Latin Favorites - Sleazy Cover Artwork

Pedro Garcia - Cha Cha Cha
Miguel Lopez - Latin Favorites
Don Swan - All This And Cha Cha Too
Stanley Black - For Latin Lovers
Raoul Martinez - Cha Cha Cha

Lovely Hula Girl - It Turned Out That The Family Is Larger

Mai Tai Experience

Lately, we hear again and again that the fabulous Smith & Cross rum from Jamaica should be the perfect replacement for the original 17 year old J Wray & Nephew. That may well be, unfortunately I can not confirm, because it previously was not possible for me to drink this Mai Tai with that famous J Wray Nephew.

I have to believe the words of those who had the good fortune to taste this drink, and yet I would like to express my unimprotant opinion on the use of this rum.
I love this rum, it´s a fantastic, aromatic and heavy bodied rum. This sensational liqour will be part of countless cocktails, but honestly I´ve to say that I´ll drink my Mai Tai also in the future without the Smith & Cross rum.

Maybe I'm a philistine, but I prefer the Jamaica / Martinique mixture, even if my damn habits are to blame. I had so many perfect Mai Tai´s in the past and at this time I'm not ready to prefer the new variant. Sorry, I´m not convinced.

"Naif Agby - El Debke" Hell Ya, I Love This Cover

Perez Prado´s Exotic Suite And Others - Not Explicit Exotica, But Very Nice, Too.

Stan Kenton - Cuban FIre
Perez Prado - Exotic Suite
Rosemary Clooney & Perez Prado - A Touch Of Tabasco
Joe Cain - Latin Explosion
Port Of Suez - Exotic Music Of The Middle East
The Markko Polo Adventures - Orienta

Rum Service - Next Week

I will start next week with my rum lessons. I'll let you know which I prefer and how to use it best. Not any rum is good for any drink. Not any rum is good for any drinks, and some are better to drink pure.
What I can say now; my favorites are from Jamaica, Demerara, Venezuela and Guatemala.

Cha Cha On The Rocks - Cheers!

Plas Johnson - Blue Martini
Mr. Boston - Ten For Cocktails
Xavier Cugat - Cugi´s Cocktails
Jackie Gleason - Luzy Lively Love
The Art Van Damme Quintette - Cocktail Capers
Bob Thompson - On The Rocks
The John Buzon Trio - Cha Cha On The Rocks

Les Baxter -"Sacred Idol" And "The Soul Of The Drums"

Les Baxter - African Jazz
Les Baxter - Le Sacre Du Sauvage
Les Baxter - The Sacred Idol
Les Baxter - The Soul Of The Drums
Les Baxter - Tamboo!

Mir. Denny Himself

Martin Denny - The Birth Of Exotica

Martin Denny - Exotica
Martin Denny - Afro-Desia
Martin Denny - Forbidden Island
Martin Denny - Primitiva
Martin Denny - Hypnotique

The Mai Tai Disputation

First of all I want to say, this is no real disputation. The discoussion about the birth of the Mai Tai is boring. Today, anybody knows that Trader Vic is the father of this drink and this article shouldn't be a comparison, which one is better. It' s just an overview, of drinks wearing the name Mai Tai. Sorry, no red Mai Tai's and other funny creations.


Trader Vic´s Mai Tai

First of all, this is the original Mai Tai from Victor Jules Bergeron. A simple concoction, but it´s a drink for any time. No idea what to drink, take this one!
Originally a 17 year old Jay Wray & Nephew has been used, but soon this rum was not longer available. So, Trader vic recommended to use half Martinique and half Jamaican rum. I prefer a pre-mix of St. James Royal Ambre, St. James Imperial Blanc, Appleton VX, Appleton 12 and Appleton 21.

1 oz Martinique rum
1 oz Jamaica rum
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz orange curacao
1/4 oz orgeat syrup
1/4 oz simple syrup
2 cups crushed ice

Shake the rums, lime juice, orane ciracao, simple syrup and crushed ice in a cocktail shaker and pour into the glass without straining. Garnish with the squeezed lime half, mint sprig, and fruit stick.

I prefer to use 1/3 oz Cointreau, 1/3 oz orgeat, 1/3 oz simple syrup and 1 oz lime juice.


Don The Beachcomber´s Mai Tai Swizzle

This one was invented in the thirties. Interesting, of course, but would it more successfull than Trader Vic´s? Mix it and compare.

