Pieces of Eight
Recipe published in Jeff Berry's Beachbum Berry Remixed, originating from the Marina del Rey restaurant of the same name in the early 60s. Mug from Tiki Farm, swizzle by Grider. Cue the Paul Page.
Recipe published in Jeff Berry's Beachbum Berry Remixed, originating from the Marina del Rey restaurant of the same name in the early 60s. Mug from Tiki Farm, swizzle by Grider. Cue the Paul Page.
From Beachbum Berry's Potions of the Caribbean, this is the Donn Beach version of a punch from Jamaica's Myrtle Beach Hotel. Both Donn and Vic had a version on their menus and they were quite different. Don's version is similar to his Navy Grog in the ingredients, and is quite enjoyable though it doesn't taste that similar to a Navy Grog. There is some truth to the rumor that I chose this version for this post because I have fresh white grapefruit on hand.
The Master Ninja is Jeff "Beachbum" Berry's homage in cocktail form to Ray Buhen (the titular "Master Ninja"), one of Don the Beachcomber's bartenders starting back in 1934. Among other achievements, Ray would go on to found the Tiki-Ti in Los Angeles in 1961. The Tiki-Ti is still in operation today, operated by Ray's son Mike Buhen and his grandson Mike Jr..
The Master Ninja (the cocktail) was served at Hukilau 2016 at the Tiki Tower Takeover event. You can read a recap here on the Atomic Grog.
Every Wednesday at 9PM, Mike Sr. leads a toast to his dad Ray, as without Ray there is no Tiki-Ti. It's my favorite time to visit the Tiki-Ti. 5 bells.
February 22, 2017 would have Donn Beach's 110th birthday. To celebrate here's his likeness from a 2010 TIki Farm mug containing a Puka-Puka Punch, a Don the Beachcomber recipe from 1937 found in Dick Santiago's notebook and published in Jeff "Beachbum" Berry's Potions of the Caribbean. Cheers.