ZTL 237 A Low Calorie Mai Tai For A New Year

Published on January 4, 2012. 3 Comments
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After a few weeks off from the podcast Kalani and Sunshine are back at the bar and behind the microphone.  Feeling refreshed by the new year and the hope of things to come we start things off with a low calorie version of the famous Mai Tai.  And, we are very glad to say that this 200 cal version of the usual 400-600 calorie cocktail is damn good.  Other tiki friends are making promises to themselves to continue their own self improvement and we feel like joining in with some support and our own goals.  Kalani wants to stick to a healthier way of eating and some more exercise while Sunshine simply wants some muscles.  We can do it!  Join us at Tiki Caliente Calorie Countdown and share your story and support.  Speaking of Tiki Caliente, the fourth annual event is coming this May and we have plenty to say.  Also, listener mail, some odd spacey exotica and plenty of the shenanigans you always tune in for.  Plus a live version of Como Oye Va from The Revomatics at a recent show they did back home.  Happy New Year and Cheers!

Mai Tai (Low Cal) But still great tasting!

1.5 ounces Fresh Lime Juice

1 ounce Rum (Plantation, St. James Royal Amber or Cruzan Single Barrle work well)

1/2 ounce Senior Curacau or Bols Dry Orange

3/4 ounce Amarguinha Liqueur or Hiram Walker Amaretto 50 proof

1 tsp of pure cane sugar syrup (Depaz is great)

Shake with ice and strain into a double old fashioned filled with crushed ice.  Garnish with lime wedge and mint sprig.  This recipe cuts the typical mai tai from 420 calories down to 209.  The key to lowering calories in cocktails is simply removing the added sugar from juice and mixers.  This can be done by carefully mixing your base spirit (rum in this case) and liquors that have the flavors and nose you are looking for.   Try to find the Senior Curacao because it has a hint of spice in it that really works in a Mai Tai.  In this recipe, Orgeat is removed and an almond liquor used instead.  This cuts 45 calories from the drink.  Cheers and Enjoy!

 

ZTL 236 No Blue Christmas In This Tiki Bar

Published on December 19, 2011. 0 Comments
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Sunshine, Starshine and Kalani drop by the Zen Tiki Lounge for a little gift giving, cocktails and exotica holiday tunes.  This is one of those podcast we dare not try to describe in words.  But be sure to check out links to our friends below:

PopTiki.com for great hand made tiki mugs

Tiwaka Goes To Waikiki is a great new book, third in the series by Everett Peacock

The Revomatics new album is now on iTunes and for sale at their pretty groovy website

Kahuna Kevin has a great new cocktail book, second in his series.  We are drinking our way though it right now!

Happy Holidays and Mahalo from all of us at The Zen Tiki Lounge Podcast

 

ZTL 235 Tiki Gifts For Tiki People, And Rum

Published on December 4, 2011. 0 Comments
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December is up on us.  That means it’s time for the annual ZTL tiki gift giving guide.  As usual, we suggest music, mugs, books and wares from many of the friends we discover as a result of this podcast.  We personally use and have everything we suggest.  No duds here.  Please check out the links below and get some of the great stuff from our tiki friends all over the country.  This week isn’t just about gifts, its also the first week in many months that Pumpkin and Sunshine had a chance to be in the lounge together.  The two original hosts of Zen Tiki Lounge act as if no time ever passed.  And our show wouldn’t be complete without a great cocktail, this one is courtesy of Ken Kanaka of The Crazed Mugs.  Coquito is a version of eggnog that comes to us from Cuba and has become popular in Florida.  We think it could be a holiday favorite here in the lounge.  Try the recipe below.  Thanks for listening, tell a friend, find us on facebook, Google+  and Mahalo!

Tiki Gift Ideas for anyone:

Music: The Crazed Mugs, The Revomatics, Tiki Joes Ocean,

Tiki Mugs: Only the best at PopTiki.com, the offical mug of the Zen Tiki Lounge

Bar/Cocktail Books: Kahuna Kevin “Why is all the Rum gone”, get volumes 1 and 2.  Over 100 outstanding recipes with superb illustration.

Books/Beach Reads: The Parrot Talks In Chocolate, In The Middle of the Third Planets Most Wonderful of Oceans,  Death by facebook,  Banana the fate of the fruit the changed the world, And a Bottle of Rum, Tiki Modern

Coquito (“little coconut”)
Ingredients
  • 1 cup water
  • 12 cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 inch-long piece of fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1 15-ounce can of Coco Lopez
  • 1 12-ounce can of Carnation Evaporated Milk
  • 1 cup light rum (I use Cruzan)
  • Powdered cinnamon

Directions

  1. Place water, cloves, cinnamon sticks and ginger in a small saucepan to create an infusion. Cook at medium heat until the mixture begins to boil.
  2. After cooking, cover and let the infusion cool for 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
  3. Place the Coco Lopez, evaporated milk, rum and infusion in a blender. Cover and blend for 30 seconds.
  4. Pour contents into a glass bottle with a cinnamon stick and refrigerate until cold.
  5. Serve in 2-5 ounce glasses. Spinkle top with powdered cinnamon.
Like an egg nog, the flavor improves with time. It’s quite good freshly made, but a 14-28 day aging in the refrigerator does wonders for it.

ZTL 234 Holiday Songs With Exotic Flare

Published on November 30, 2011. 0 Comments
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Sunshine Tiki is solo in the Zen Tiki Lounge this week.  As promised, this is our annual holiday music podcast.  I have chosen each song to tell a familiar story, a tune everyone knows, but with a more exotic flare and maybe some instruments you don’t here to often.  Each of the artists played on this weeks show have their music available online for download.  How much easier could it be?  Just listen to the show and find it all online.  Of course the holidays wouldn’t seem right without a cocktail or two.  So check out the recipes/drink ideas below to add some additional merriment to your gatherings.  Next week we will be back with our holiday gift giving special.  Just in time to help you find something special for the tiki fan in your circles.  Enjoy and Mahalo!

Sunshines Very Spicy Holiday Rum

1.75L Gold Rum (Cruzan or Bacardi work well)

2 Vanilla Beans sliced length wise

10 whole cloves

12 Allspice berries cracked

3 Cinnamon sticks cracked in half

Put it all in the bottle.  Turn upside down once each day.  On day 5 use a permanent coffee filter or cheese cloth to strain out the bits.  Remove the cloves.  Put everything back in.  On day 7 remove the allspice bits.  The cinnamon and vanilla bean stay in forever, building more character.  After a total of 14-21 days you are ready to enjoy this very spicy rum.  Great with equal parts pomegranate juice and fresh OJ.  Also great used in a rum cake recipe.  Try it on the rocks or make your own holiday concoction.