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Lost cocktails of the Bali Hai, San Diego |
arriano
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Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1212
From: Dog Patch - San Diego
|  Posted: 2013-01-31 10:16 am Permalink
Awhile back I came across two cocktail menus for San Diego’s Bali Hai Restaurant online that I believe are from the 1950s. I was intrigued by the fact that they included some cocktails no longer on the restaurant’s menu. Although no recipes are listed on any of the menus, they do usually list most of the ingredients. And from those descriptions one can usually deduce recipes that are probably fairly close.
Of the 13 cocktails listed on the first menu, nine are still being served at Bali Hai. However, of those, it seems only the Singapore Sling has remained relatively unchanged. The current Bali Hai cocktail menu lists 21 tropical cocktails, plus five “Coladas or Daiquiris.”
So I thought I'd try my hand at recreating some of these older cocktails. Here are the two early menus I speak of:
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[ This Message was edited by: arriano 2013-05-03 15:00 ]
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arriano
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Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1212
From: Dog Patch - San Diego
| Posted: 2013-01-31 10:31 am Permalink
I started my project with the cocktail that has intrigued me the most. The Shelter Island’s Whaler’s Punch is a cocktail that appears on older Bali Hai menus, but is no longer served. And that intrigues me because it means I can resurrect a lost cocktail. But in doing so there had to be some guess work. The menus list the ingredients as Jamaican rum, cognac, cherry brandy and California fruits. California fruits? OK, one is bound to be orange juice. But since the description is “fruits” I presume there has to be at least one more. Glancing through the ingredients of all the cocktails on the menus that include this cocktail, four juices are listed in total: orange, lime, cherry and pineapple. Pineapple would never be considered a “California” fruit. Oranges, cherries and limes are all grown in California, but since cherry brandy is one of the ingredients, would you also include cherry juice? Seems unnecessary. Therefore, I think there were probably two juices and they were orange and lime.
With that out of the way, here’s the cocktail I came up with:
SHELTER ISLAND'S WHALER'S PUNCH
1 oz Jamaican Dark Rum
½ oz Cognac
½ oz Cherry Brandy
2 oz Orange Juice
¾ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Simple Syrup
Shake ingredients with crushed ice and pour into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry speared to an orange slice.
I did not have Cognac, so I used regular brandy. I used Appleton for the rum. I thought this was a really good, tasty drink. Very well balanced. So far so good.
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[ This Message was edited by: arriano 2013-06-03 11:08 ]
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nui 'umi 'umi
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Joined: Feb 21, 2011
Posts: 838
From: La Mirada Atoll
| Posted: 2013-01-31 12:39 pm Permalink
Quote:
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[i]On 2013-01-31 10:31, arriano wrote
With that out of the way, here’s the cocktail I came up with:
1 oz Jamaican Dark Rum
½ oz Cognac
½ oz Cherry Brandy
2 oz Orange Juice
¾ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Simple Syrup
Ari, That was delicious, although I omitted the simple syrup. Can't wait for the next one.
Just so you know I'm not looking for a free ride, I'm ' fiddlin with the ingredients for their "Cup of GOLD"
My wife and I were at Humphreys last week end and we made several forays to the B H's bar. Olivia is our favorite bartender there and I polished off a couple Mai Tai's made by her then we killed a bottle of champagne back at Humphrey's.
Next day at lunch I backed off a little and had the barkeep make us a Hurricane and a Cup of Gold. My wife liked the C o G better so I finished the Hurricane (too sweet) and ordered a C O G as I thought it quite tasty. Fishing for proportions,I asked the bartender How much rum was in this drink. He said 1 and 1/2 0z. I had him make me one with just 1 oz. Almost a Pina Colada with a little Orange Julius thrown in. I Liked it.
Cheers
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[ This Message was edited by: arriano 2013-01-31 10:37 ]
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arriano
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1212
From: Dog Patch - San Diego
| Posted: 2013-01-31 1:57 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2013-01-31 12:39, nui 'umi 'umi wrote:
Ari, That was delicious, although I omitted the simple syrup. Can't wait for the next one.