1 1/2 oz Myers´s rum
1 oz Havana 3 y.o.
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz Falernum
2/3 oz Cointreau
2 dashes Angostura
1 dash Pernod
1 cup of cracked ice (size of a dime)

Shake for 1 minute on medium speed. serve in a double old-fashioned glass. garnish with four sprigs of mint. add a spear of pineapple. Sip slowly through mint sprigs until desired effect results.


Charles Schumann´s Mai Tai

Now a variation from German´s barkeeper icon in the eighties. Charles Schumann created this drink. It´s a very strong one and I would stay away from this Mai Tai, but it is very popular in Germany, possibly because you may expect the heaviest hangover at the shortest time.

2/3 oz overproof rum
2 oz dark rum
1 1/3 oz Rose´s lime juice
juice of one lime
dash orgeat
1/3 oz apricot brandy
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Shake with crushed ice and pour in a double old-fashioned glass without straining. Garnish with a quarter lime and a mint sprig.


The Maui Mai Tai

This drink is served in any bar at Maui as a Mai Tai. No question, this concoction has nothin´ in common with the Mai Tai we know in the rest of the world. It´s a delicious cocktail, but they use fresh pineapple juice and as you know pineapple´s are cheap on the islands.

1 1/3 oz Jamaican silver rum
1/2 oz Jamaican dark rum
1 1/3 oz fresh pineapple juice
3 barspoons Cointreau
3 barspoons orgeat syrup

Put all ingredients beside the dark rum in a double old-fashioned glass, add ice cubes and stirr. Float with dark rum.


Surf Room Mai Tai

This is a nice and fruity one. Perfectly balanced between sweet and sour. Blend with crushed ice and serve in a Tiki mug.

1/2 oz Appleton VX
1/2 oz Demerara rum
1/2 oz Havana 3 y.o.
1/3 oz curacao
1/2 oz pinapple juice
1/2 oz orange juice
1/2 oz lime
1/3 oz lemon
1/3 oz orgeat
1/3 oz simple syrup

Mix all ingredients in an electric blender with one cup of crushed ice. Pour all without straining in a Tiki-mug. Garnish with with a sprig of mint and a slice of lime.

Vintage Surf Stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPGK9qevOH8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--8WQ6Wyz3g&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwvYNW07q0A&feature=share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO9OA3dqUew&feature=related

What´s Growing On

The lady at my arm felt lonely, so I gave her company. And once again big thanks to the maestro of tattooing - Olli Niehoff!

Back In The Days (2009)

This was the greatest Luau we ever had here in Nuremberg, Germany.

Looks Kind Of Similar?!

Yma Sumac - The Inca Princess

Yma Sumac, the Queen of Exotica, was born on the tenth of September 1922 in the peruvian city Ichocán. Her birthname was Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri del Castillo. In 1946 she moved to USA and founded the "Inca Taky Trio". The group was short-lived and stayed largely out of success.
Later she was signed for Capitol Records and met Les Baxter. He helped her to become the icon that we know today. She had a breakthrough with the album "Voice of the Xtabay", which she has recorded with Les Baxter. Other legendary recordings were: "Legend Of The Sun Virgin", "Mambo!", "Legend Of The Jivaro" and "Fuego Del Ande". She had a vocal range of four and a half octaves, when she was younger she was able to sing six octaves!
She was also known for her appearance in the movie "Secret of the Incas" alongside Charlton Heston.
The Coen Brothers had used a title from Yma Sumac for "Big Lebowski". She died on first of November 2008 in Los Angeles.
"The Peruvian Songbird" left a magical artistic work and a life full of alleged mysterious.

Les Baxter - African Blue

Superb cover and nice tunes!

Lovely Hula Stuff. Don´t Forget Your Lei!

George Kainapau - The Golden Voice Of Hawaii
Gene Rains - Lotus Land
Myrtle K. Hilo - The Singing Cab Driver
Gabby Pahinui - Sons Of Hawaii
Toti´s Tahitians - Little Brown Gal

Girls From The "Black Coral" & "A Sea Of Dreams"

Big Ben Hawaiian Band - On The Beach At Waikiki
Rene Paulo Trio - Black Coral
Leo Diamond - Skin Diver Suite
Nelson Riddle - Sea Of Dreams
Martin Denny - The Enchanted Sea