Trader Vics for Tiki Tuesday!

Got off work, leapt out the door, lost my umbrella to the wind. Great.

Didn't need it, but it's cold outside.

I head to Trader Vic's with this on my mind.

Trader Vic's is a tiki lounge/restaurant specializing in Polyniesian cusine and swank cocktails. The last time I was here with my folks we share some mediocre food and a pretty sweet volcano cocktail. I had a blast. This time it was drinks only, as I arrived after the main kitchen had shut down.

Ran into my crew, did the hellos. Refrained from throwing out a "Who wants to party with the Drink-Bot?!" and sat down. Sipped a few cocktails that were already out. Some were sweet little things, o

ne was a little rough around the edges, but both tasted just a little on the weak side. This worried me. Not that I wanted to get plastered but I guess that hanging out with pirates will get

you used to cocktails with nards.

Here's what I got:

Navy Grog

• 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
• 1/2 oz Gold Rum
• 1/2 oz Dark Rum
• 1/2 oz Light Rum
• 1 oz Grapefruit Juice
• 1 oz Orange Juice
• 1 oz Pineappe Juice

1. Dump the liquor into a Collins glass with ice.
2. Pour the juice on top and give it a shake.
3. Add a pineapple slice

The Navy Grog was good. I expected rums (orignally, Grog was watered down rum given to sailors on board British navy vessels. It was watered down to make it last longer.), and I expected maybe a little lemonade or something citrussy. It came down good and fruity, the rum was right on top of the palate and it was tasty. And easy sipper. I threw it back in minutes.

Pimm's Cup

• 2 oz Pimm's Cup No. 1
• 3 oz Lemonade
• Twist of Lemon to garnish
• Cucumber slice too!

1. Pimm's over ice.
2. Lemonade
3. Garnish

Pimm's Cup was...pink. Very red in color, I wasn't really expecting that. And for those of you who don't know, here's what Wikipedia has to say about Pimm's Cup:

Pimm's is a brand of alcoholic beverages now owned by Diageo. Its most popular product is Pimm's No. 1 Cup, a gin-based beverage that can be served both on ice or in cocktails. It has a dark tea colour with a reddish tint, and tastes subtly of spice and citrus fruit. It is often taken with lemonade, as well as various fruits including apples, oranges and lemons.

So that's that.

It tasted weak...like something wasn't there enough. Watery, that's a good approximation. I couldn't taste any liquor in it. To me, the taste of a liquor is in that subtle (or not so subtle) bite it gives you. Teases with a flavor, kicks you with a fuel. This Pimm's Cup didn't have that at all. Nevertheless, I let it slide by. By the time I was done drinking I was twenty bucks in the hole, and only just THEN beginning to feel the pull of a tipsy-ness. I left my friends with jovial goodbyes and hit the road.

All in all, I am going to say I enjyoed the cocktails. I did. But I want to try making them myself, or get them in a different venue. I could make them cheaper, and probably with a little more flavor. I want to go back for their food again though, and give it a spin. I dug the vibe, and the waitress was awesome about our large party. The drinks though: girly by definition, girly in strength, manly in potential. We'll see what I can do...

*rubs hand together*