I am a lurker. And according to my stats, 90% of you are too. How do you know if you’re a lurker? Let us imagine together … You are sitting at your computer sipping a tasty concoction, one of your standbys, and going through your list of bookmarked cocktail blogs. You scan headlines looking for […]

After enjoying the Coronado Luau Special for the first time at Forbidden Island, I knew I must add it to my overwhelming collection of tiki drinks that make up the summer schedule. I rushed home and eagerly flipped through the citrus-stained and rum-marked pages of Berry’s books for the recipe … I must pause to […]

Nearing our destination, nestled deep within residential Alameda, Adam looked into the rear-view mirror. There was a glint in his eyes, not too unlike the shimmer of flaming rum-soaked croutons. He cracked a smile, clearly knowing the answer to the question he was about to ask. “Can you feel it?” I could. The tingle in […]

Winter’s icy scepter has finally made its killing stroke. The wind chill brought the temperature down to -18F today. Is it wrong that all I can think about is if I can get my ice down to that temperature so I can crush it for tiki drinks? Truth be told, the tiki gods have entered […]

Passion Fruit Nectar In the passion fruit category we sampled Ceres and Looza. The vote was fairly split, with some lab rats preferring the sour bite of the Ceres, and others the more boldly flavorful Looza. Looza, a Beligan import, is only 25% juice but really had a good flavor here. Papaya Nectar Last came […]

Before we close out Kaiserpenguin.com’s summer tiki extravaganza, I’d like to share the results of a nectar tasting I conducted in response to discussion on the Tropical Itch post. I shopped several local supermarkets for just about every brand of nectar I could get my hands on, including Kern’s, Looza, and Ceres, brands mentioned in […]

According to Dr. Cocktail there is a bit of controversy over who exactly created the Fog Cutter. Tony Ramos remembers it from Edna Fogcutter’s, where it was the signature drink, but everyone else I’ve come across gives the credit to Trader Vic. You’ll see both of their recipes among many others compared below. This recipe […]

I haven’t discussed, let alone imbibed, nearly anything this summer that didn’t contain copious amounts of rum. Tiki culture, and its cocktails specifically, have seduced me to the point of no return. Saying that, I have no intention of turning Kaiser Penguin into a tiki-only blog, as I’m sure the first brisk winds of Autumn […]

You may be asking yourself a couple of questions about this picture, such as: Why is there a huge stargazer lily presiding like an ominous alien over the drink? Even though this tiki drink is the same color as nearly every other tiki drink, does it contain a secret ingredient? Is that a wooden back-scratcher? […]

China Clipper 1oz lemon juice 1oz five spice syrup 2oz aged amber rum (Cruzan Estate Dark, Appleton Estates V/X, Brugal Anejo, Lemon Hart 80 pf, or Pyrat XO) Lemon twist, for garnish Shake with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish. Source: Forbidden Island Five Spice Syrup Combine 1 rounded teaspoon of five […]