques
My friend told me that I talk too much to the bartender (males and females. I'm a friendly gal what can I say) and that they don't really want to talk to the customers. I took offense and now refuse to go drinking with him. I think he's an angry white male and is insecure. What do you say? Do bartenders just want to be left alone?
Posted by: Di | February 10, 2009 at 07:28 PM
Your question is a great one and something we talk about often. Unfortunately, the simplest answer to you question is, "It depends." We have written a few articles about what it means to be a good bartender.
On Feb 7, 2009, "Why (and How) I Drink". On June 23, 2008, "Bartending from An Old School Bartender". On March 4, 2008, "Bartender" vs. "Drink Maker": Where Does Mixology Belong?".
It is our philosophy that a bartender is not simply a person who pours you a drink. A good bartender is suppose to create an experience for their customers, whether it's using the freshest ingredients, premium spirits, building the cocktail correctly or most importantly, educating our patrons on spirits, wine and cocktails. Bartending is a craft and something we at TALKDRINKS are very passionate about. In fact in the old days, to be a "bartender" you had to be an apprentice for several years before you were allowed to step behind the bar alone. So a good bartender should be willing to talk and engage with their customer so that he/she walks away having gained something.
Posted by: TALKDRINKS | February 11, 2009 at 11:09 AM