Christmas Eve of Destruction Archives

Has it really been 10 years? For a humble blog focused on Tiki culture and cocktails, that’s an eternity. After a decade of existence, we continue to be humbled by the recognition and continued support from peers and supporters. Even so, we hope that the best is yet to come.
Special 10th anniversary recipe: Revenge of the Atomic Zombie Cocktail

The Atomic Grog launched in late April 2011 with coverage of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s “Zombie Jamboree” at The Mai-Kai, our participation in the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival’s deadly cocktail competition, our first published cocktail recipe, and lots more …

We be Jammin: Rum Renaissance Zombie fest at The Mai-Kai
The kickoff party for the 2011 Rum Renaissance Festival was a Tikiphile’s dream, featuring a Jeff “Beachbum” Berry cocktail seminar followed by a deadly mixology competition.
Recipe: Wake the dead, it’s time for the Atomic Zombie Cocktail

Now, 447 posts and more than 1 million page views later, it’s time to take a quick look back and offer a big mahalo to everyone and everything that has kept us motivated and writing. That includes all the folks who posted more than 600 comments on the site, overwhelmingly positive and informative.

The first post – on April 25, 2011 – was a Zombie recipe, so it’s fitting that we celebrate the 10th anniversary of this never-say-die blog with a horde of Zombies. While the Mai Tai seems to get all the attention, 10 years later we still maintain that Tiki’s original masterpiece, created by Don the Beachcomber in the 1930s, is the most epochal tropical cocktail. Perhaps it’s apropos that the Zombie never becomes trendy and stays “underground,” but we’d like to see it get more attention.

So in honor of our 10th anniversary, we’ll be posting 10 new Zombie recipes over the next 10 months. We’ve already kicked it off with the Hamilton Zombie, featured in the recent story on the new Zombie blend from Beachbum Berry and Hamilton Rum. It continues today with a reimagining of that first recipe. Get ready for Revenge of the Atomic Zombie Cocktail, even richer and more deadly than the original.

As usual, you’ll be treated to the recipe at the end of this post. Look for new Zombie recipes approximately every month, pushing the envelope of this classic template but remaining true to Donn’s inventive spirit. Unlike the Mai Tai, there’s no controversy in tinkering with the Zombie. We hope to prove this makes it even more enduring and classic. Lots more Zombie lore and discussion to come.

We’re digging up another popular old concept for our 10th birthday: The good old-fashioned Top 10 list. It may be a cliché of the blogosphere and something we’ve avoided for a decade, but there’s nothing wrong with a carefully crafted Top 10. We’ll start with five in this post, with more “Tiki Top 10” lists to come over the next 10 months (and maybe continuing into the future) …

Continue reading “The Atomic Grog 10th anniversary: Beware! Deadly Zombies ahead”

A famous jolly old man with a white beard is gearing up for his annual appearance to spread good tidings and cheer this week. However, there’s another distinguished gentleman with a white beard and colorful garb who has already created enough spirited revelry to last well into 2020.

He sees you when you're drinking. The patron saint of Tiki cocktails, aka Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, is the spirit behind the dozens of Sippin' Santa pop-up bars across the country. — He sees you when you’re drinking. The patron saint of Tiki cocktails, aka Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, is the spirit behind the dozens of Sippin’ Santa pop-up bars across the country.

Of course, we’re taking about Tiki historian, author and bar owner Jeff “Beachbum” Berry and his festive Sippin’ Santa surf shacks, an offshoot of the popular Miracle holiday pop-ups. Our previous story explored the story behind both concepts, including info on the 28 Sippin’ Santa locations in the United States and Canada. Miracle has exploded like Christmas tinsel to 108 locations worldwide.

Launching the week of Thanksgiving, both of these over-the-top, kitschy concepts have become a seasonal ritual and show no signs of slowing. The bars are fully immersive and can be enjoyed on many levels, from the snobbiest cocktail enthusiast to newbies just looking for seasonal fun, food and frivolity.

Bonus recipes below
* Tribute to Christmas Eve of Destruction (Sippin’ Santa)
* Nutty Old Fashioned (Atomic Grog original)

The signature Sippin' Santa cocktail, as served at Flight 19 in Fort Lauderdale in November. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward) — The signature Sippin’ Santa cocktail, as served at Flight 19 in Fort Lauderdale in November. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

The drinks are definitely not frivolous. Miracle and Sippin’ Santa are owned and run by the successful Cocktail Kingdom, which also produces Berry’s top-of-the-line barware and published his two latest books, Sippin’ Safari and Potions of the Caribbean.

We caught up with “The Bum” during a break from his busy schedule making personal appearances and overseeing the Sippin’ Santa empire. His flagship bar, Latitude 29 in New Orleans, is in good hands under the leadership of “Mrs. Bum,” Annene Kaye, along with head bartender and GM Brad Smith, who did most of the heavy lifting in creating the latest Sippin’ Santa menu.

5 QUESTIONS WITH JEFF ‘BEACHBUM’ BERRY

There seems to be an insatiable demand for holiday-themed bars nowadays. Why do you think this has become a trend?

The Shaka Kalikimaka cocktail and Beachbum Berry Bora Bora Bum mug, which is available for purchase at Sippin' Santa locations. (SippinSantaPopUp.com) — The Shaka Kalikimaka cocktail and Beachbum Berry Bora Bora Bum mug, which is available for purchase at Sippin’ Santa locations. (SippinSantaPopUp.com)

Tiki bars give you a tropical mini-vacation, and when you pile Christmas vacation on top of your tropical vacation you get two holidays in one: twice the atmosphere, twice the flavors, and hence twice the fun.

How do you think Sippin’ Santa differs from Miracle?

Miracle is strictly a Christmas pop-up, while Sippin’ is just as Christmasy but with an added Tiki overlay.

How much input do you have on the drinks, and how much is Brad?

It varies year to year. Last year the drinks were some mine and some Brad’s, but this year the recipes are all Brad’s. I did some tasting and some tweaking, but in most cases Brad’s “first draft” was the one we went with. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Continue reading “Sippin’ Santa comes to town: Exclusive Beachbum Berry interview, plus festive cocktail recipes”