Photo Interlude: The Big Island Part I

This week I have the great pleasure of visiting Hawai'i, and while enjoying the sun, surf and gorgeous views I've been taking lots of photos. There are many more to come, so enjoy!

Yours truly at the Kona Joe's Coffee Plantation:

A sunset from the deck of our condo:

Gecko:

Sign in the French Dive Shop near Captain Cook, HI:

Fancy a fancy dive helmet? These were on display at the French dive shop:

View from the coffee plantation:

Pineapple!

Green Kona coffee beans, growing:

Madonna in the cemetery at the Painted Church:

The charming interior of the Painted Church:

Caroline admiring the Painted Church:

Madonna and the serpent:

View down to the ocean from the door of the chapel:

Steps up:

The garden, cemetery and surrounding grounds:

I'll see YOU there!
-- Suzanne

Solar Eclipse Cocktails

Once in a lifetime, we all get to climb up on the roof, drink special cocktails invented just for that moment, wear dark glasses or welding masks and look at the sun being eclipsed by the moon while wearing tin foil hats, just in case...

... you mean that isn't how you spent Sunday's annular eclipse? Ah, well. The annular eclipse yesterday afternoon was very amazing indeed, and we felt some shenanigans were in order, so I mixed up an eclipse worthy cocktail and we climbed to the top of the stairs. The star of the cocktail was a dill-infused gin, which was nearly as brilliant as the sun itself. With the addition of the Basil Eau de Vie from St. George Spirits and Blade Gin, this is a cocktail fit not only for eclipse gazing, but also for summer sipping in the garden.

Eclipse Collins

1 oz dill-infused dry gin
1 oz Blade Gin
1/2 oz Basil Eau de Vie from St. George Spirits
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup (1-1)
soda water
Angostura bitters


Shake all ingredients except soda and bitters with cubed ice, and pour into tall collins or hurricane glass. Top with 3 oz soda, then fill to the top with crushed ice, leaving a mound heaping in the top of the glass. Splash ice mound with Angostura bitters, and garnish with lemon wheel and fresh dill. Serve with straw.

Cocktails in hand, shenanigans began. Me, with my safety hat, just in case:

A photo of the eclipse taken with aluminum foil over the lens:

A special kind of indirect sun gazing - the ukulele method:

The Hangar One Blimp came for a visit:

Nice afternoon for rooftop eclipse gazing with crazy space glasses and Paul McMillan:

And once again, the uke:

Needless to say, we had fun. Afterwards, dinner and more cocktails were in order, and since we already had the dill-infused gin on hand, Green Martinis were certainly the thing - dill-infused gin martinis with a handmade pickled quail egg garnish. Wild, unconventional, and certainly fitting for a historic solar day.
Cheers! I'll see YOU there!
-- Suzanne

New Easy Tiki Night

A great time was had by all at the New Easy on May 3rd - Many mahalos are due! First, to Summer-Jane Bell and The New Easy for asking me to step behind the bar; to Otto von Stroheim of Tiki Oasis for his amazing tunes (the sound system is so nice at the New Easy - Otto sounded AMAZING!); to Timothy Childs and Shelley Alger of ORO Pisco for generously offering to sponsor the event and donating the delicious ORO Pisco Italia and ORO Pisco Moscatel; to Meryll Cawn for all of her help with ORO and making the trip over to help me drink all that delicious pisco; and to Paul McMillan and Christopher Guiao for photos. Speaking of which, here they are:

The menu for the evening:

The bar:

Yours truly:

Happy imbiber of the blood of the Sumo Sumo:

Our gracious hosts Summer and Kolin:

ORO Pisco's generous offer of sponsorship gave me an even more delightful task - creating a custom cocktail with ORO Pisco. I was delighted to offer the Birdman's Passion.

Birdman's Passion

In ancient Easter Island tradition, once a year the birdman would swim across treacherous waters to a remote rock near the island and retrieve a bird’s egg. Successful birdmen became tribal champions for the coming year. This delicious cocktail of pineapple infused Oro Pisco, passion fruit, and fresh egg with surely make you a champion too.

1.5 oz Pineapple Infused ORO Pisco Moscatel
0.5 oz ORO Pisco Italia
1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 dash Amargo Chuncho Peruvian Bitters
1 oz egg white (approx. 1 large fresh egg white)

Dry shake, then shake vigorously with ice. Double strain into a single old fashioned or sour glass. Garnish with pineapple leaf, pineapple chunk and bitters design as desired.

With fresh ripe pineapple from Hawai'i, I infused the pisco for about 4 days before serving it. It was naturally sweet, fresh and delicious tasting. I highly recommend giving this cocktail a try!

Next up: a recap of the mouth watering Win Win Cocktail Competition, benefiting the Bartenders Relief Fund - stay tuned!

I'll see YOU there!

---Suzanne