May the 4th Be With You

 

Image created by Bing using my specifications. Happy May the 4th!

Tiki Tuesday

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

AI Generated Image from Bing

Tiki Tuesday

 Tuesday, January 9, 2023

AI Generated Tiki Mugs from Bing

Sylvester Did It

It was being stored on a shelf in the basement. 

Tiki Mug Collection in the Mermaid Lounge

I started setting out some of the tiki mugs lately. I usually use this table on the porch for a big display but Sylvester's grown quite fond of it as a perch to watch bird, rabbits, and squirells. 

So I left him a little room. 

Here are some other things I set on the porch. 

I've also have some set up in the house although not the collection this year.

Jojo Bartlesby

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Irv asked what I wanted to name my new tiki mug from Undertow. 

Naming it hadn't really crossed my mind. 

Dale thought I should go with Bartlesby. Irv thought it should be Jojo. 

We'll go with Jojo Bartlesby.

The picture on the box includes a brain on the monkey which has an Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom vibe. Dale asked if the brain came with the mug as a cover. It didn't.

Undertow - Gilbert Arizona

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Dale and I are out in Phoenix visiting Brenda, Irv, John, and Dianne, and we made it to Undertow's new location in Gilbert, Arizona. The above photo is from their website and is better than anything I could've taken due to the darkness of the place. 

Our seating was set for 3:30 and we arrived just in time. Dianne, Dale, and I met John's son Pete at the restaurant. Pete lives only a few blocks from the bar. He's been quite excited to go for a while. I guess the Gilbert location been's open for about a year and he's been waiting for us to come out to visit before checking it out himself which is very sweet. Above photo is my own and was taken from the bar which is where we were seated. 

Above photo is from Undertow's website and is a clearer shot of the barrels across from where we were seated sat the bar. 

The booth that was behind where we were seated. I wish we could've been seated here since we could have seen each other better. 

My first cocktail was the Missionary's Downfall which, according to the menu is from the 1940s and is attributed to Don the Beachcomber. This version was made from Flor de Cana 7 year aged Nicaraguan rum, Giffard peach, pineapple, mint, and honey. Nicely sweet, and not overly so. I adored it. So well made. 

Dianne started with a non-alcoholic cocktail called the Captain's Apprentice. This featured a non-alcoholic spiced gin, green chartreuse, mint, strawberry, cream of coconut, lime leaf, and lime. She really liked it. Dale had a beer and Pete started with a Mai Tai. 

For my second drink I went with the Three Dots and a Dash. A true classic which was sharper and had a wonderful hint of bitterness which really provided a great contrast with my first drink. Loved this one too. 

Dianne's second drink was another non-alcoholic choice called the Shipless Sailor. This one featured non-alcoholic Jamaican rum, heirloom Alechemeres, orgeat, hibiscus, lime leaf, lime, and pineapple. I think she like this one just a little bit more from her first drink. Dale got another beer for his second round. Pete asked what I recommended for his second drink. I told him the get what I was having, the Three Dots and a Dash, because it complemented the sweetness of the first drink. He loved it. 

I asked the bartender if they had any tiki mugs for sale and he brought out the little guy pictured above to show me. He was hand carved and made into a mold. The tiki mugs were a limited edition of only 500 mugs. I made him mine. He was to cool not to pass up. Dianne marveled at the detail and liked how his eyes would follow you when you look at him. 

The Undertow bar experience was slightly similar to that of Pagan Idol in San Francisco. The bar takes place in the hold of a ship which sets sail after being seated. When you reach port after your hour and a half seating time you're expected to exit the ship. The experience at Pagan Idol takes you a port as well but you can stay as long as you like. 

We all had a great time and it was worth the hour and a half drive to get to Gilbert from Peoria. 

Everything was amazing: the drinks; the service; the decor; the atmosphere. We all felt the same way. I can't wait to go back. 

Until next time....

Spring Break 2022 - Trader John's Mai Tai

Monday, April 4, 2022

Spring Break 2022! Made it to Phoenix and were picked up at PHX by Dianne and Brenda. It's great to be here and great to see some sunshine. 

It looked like what you see above just before we left for the airport this morning. 

Shortly after getting to John and Dianne's we headed over to Brenda and Irv's new place to help them move their TV.

They've got a corner unit which is nice because they get two patios.

Irv had this bottle of Bombay Sapphire on the counter. Sweet how he labeled it. I made a gin and tonic when we got back to John and Dianne's. 

The gin and tonic along with the warm weather all felt very summery.

Felt so nice to be outside in shorts and short sleeves.

John offered to make me a Trader Vic's Mai Tai. Of course I accepted. 

John grilled salmon and romaine lettuce for dinner. It was all very divine. He's a master of the grill. 

Here's the recipe John used for the Mai Tai with a few modifications he made. We'll call his version Trader John's Mai Tai.

The Mermaid Lounge

Wednesday, August 19, 2021

Dale and I really haven't spent much time on the porch this year. In fact, today is the first I've set more than just a few things out in the Mermaid Lounge this season. 

We sat on the porch all the time last summer so I'm not sure why it took until the middle of August this year. Whatever the reason it was just good to be back out there. 

I mixed up a Joey's Orange Speedo and put it in my favorite tiki mug which I dug out of the basement today. It's not my favorite tiki mug to look at but it's my favorite tiki mug to hold. It fits just perfectly in my hand. I got the mug for free a year or so ago with the purchase of a bottle of Plantation rum. 

We listened to my summer tiki playlist I made last year.

Which contains one of Dale's favorite Polynesian pop songs.