CLASS BAR ACADEMY: TIKI RUM

TT Liquor played host to respected industry leaders, CLASS Magazine, who held a tiki rum tasting masterclass at our multi-faceted Shoreditch studios as part of the London Class Bar Academy series.

Bartenders from around the country congregated on Kingsland Road to hear their expert host and the man who ran Mahiki in London for over a decade, Georgi Radev, talk them through the finer points behind the tropical cocktails.

The day began with Georgi talking attendees through the history of tiki in our first-floor Aviation Room.

He explained how the culture of tiki originated from the Polynesian religion and gods, and how it was eventually brought to our lives in Europe by a early 20th century bootlegger named Don ‘the Don’ Beachcomber.

He also described how every island had its own style of tiki punch – Jamaica’s Planter’s Punch, Barbados with it’s Bajan Punch, the Trinidadian Swizzle, and Puerto Rico’s Piña Colada.

After a short history lesson there was a rum tasting in our West Wing space, during which Georgi explained how each are best blended and utilised to create deliciously theatrical tropical beverages.

Tastings and history done, the guest bartenders were finally invited to get hands-on at our bespoke cocktail making stations as Georgi rounded off the day by giving a showcase of his favourite tiki drinks while they attempted to replicate his creations.

There was the tart ‘Daddy O Daiquiri’, the ‘Jewel of the Sea’ served in a coconut, the sweet and rhapsodical ‘Re’al Missionary’, and the classic ‘Grog O’ Clock’ featuring Pusser’s Gunpowder, Earl Grey tea, orange juice, lime, Angostura bitters, and Re’al agave.

Of his creations, Georgi said: “Don the Beachcomber called his drinks ‘rum rhapsodies’ – you don’t just feel one flavour – and Tiki cocktails are rhapsodies in the mouth, they are theatrical serves and they are multidimensional. So, my drinks take Don’s style and make them 21st-century tiki.”

Are you an aspiring bartender and want to get involved and satisfy your yearning for learning? Contact Angel Brown at CLASS Magazine by emailing your enquiry to angel.brown@agilemedia.co.uk if you are interested in joining the next session.

More interested in the tastes rather than the techniques? We offer immersive rum tastings in our intimate subterranean tasting vaults. Click on the link below, or alternatively contact one of our event organisers today on 02031 315 392 and we’ll run you through what we can offer.