Every year the Libbey of Europe team with Kevin Vollebregt and Sofia Pereira launches a Tiki cocktail challenge on their Facebook group page, This is just one challenge among many others with other styles of cocktails. This year`s tiki theme was Halloween, or Mahaloween as it´s usually called in the tiki world (together with Alohaween and Tikiween) Last year`s challenge was to make a tiki drink in their new beautiful pineapple glass, and it was won by Oriol Elias. The challenge this year was to create a tiki cocktail (or tiki inspired cocktail) that had fall and winter flavors, and that could scare or awe the jury. Just like last year Daniele Dalla Pola was judging all cocktails together with the help of Elis Carriero from the Nu Lounge bar in Bologna.
The 50 participants were able to choose one glass each out of 3 new tiki glasses that was launched by Libbey this year. Two beautiful stemware glasses and a Tiki split glass with two personalities. I`m gonna present the five winning cocktails here on the blog starting with my own which I present here below.
I really like all the Libbey tiki glasses so it was a bit difficult to choose, but I picked one of the stem glasses (the Tiki Mai Tai) for my drink, because I got the idea of using McGrider`s new mini tiki torches… which actually was the inspiration for my drink, but unf and not surprisingly they were sold out. So instead I made two flaming sticks from bamboo and croutons. I wanted the scene for my drink to be omnious, dark and foreboding… and some kind of “ancient” and dusty with a slightly creepy drink. Then I happened to pass by our grocery store and in it were those little skulls… and that was it, now I had my cocktail idea clear!
Inspiration story: In the dark night of Mahaloween… the tiki skull needs a sacrifice – a sacrifice of blood… to appease the bad forces because they are angry. Flaming torches and blood in a glass… let the skull enter and drink himself content. The peace will remain, maybe, for another year.
Blood Sacrifice
15 ml Fresh Red Beet Juice
7.5 ml Apple Juice
7.5 ml Passionfruit Juice
6-10 Fresh Ginger Slices (to muddle)
15 ml Re`al Ginger Syrup
30 ml Fresh Lime Juice
7.5 ml Alamea Spiced Rum
7.5 ml World`s End Tiki Spiced Rum
15 ml Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal
30 ml Plantation OFTD
Muddle ginger slices in shaker with some of the lime juice. The ginger should be as fresh as possible so it’s juicy. Add enough to add a clear bite but not to overpower in flavor, but the drink should be sharp. Add the rest of ingredients and shake, strain into a chilled Libbey tiki glass, lined with a tropical leaf inside.
Add one large square shaped ice cube. Garnish with a skull and 2 flaming mini tiki torches.
*Flaming mini torches – secure 2 croutons on top of thin, short, bamboo sticks. Soak the croutons in lemon extract or overproof rum and set alight.
Or you buy the best mini torches from McGrider! but you need to be really really quick….because they are so popular they sell out as soon as he put them up on his Etsy page! NOW after the contest is done…I have finally been able to snag a few of his torches! so expect to see them later on this blog and also in upcoming books!
That was my entry and I had a lot of fun with it! but there were some really amazing cocktails in this challenge and I feel honored to have my drink among the winners with these beautiful cocktails! but there were many more…. and you can see them all and get the recipes and also see the videos on the Libbey Glassology page.
Behold in awe… here are the other four winners:
Kahe`ikeanu (cocktail and photo Oriol Elias)
Ingredients (for about 500ml of cocktail):
4.5oz Plantation 3 Stars
4.5oz Trois Rivières Cuvée de l’Ocèan
3oz Rum-Bar White Overproof
3oz Lime Juice
1.5oz Grapefruit Juice
1.5oz Banana Real
1.5oz Cinnamon Syrup
9 dashes Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters
2oz Milk
18 Coffee Beans
Method:
1- Stir all the ingredients in a cup and let sit for 4 hours.
2- Strain with a cheesecloth to discard the curdle.
3- Strain another time with the cheesecloth in order to have a clear cocktail.
4- Bottle and keep in the fridge.
Service:
Serve chilled in the Libbey Tiki Coupe with an ice Shell.
Add some drops of grenadine to the ice Shell for a bloody effect.
Inspiration story: The ancient Hawaiians explains a legend about the winter. Each 300 years a never seen cold covers all the island of Moloka’i… an unsuspected sudden winter appears with snow and ice, on their tale the old men also explain that the winter brings the Kahe’ikeanu, a damned spirit who can take the shape of a human, he can acquire any face, and nobody can assure to have ever seen him…only blood stains remain in his path…he is considered invisible killer…nobody can survive him…mmm…you feel it? It’s cold outside…It seems that the Winter is coming…
Rusty Jungle (Cocktail by Davide David Mitacchione, photo Anna Ciupryk Photography )
– 30ml Bacardí anejo 4
– 20ml mezcal joven 100% agave espadin
– 10ml Alamea pimento rum liqueur
– 30ml fresh lime juice
– 10ml fresh yellow grapefruit
– 30ml tiki jungle mix*
*tiki jungle mix: 2 part of carob orgeat + 1 part of Re’al ginger syrup
Tecnique: shake all ingredients and strain into couple glass.
Inspiration story: We are in unknown jungle on an island, where we find only strange and unexpected roots and fruits. We create a magic potion, we don’t know if we will survive: just let’s try that!
White Walker ( Cocktail by Ásgeir Bergmann Pétursson, Photo credit Maja Jantar)
3cl J.Walker Red label
2cl Monkey Shoulders
2cl Port Charlotte,
3cl Falerum syrup*
1cl Pumpkin Spice*
3cl Lime Juice,
1 drop Rosewater
*Syrups are from commercially available company that rhymes with Samurai with out a master.
Shake vigorously and serve with the shaking ice
Inspiration story: As the wind howls, the cold and darkness set in. Further into the woods yet you wander, cursing your vow in every step. “My shift begins now bullshit” you think, knowing that you are deep behind the wall and there shall be no salvation for you. Yet, as both frost and terror freeze you in your steps, you are filled with amazement and wonder as your eyes feast up on magical sight before you. “This, this is how it happens?”. Before you the earth opens up and slowly but surely a new one emerges. It will be the death of you but neither your lips or feet are willing to leave it. From the earth a new “White Walker” has been born.
Jack’s Tipple (cocktail and photo by Timos Spanos)
60ml Shortbread Butter Gold Rum
35ml Sweet Vermouth
25ml Cinnamon & Raisin Triple Sec
2 dashes Elemakule Tiki Bitters
Rinse the glass with Fernet Branca
Method: Shaken
Garnish: Bone (doesn’t need to be from an actual human being)
Inspiration story: Jack’s Tipple is inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas, a film which takes place in Halloween Town. This creepy concoction combines Tiki features with a hint of Christmas, much like the film, and is made with Shortbread Butter Rum, Cinnamon and Raisin infused Triple Sec, Sweet Vermouth, Fernet Branca and Elemakule Tiki Bitters, served in a Libbey Tiki Mai Tai glass and garnished with a bone.
Much Aloha and big mahalo to the Libbey team and to Daniele Dalla Pola and Elis Carriero for creating this great opportunity for us to get creative and have fun! same time the next year I hope!