Just so you know I'm not looking for a free ride, I'm ' fiddlin with the ingredients for their "Cup of GOLD"
My wife and I were at Humphreys last week end and we made several forays to the B H's bar. Olivia is our favorite bartender there and I polished off a couple Mai Tai's made by her then we killed a bottle of champagne back at Humphrey's.
Next day at lunch I backed off a little and had the barkeep make us a Hurricane and a Cup of Gold. My wife liked the C o G better so I finished the Hurricane (too sweet) and ordered a C O G as I thought it quite tasty. Fishing for proportions,I asked the bartender How much rum was in this drink. He said 1 and 1/2 0z. I had him make me one with just 1 oz. Almost a Pina Colada with a little Orange Julius thrown in. I Liked it.
Cheers
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Yeah, it's interesting. I think the Cup of Gold (or Cup o' Gold as it was once called) may have actually been a pina colada originally as the listing of orange juice is a recent addition.
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arriano
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Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1212
From: Dog Patch - San Diego
| Posted: 2013-03-01 09:50 am Permalink
The Blue Gardenia that once appeared on older Bali Hai menus is now known as the Blue Mystique. Along the way, the cocktail has changed a bit. But first some history:
“The Blue Gardenia” was a 1953 film noir directed by Fritz Lang. In the film, a woman gets drunk on a few Polynesian Pearl Diver cocktails at a Polynesian themed restaurant and goes home with a man she meets at the bar. They get into a scuffle and the next day the man is found dead and the woman fears she may have killed him. The film’s title theme song was sung by Nat King Cole. A film about a woman getting drunk, going home with a strange man, and possibly killing him seems like an odd choice to name your cocktail after. But perhaps the perceived danger was appealing.
The Blue Gardenia, like the Blue Mystique, was a cocktail for two. Originally the drink called for Rhum Negrita from Martinique, lime juice, blue Curacao and brandy, and was garnished with a gardenia blossom.
I don’t know when the cocktail name was changed to Blue Mystique, or if the ingredients to the cocktail changed at the same time as the name or if the changes have been ongoing. Either way, the Blue Mystique is made with Ron Rico light rum from Puerto Rico, blue Curacao, Sweet n Sour, and brandy. Sadly, it’s not garnished with a blue mystique orchid, but a pineapple wedge and cocktail cherry.
To make a Blue Gardenia, I came up with the following recipe:
BLUE GARDENIA
4 oz Martinique Rum (I used St. James)
1 oz Blue Curacao (I used Bols)
2 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Brandy (I used Christian Brothers)
1½ oz Simple Syrup
Blend with ice for five seconds on high, and pour into a small bowl. Obviously, the garnish should be a gardenia blossom. But I don’t have access to a gardenia bush, so I subbed another flower.
[ This Message was edited by: arriano 2013-06-03 11:09 ]
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arriano
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1212
From: Dog Patch - San Diego
| Posted: 2013-05-03 09:09 am Permalink
Continuing my occasional series (which probably only I care about), this installment is about the Aloha Kiss. The Bali Hai still serves an Aloha Kiss cocktail, but descriptions from past and current menus show that it has changed a at least a little. In early cocktail menus, the Aloha’s ingredients are listed as “Guava, Cranberry, Orange and Lemon Juices, Rhum (sic) and Rock & Rye.” The current menu lists the cocktails' ingredients only as “Ron Rico Light Rum & a Blend of Fruit Juices.” I don’t know if the “blend of fruit juices” is the same as the old version or not, but there's no mention of Rock & Rye.
