• 2 oz Irish Whiskey
• 1 oz Cardamaro
• ½ oz B.G.Reynolds’ Hazelnut Syrup

Stir with ice and strain into rocks glass with one big ice cube. Top with lemon zest and nutmeg.

• 2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
• ½ oz B.G.Reynolds’ Peppermint Syrup
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

• 1 oz Blackstrap Rum
• 2 oz Cardamaro
• ½ oz B.G.Reynolds’ Don’s Spices #2
• 1 barspoon Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with one large cube. Garnish with a flamed clove and orange peel.

• ¾ oz Bourbon
• ¾ oz Rye
• ½ oz Cocchi Torino
• ½ oz B.G.Reynolds’ Ginger Syrup

Stir with ice and Strain into cocktail glass.

• 1 oz Gold Martinique Rhum
• 1 oz Blackstrap Rum
• ¾ oz B.G.Reynolds’ Ginger Syrup
• ½ oz Red Grapefruit
• 20 drops Bitter End Memphis Barbecue Bitters

Shake with ice and Strain into a coupe glass.

Well, that’s because I’ve been busy. How busy? New parent and small business owner with a dayjob busy. I still manage to get in my leisure time, usually at the bottom of a rocks glass.

About a year ago, I was approached by the owners of another company of similar name, and asked cordially to stop calling myself a Trader and go off and do something else. I fought tooth and nail, but they weren’t having it. So, in respect to the original “Trader”, and with the advice of a few good friends, I am moving forward with the name change from Trader Tiki’s Exotic Syrups to B.G. Reynolds’ Exotic Syrups.

What else is changing about the product? nada, zip, squat, zilch. You’ll still recognize the label on the shelf, the wonderful Dr. Bamboo illustration on the front, and all the damned good stuff that’s inside. The biggest difference you’ll see is the name, and my big ol’ smiling mug on the front.

I’m also going to be expanding the webstore beyond just my wonderful syrups. The whole concept behind the syrups was to make great stuff available to everyone, bartenders and home mixologists alike. So, now that people know where to get the best in syrups, I still get asked where to get glassware, straws, party gear, mixing equipment, and so on. Well, give me a few months and you’ll be able to get the right here at OkoleMaluna.com.

I want to give huge mahalo to all of my friends who have worked so hard on helping me get this project to where I am now. In early 2009, I got the inspiration to start this little business taking my homemade syrups to a larger audience, and now, the syrups are being used by bars around the country and across the globe (Amsterdam and Greece are the latest sightings). I also must thank you, my readers that became my patrons, and my patrons that became my regulars. Thank you for believing in what I do, and being the best sales and advertising team money can’t buy.

Okole Maluna, and bottoms up!

- Blair Garrett Reynolds

• 2 1/4 oz Leblon Cachaca
• 2 tsp B.G.Reynolds’ Ginger Syrup
• 1 dash Celery Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a ginger-sugar martini glass. Float a celery leaf.

Adam’s notes:

This was a weird one I came up with trying to figure out something new to do with Celery Bitters (I use Bitter Truth at home; but at the time worked for Fee Bros. local distributor so used that originally)

One of the things I pride myself on is openness and honesty about how I make the syrups and how I run my business. I know that a bottle can be so impersonal on the shelf, and want to make sure that anyone interested in doing so can ask me about the syrups. I might leave a sense of mystery (and/or industrial secret) kept out, but want to make sure that my customers and potential customers know I really give a damn about what I do, and have some experience in it to boot!

Read that interview at Serious Eats!

Okole Maluna!

I’ve prepared the top 20 as recipe posts through the month of March! So be sure to keep checking in for some great new recipes. But enough blather, let’s get on to the top 3 of the bunch.

At number three, Nathan Gerdes’ Caballada! This inventive blend of Tequila Blanco with Don’s Spices #2, Hibiscus Grenadine and lime really sings, and the tequila and Spices #2 work insanely well with a blend of smoke and spice. The color, too, is just wondrous to look at. There’s a lot to be taken from this lovely pink drink. The drink also uses only four ingredients to make its magic. One of the things I constantly prattle on about (although do not always practice) is keeping drinks with readily available ingredients and easy to make. I can’t imagine any promo material containing a drink with 15 ingredients, 5 of which are homemade and/or bitters. It’s tough to source, won’t taste the same, and will be the bane of any bartender with it on the menu. Anyhow, thanks Nathan for this amazing drink! And just as a note, Nathan is a friend and former co-worker, and as such has forfeited his prize. I will instead be sending an assortment of syrups to Ben Justus for his frighteningly tasty Kraken’s Beak.

At number two, the Aloha A-Loh-A from Thayer Abigael. This rum strong drink mixes three, count ‘em three of my syrups with some dark Jamaican rum and lots of lemon. The blend of syrups (ginger, passion fruit, and falernum) bring out the spice and funk of the rum, while the passion fruit and lemon work to balance out what could be an otherwise sweet drink, by bringing in the tart. It’s rich, spicy, and complex as any great tropical drink should be. Cheers to Thayer, who will be receiving a swizzle stick, tiki mug from Thatch here in Portland, and of course, an assortment of syrups.

And finally… number one, the numero uno, el hoche mache with the bocce, Halloween Moon by Joby “Tiki Geeki” Bednar! Stepping outside of the traditional rum, rum and more rum combos, Joby hit upon one of my other favorite boozes by using Applejack. What can I say, it’s a weakness on my part, but a tasty, tasty weakness. He followed it up by using Tangerine juice, a cocktail ingredient I’ve never personally used, but the flavor was out of this damned world. Maybe he’s just lucky and I happened to hit upon the most perfect tangerine ever grown, but this definitely worked. Add in my Cinnamon and Vanilla syrup, and you’ve got a 1-2 punch of sweet and spice, with a few bucketloads of complexity thrown in to boot. As my wife said, it’s like the best apple pie she’s ever had. The tangerine shell also adds a nice colorful touch to the drink. It’s got lots of flavor, keeps it simple, and has a very unique flavor profile. Joby will be receiving a classic Hamilton Beach Drinkmaster (aka – turbo-powered swizzle stick) as reward for his great endeavor, as well as a few assorted syrups, and whatever else I can throw into the mail.

Now I know you’re asking… well, where are the recipes to make this fine and fantastical concoctions? Keep coming back, as they’ll be posted this week along with the rest of the entries (in no particular order) through the month of March!

Okole Maluna!