Every week the Mixoloseum hosts our favorite shindig – Thursday Drink Night – during which participants sit around in The Bar and submit original drink recipes based on the theme carefully chosen for the week, whether that be gin, whisk(e)y, fruit liqueurs, or any other thing that tickles our fancy. Our most recent TDN was our first ever with a sponsor: Leblon Cachaca. For such a momentous occasion, Gabriel from cocktailnerd.com and your faithful narrator both traveled to Las Vegas to participate in a whole new way: LIVE from the bar at Trader Vic’s.
While what would turn out to be our biggest online turnout ever worked from their home bars, Gabriel and I spent our time harassing Simonda, Ryan, and CJ behind the bar. We received some odd looks as we took up our positions at the end of the bar, placing our laptops on the bar, pulling out notepads and pens, and then scribbling and typing furiously. Simonda came over to find out what was going on and we explained what Mixoloseum, Thursday Drink Night, and our purpose were, and then handed her our first usable drink recipe from the Twitter feed: Rio Tiki.
Rio Tiki
Created by Nathan
2 oz Leblon Cachaca
1.5 oz Grapefruit Juice
1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
2 dashes Old-Fashioned bitters
The Rio Tiki was made and delivered in two glasses so that we could sample it. It was very good. We had it over ice, and both agreed that the drink would probably be better served up in a chilled cocktail glass. Shortly thereafter Simonda’s shift came to an end and Ryan and CJ were left at our mercy.
Again Gabriel and I explained why we were there and what we were doing. When we mentioned we were there to make drinks with Leblon, CJ seemed a bit surprised, commenting that he couldn’t think of anything you could make with it other than a caipirinha. This, we explained, was why we were there.
A few drinks from the chat room were made and Gabriel and I set about trying to create our first drink to submit to the group. We decided to start with something somewhat simple: a riff on the Singapore Sling. We discussed possible substitutions for the standard recipe and settled upon what would turn out to be our first step on a journey of failure.
Failure #1
2 oz Leblon Cachaca
.5 oz B&B
.25 oz Brandy
.25 oz Cherry Brandy
.5 oz Pineapple Juice
.5 oz Lime Juice
Dash of bittersShake with ice and strain into a tall glass with ice, add a splash of soda
At first taste, the drink seemed very good. The entry was fruity – but not overly sweet – and delicious. The Leblon was readily apparent and blended nicely with the other ingredients to create a pleasant experience on the palate until you swallowed it. Once swallowed, this drink immediately set to work lighting small fires in your throat and chest, leaving you with a sudden, shocked, and pained expression on you face. CJ, Gabe, and I all commented that the start of the drink makes you want to like it, but you just couldn’t. This drink was unlovable. Undaunted, we made some more substitutions and tried again.
Failure #2
2 oz Leblon Cachaca
.5 oz B&B
.25 oz Tuaca
.5 oz Pineapple Juice
.5 oz Lime Juice
Dash of bittersShake with ice and strain into a tall glass with ice, add a splash of soda.
A little less fruity, still pleasantly blended at the front, although the flavors seemed a tad abrupt. I preferred the entry on the first attempt. The result after swallowing was, sadly, the same. Like a trail of gasoline set alight, the liquor traveled down our gullets, destroying everything in its path. Clearly it was time for drastic measures.
Failure #3
2 oz Leblon Cachaca
.25 oz Absinthe
.25 oz Tuaca
.5 oz Pineapple Juice
.5 oz Lemon Juice
Dash of bittersShake with ice and strain into a tall glass with ice, add a splash of soda
OK, less drastic would have been better. Absinthe and cachaca was a bad idea…and totally mine. It’s amazing how far a quarter ounce of absinthe can go, completely overpowering the rest of the drink to the point that this one had to be literally sinked. There was no toughing it out.
Refusing to admit defeat, we made one more attempt.
