Trader Shan's

Trader Shan's A home based tiki bar serving up tropical as well as traditional cocktails...but no Bud Light

It’s National Mai Tai Day so of course I’m making them for my wife and the neighbors!Trader Vic’s 1944 Mai Tai* 2 oz. De...
08/30/2026

It’s National Mai Tai Day so of course I’m making them for my wife and the neighbors!

Trader Vic’s 1944 Mai Tai
* 2 oz. Denizen Merchant’s Reserve Rum
* .5 oz. Dry Orange Curaçao
* .75 oz. Lime juice
* .25 oz. Demerara syrup
* .25 oz. Orgeat

Monkeypod Mai Tai
* 2 oz. Denizen Merchant’s Reserve Rum
* .5 oz. Dry Orange Curaçao
* .67 oz. Lime juice
* .25 oz. Orgeat
* .25 oz. Macadamia Nut liqueur
* Top with Passionfruit foam

Passionfruit Foam (use an ISI whipper)
* 1 oz. Passion Fruit syrup
* .5 oz. Honey syrup (equal parts honey and water)
* 1 oz. Simple syrup
* 1.5 oz. Cold water
* 1 oz. Pasteurized egg whites
* 2 N2O cream chargers

I don’t know why but I always want to name cocktails I come up with after song titles. Given that this is really just a...
08/02/2026

I don’t know why but I always want to name cocktails I come up with after song titles. Given that this is really just a Manhattan riff why not name it after something New York related thus Strawberry Fields Forever.

* 2 oz. Sazerac 100 proof Rye whiskey
* 1 oz. Strawberry infused Sweet Vermouth
* 2 dashes Rhubarb bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with cocktail cherries.

For the Vermouth I filled a 16 oz. Mason jar with strawberries (I used frozen ones from Publix for uniformity) and then top off the jar with the Sweet Vermouth of your choice. I used Cocchi Vermouth di Torino. Store in a cool dark place for a week then strain and rebottle. Store in the fridge afterwards.

Time to compare and contrast two hazmat offerings from Shortbarrel. I’d long kept away from NDPs like them and Penelope...
07/22/2026

Time to compare and contrast two hazmat offerings from Shortbarrel. I’d long kept away from NDPs like them and Penelope but I’ll readily admit both of them are doing some pretty damn good blending, single barrels, and barrel finishing these days. And of course, if I’m outside then Otis needs to be outside with me for protection from the mosquitos and no-see-ums.

On the left is an 8 year old American Light Whiskey that comes from OZ Tyler and comes in at 145.8 proof. The aroma of this one is a huge vanilla bomb. 99% corn in the mashbill so it drinks a little sweet. Despite the high proof it doesn’t burn the whole way down though it does leave you feeling a little warmth and tingle towards the back of your tongue and top of your mouth.

On the right is a NAS straight Bourbon clocking in at 140.2 proof. This one doesn’t have any barrel codes on it but I’m thinking it’s maybe a Jim Beam product because I get dusty peanut notes from the aroma along with vanilla and some but not overly heavy oak. As with the ALW above it doesn’t burn but it gives you a nice warm feeling and a bit of mouth puckering as if it might be sour but it’s not in the slightest. I picked this up a few weeks ago when I visited Shortbarrel’s facility in Norcross, GA. I know I asked about it then but promptly wrote none of that information down and have forgotten what they told me about this barrel. All the other barrels I sampled that day I did write down but nothing on this one.

I poured small samples of these and let them sit for a bit before sampling. They drink a lot lower in proof than their numbers show. These could absolutely be dangerous in larger amounts if you weren’t paying attention.

Overall I’m impressed with both of them. Are they life changing like a GTS or WLW? No, but they’re damn good for what they are and their prices. $70 for the ALW and $80 for the Bourbon though that’s a little pricy since it’s a 375ml so maybe not as good a price for that one but it’s a hazmat so whatever. 🤣

What happens when a child of the US Space Program wants to make a possibly patriotic cocktail for the USA-Belgium World ...
07/07/2026

What happens when a child of the US Space Program wants to make a possibly patriotic cocktail for the USA-Belgium World Cup game tonight? Well you break out your space related mugs and make a Chimp in Orbit.

A previously “lost” Hilton Hawaiian Village recipe by Harry Yee. The Chimp in Orbit likely dates from 1961, when Ham the Astrochimp was launched into space as part of NASA’s Project Mercury; Ham’s 16 minute suborbital flight paved the way for the first American homo sapiens to enter space later the same year. The drink itself is a stripped-down version of Trader Vic’s Tortuga.

* 1½ oz Light rRum
* ½ oz Orange Curaçao
* ½ oz Crème de Cacao
* 3 oz Lemon juice
* 3 oz Orange juice
* 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
* ¼ oz Grenadine (or in this case Fassionola)

Combine all ingredients and shake with ice then strain into a tiki mug and fill with pebble ice. Unfortunately no garnish because I had to get back to the game since I took the whole damn halftime to squeeze lemons and oranges for this drink.