This cocktail intrigued me as I’d never had Rock & Rye. Although not as common as it used to be, you can still buy it commercially. But after scouring the Internet I discovered that it’s not difficult to make yourself. So that’s what I did by combining rye whiskey with pineapple chunks, lemon slices and horehound candies, letting sit for a few days, and then straining. With that and all the rest of the ingredients at hand, last night I attempted to replicate the old version of the Aloha Kiss. Here’s my recipe:
ALOHA KISS
1½ oz Light Rum (Cruzan)
1 oz Rock & Rye (homemade using Jim Beam Rye as base)
2 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Lemon Juice
½ oz Guava Juice
½ oz Cranberry Juice
¼ oz Simple Syrup
As always with these recreations, I had to guess at the measurements, and I’ve no idea if they are even close to the original. But this turned out to be a very nice cocktail, with none of the juices overpowering the others. What surprised me was how the rye cut through all the flavors and held its own. Note: Traditionally this should have been garnished with an orchid – I didn’t have an orchid.
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[ This Message was edited by: arriano 2013-06-03 11:10 ]
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Hurricane Hayward
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Jun 07, 2008
Posts: 489
From: 16 miles from The Mai-Kai
| Posted: 2013-05-03 11:20 am Permalink
Nice work arriano. As I know first-hand, cocktail archeology can be a lonely and sometimes under-appreciated endeavor. But it's sure tasty work.
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Hale Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 19, 2004
Posts: 1798
From: Pittsburgh
| Posted: 2013-05-03 1:28 pm Permalink
Thoroughly appreciated by this guy right here!
Also, can you re-up the original images? They're down 
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arriano
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1212
From: Dog Patch - San Diego
| Posted: 2013-05-03 3:02 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2013-05-03 13:28, Hale Tiki wrote:
Thoroughly appreciated by this guy right here!
Also, can you re-up the original images? They're down
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Strange. I wonder why. Menus are reinstalled. I'll have to dig around to see if I can find the missing photos of the cocktails.
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"I am Lono!" -- Hale Ka'a Tiki Lounge
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arriano
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Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1212
From: Dog Patch - San Diego
| Posted: 2013-05-03 3:15 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2013-05-03 11:20, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Nice work arriano. As I know first-hand, cocktail archeology can be a lonely and sometimes under-appreciated endeavor. But it's sure tasty work.
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Thanks! It was your blog that inspired me to explore Bali Hai's lost cocktails int he first place. Mahalo!
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Lukeulele
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 04, 2006
Posts: 372
From: So Cal-holic
| Posted: 2013-05-03 3:36 pm Permalink
Yes, keep 'em coming! Thanks.
In the mean time, check out the restaurant scene from Blue Gardenia. Watching Nat King Cole perform is worth the price of admission alone, but throw in Anne Baxter... Ohh la la!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=UtFoj_JinTk&feature=fvwp
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littlegiles
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 08, 2003
Posts: 485
From: Lancaster, SC
| Posted: 2013-05-03 7:57 pm Permalink
I'm enjoying your explorations. Keep them coming.
Dale
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hiltiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 2960
From: Reseda, calif.
| Posted: 2013-05-03 9:37 pm Permalink
I just stumbled upon this recipe while I was looking for something else.
Rock and Rye recipe
from Saveur Magazine
Makes one litter.
1 liter rye whiskey
8 oz. rock candy
4 oz Luxardo cherry syrup
12 whole cloves
3 whole star anise
3 sticks cinnamon
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir ingredients together in a 4-qt. glass jar with a lid. Let steep at room temperature for 2 days or up to a month.
[ This Message was edited by: hiltiki 2013-05-03 21:39 ]
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Wayfarer
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 03, 2009
Posts: 300
From: Italy, but not by choice
| Posted: 2013-05-03 9:47 pm Permalink
If I can find cherry brandy on this island I will make the Whaler's Punch
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Hale Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 19, 2004
Posts: 1798
From: Pittsburgh
| Posted: 2013-05-04 09:15 am Permalink
What an awesome scene. There's some bad acting, and double entendres in there.
CAN I GET HIGH ON ONE OF THESE?
DO YOU WANT TO?
I DON'T KNOW.
Brilliant!
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