South American Sling
Gabe & Matt2 oz Leblon Cachaca
.5 oz Benedictine (used B&B, it’s what they had)
.25 oz Cherry Brandy
.5 oz Pineapple Juice
.25 oz Lemon Juice
Dash of bittersShake with ice and strain into a tall glass with ice, add a splash of soda
Finally we had a drink that we could sip and swallow and not chase with a fire extinguisher. Gabe and I both liked the drink, and CJ and Ryan both expressed approval. As non-Mixoloseum people showed up at the bar to join in the fun, we let them try the sling and it was well-received all around.
Over the course of the next several hours, we tried more drinks from the online feed, and tried creating more of our own. Some worked, some were poured out after a single grimmace-inducing sip. Eventually, even CJ got in on the act. He came wandering in from the outdoor bar with a cup in-hand and asked us to try his creation.
CJ’s Surprise
CJ at Trader Vic’s2 oz Leblon Cachaca
.5 oz Tuaca
.25 oz Simple Syrup
.25 oz Lime Juice
Splash of Sprite
Squeeze of limeMix everything other than the Sprite into a shaker with ice, shake and strain into a tall glass with ice. Add Sprite and a squeeze of lime juice.
CJ’s drink was quite good. It was light and refreshing. The cachaca flavor came through very nicely without dominating the other flavors in the drink. I haven’t had a chance yet, but I’d love to try it with an added dash or two of bitters and possibly a substitution of ginger beer for the Sprite, but this recipe would be an excellent summer drink – especially in Las Vegas, where I hear that it can get a touch warm at times.
As the night got closer and closer to ending, we sat about with our guests and the bartenders and decided we needed to come up with one more drink. Gabe suggested we find a way to use a flavored vodka, a collection of which was sitting right next to the Leblon behind the bar. Gabe wanted to use cherry, but after some discussion, we settled on peach, and went to work creating a riff on the Long Island Iced Tea concept.
Sao Paulo Iced Tea
Gabe & Matt2 oz Leblon Cachaca
1 oz Absolute Peach Vodka
1 oz Gin
.5 oz Cointreau
.5 oz Lime Juice
.5 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Simple SyrupShake with ice and strain into a collins glass with ice. Top with soda
This drink was probably my favorite of the evening. Once again it was light and refreshing, and the peach flavor from the vodka actually blended very nicely with the fruity notes of the Leblon without overpowering them. This drink and the CJ’s Surprise were the two favorites of our new friends at the bar, and several more were ordered as we wrapped things up for the evening.
At the end of the night, Gabe and I settled the tab (a huge thank you to Leblon for sponsoring said tab) and thanked CJ and Ryan for all their help. Something special had happened. Two bartenders that weren’t excited at all about a product that’s been sitting on their shelves were suddenly energized. Both commented that they were going to try out a few more ideas and were eager to get their hands on the recipes we had generated both at the bar and online that night. They were excited about making drinks with a spirit in their arsenal.
That, of course, is what Thursday Drink Night is all about.
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Matt Robold is a rum connoisseur and writer for RumDood.com.
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Excellent, excellent post. Wish I was there. We have to figure out how to get you guys out to Kentucky on a bourbon sponsored tour. You could host from my local watering hole, The Horse and Barrel, named one of the top whiskey bars in the world by Whiskey Magazine.
And yes, you CAN make a Tiki drink with bourbon – I’ve done it.
Keep up the good work.
Hey Neil, it was a lot of fun. It would be great to get out to Kentucky and spend some time. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, be sure to join us virtually for Thursday Drink Nights at the bar and mix up drinks. Heck, you can do exactly what we did at Vic’s at the Horse & Barrel!
Thanks Neil! Glad you enjoyed the post and, frankly, living as close as I do, a trip out to Kentucky for a day of horses and booze would be most welcome.
I may start investigating that for this coming Spring, say, right now.
Always glad (and proud) to play host in Bourbon Country, especially while the races are going on. Feel free to email me if you’d like for info on the distilleries, race schedules, etc.