Taking an idea straight off of Sother Teague’s Instagram posts it’s time to roll some dice to pick the cocktail ingredie...
06/30/2026

Taking an idea straight off of Sother Teague’s Instagram posts it’s time to roll some dice to pick the cocktail ingredients for a 2:1:1:2 format cocktail. We rolled and got the following choices…

* 2 oz. Base Spirit: Bourbon
* 1 oz. Vermouth/Fortified Wine: Cocci Americano Rosa
* 1 oz. Amaro: Brucato Woodlands
* 2 dashes Bitters: 18.21 Tart Cherry and Saffron
* Twist: Grapefruit
* Rinse: No rinse

Combine all the ingredients except that potential garnish and rinse in a mixing glass and stir with ice to chill. If you rolled a rinse then mist/rinse a Rocks glass before adding a large ice cube and straining the drink into the glass. Garnish with a twist and enjoy.

For this one I didn’t realize until I went to the fridge that I was out of Cocci Americano so we subbed in the Rosa version and I think that was a happy little accident.

The Bourbon we used was Shortbarrel “The Bee’s Knees” which is a toasted barrel and honey barrel finish so that added a little sweetness. The Cocci Rosa and the Brucato brought fruity notes but also some bitterness. The bitters seemed to get a little lost in this one because I never got saffron. The grapefruit twist added a bit of fresh citrus to the aroma but added nothing to the taste.

All in all I’ve not had a bad combination when choosing ingredients this way. Maybe not always amazing but never something undrinkable.

I was finally able to get to Sother Teague’s bar, Amor y Amargo, in the East Village this week. Spirit forward and bitt...
06/26/2026

I was finally able to get to Sother Teague’s bar, Amor y Amargo, in the East Village this week. Spirit forward and bitter? Yes please!

First drink was the Saviour Breath. It is described as molé, barbecued pineapple, and cola. That’s exactly what it was as well as delicious.

Second drink was the Heavy Eyes. It is described as wormwood, resin, b**g water, and lemon balm. Basically Malört with extra steps but also delicious. Yes, I realize I’m weird for liking Malört but it is what it is.

If you find yourself in the East Village and want a great cocktail drop in here and you won’t be disappointed.

I’m calling this one a Swamp Magnolia. Basically a Gin Sour but with a homemade Magnolia syrup. * 2 oz. Barrel Rested G...
06/24/2026

I’m calling this one a Swamp Magnolia. Basically a Gin Sour but with a homemade Magnolia syrup.

* 2 oz. Barrel Rested Gin
* 1 oz. Lemon juice
* 1 oz. Magnolia syrup
* 2 dashes Lavender bitters
* 5 drops Wonderfoam

Add all ingredients to a shaker and dry shake. Then add ice and wet shake. Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass.

The syrup is a 2:1 simple syrup as its base. I used 6 cups sugar to 3 cups water. After the sugar was dissolved I soaked/simmered 200 grams of cleaned Swamp Magnolia and Southern Magnolia flower petals for 20 minutes. I strained the flowers out and bottled with an ounce of Everclear 151 as a preservative.

A cocktail for today’s USA-Australia World Cup game…just trust me and go along for the ride. I split the Rum base betwe...
06/19/2026

A cocktail for today’s USA-Australia World Cup game…just trust me and go along for the ride. I split the Rum base between the usual Rhum Agricole with an unaged funky Australian rum. The guava soda is Australian as well and then it all got served up in a glass from Inside Passage in Seattle.

* 1 oz. Rhum Agricole Blanc
* 1 oz. Dead Reckoning Killik
* 3/4 oz. Licor 43
* 3/4 oz. lime juice
* 2 oz. Bundaberg guava soda
* 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Add all the ingredients minus the guava soda to a cocktail mixer tin and flash blend for 3 seconds, open pour into a highball glass, top with guava soda, and some more crushed ice. Garnish with a dried lime wheel and drape your World Cup 2026 pimp chain on the table for the picture. Enjoy.

When in Philly, or at least the airport, have some local Fish House Punch and take your picture with Rocky Balboa. It’s...
05/23/2026

When in Philly, or at least the airport, have some local Fish House Punch and take your picture with Rocky Balboa. It’s just Rum, Cognac, Sherry, Peach, and Lemon but it’s pretty tasty.

Some friends of mine were talking with someone who unironically drinks Moxie soda (yes, she is from Maine) and they chal...
05/17/2026

Some friends of mine were talking with someone who unironically drinks Moxie soda (yes, she is from Maine) and they challenged me to make a cocktail that incorporated both Moxie soda and Malört but also required a foam. Challenge accepted!

The Chicago Choke Artist
* 1.5 oz. Rye whiskey
* .5 oz. Cynar (artichoke) liqueur
* 4 oz. Moxie soda
* Barrel aged Malört foam

Stir all ingredient except foam in a mixing glass then strain over a large cube. Mix 2 ounces of Malört with 6 ounces of half and half in a ISI whipper. Charge with one cartridge and then use to apply foam to top of the cocktail.

If I’m being honest it’s not too shabby. Definitely on the bitter side from the Cynar and the Moxie. I’d maybe up the Malört in the foam a bit as it didn’t bring much to the equation in this iteration.

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