Tiki Drinks ~ tropical cocktails

How do you motivate yourself to push through a rough patch or to complete a tough project? Little treats along the way, and a promised reward at the end help me over the hump. 🙂

I’m in the middle of a big room re-do at home, and it’s consuming MASSIVE amounts of time and energy. As an “attagirlandkeepgoing” diversion, I added a new bluwaterread to the cocktail and bar collection as a treat. Modern Tiki is one of my fave blogs and they’ve also got a book!

I was hooked on tiki drinks and tiki style as soon as I tasted my first Painkiller more than 20 years ago in Tortola. Of course I’d consumed my fair share of fern bar frozen daiquiris before that moment, but those don’t count on my tiki journey. An island classic like the Painkiller, made with the right ingredients at an island bar, beach or boat, trump the other wannabees every time.

Tiki Drinks from Modern Tiki is a great compact tiki bible for any bar. I mean it’s got it all ~ a quick history of tiki culture, ingredients {hint, RUM!}, garnishes, techniques, glassware, classic tiki drinks and modern tiki drinks. I seriously want to master their awesome garnishes and make every cocktail in the book! And maybe make a dent in the 12 different bottles of rum currently in the bar. 🙂

I found this book after we had our Tru Blu Zombie party, so now I want to try their Zombie to see how it compares. And I want to visit our Trader Vic’s again and have a Mai Tai {take some better photos!}, then make Modern Tiki’s and see how the tastes differ from my own Tru Blu Mai Tai. And use some of our tiki mug and glassware collection!

So that’s my promised reward to get this room done ~ a chance to have a tiki drink party with Bluwaterguy, visit Trader Vic’s for a Mai Tai, and then sit quietly in my fave reading chair with a book and a cocktail in my favorite tiki mug looking around at my completed room. Of course, not all on the same evening ~ it helps to stretch out the reward period before tackling the next project! And treating myself to a copy of Tiki Drinks has helped with a fun moment of diversion. Today I’m back to fabric, spray mount, and moving sand piles ~ it’s “giterdone” time!

I share things here on the blog that I’m currently living ~ but I definitely don’t live for the blog. This sabbatical installment of my retirement ~ thank you Travis McGee ~ is nearing an end, and I’ll likely be starting up with new career opportunities. Now with a clearer head, lots of refreshed space at home, and new opportunities on the horizon. I’ll drink to that! Cheers y’all ~~~