Upgrading a Don the Beachcomber secret recipe

[@JohnKelly2]

If you make too much gardenia mix and need to use it up, it's incredible on pancakes!

[@julioriviera]

every video even better. when will the youtube algorithm work please...??? you deserve a lot more than that for such a great job.

[@als.2983]

Really well done step-by-step spec. Outstanding Derek. Thanks for placing a spotlight on an iconic tiki drink from the glory days.

[@MrAceFaced]

Definitely interesting to see someone else do a recipe. I just debuted a riff on the Pearl Diver and I went to the Liquid Intelligence bible for the same answer with Cold-buttered rum. My Gardenia Mix was a little different. I tried his method of essential steeping my intended flavors in my total water content (A split vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, and allspice berries) then use that hot water to dissolve the 210s, and blended in the melted butter, and then the sugar. I did actually add back the vanilla bean pods I scraped away in the beginning to give the syrup a nice softer vanilla note. After a day in the fridge it gets pretty to smelling like Cinnabon. Great to see this drink making a comeback.

[@aleonard08]

I live 30 minutes Dubar, WV and never knew there was a glass company there

[@HotTubMKE]

You can make gardenia mix without the emulsion powder. Make the gardenia mix like you did in the video and then dry flash blend for 20 seconds before adding ice. Once the melted gardenia mix is incorporated, flash blend with pebble ice for another 20 seconds and your drink will come out perfect. The gardenia mix will solidify in the fridge when you store it, to get around this I store in a glass container and microwave to make it pourable when I’m ready for a second one. The butter fat cap will keep the syrups and honey good for several weeks before mold appears.

[@AdamLienhardt]

This is the video I’ve been waiting for. Thank you for making it!!!

[@tfloyd6651]

Looks like a bullet blender (which is small volume) would be a great tool for making the gardenia mix. ... very interesting drink. Looking forward to making this, this weekend.

[@Super_Fluid]

This channel is filling a @CocktailChemistry shaped hole in my heart, great job.

[@jcloiseau]

3:55 if you're worried about calories in cocktail maybe you should drink to tap water :)

[@tylerroberts4188]

Loving all your videos! I’m addicted and can’t get enough! Causing me to look thru my modern tiki and smugglers cove books!

[@AlfonsoVallarta]

My wife adored Latitude 29's Pearl Diver. While I won't be doing this every day (I hate making mixes that'll go bad before I consume them all), I definitely will start making Pearl Divers for specific occasions. She'll probably thank you even more than I for this video. 😂

[@makeanddrink]

That's awesome! I'd assume the Pearl Diver at Latitude 29 is better than the original, and I can confirm that in a sealed jar in the freezer, the mix will keep. As for Latitude 29, I just so happen to have something coming up in the next week or so with a cocktail from there.

[@Super_Fluid]

Hey @AlfonsoVallarta, I have the same problem with my mixes! I'm working on a research project at MIT related to it actually, and am trying to gather insights from people that also have this issue. Could I get your thoughts about it sometime?

[@AlfonsoVallarta]

@@Super_Fluid sure. What sort of insight are you after?

[@eberbacher007]

I mean the good thing about gardenia mix is, that you can also put it on pancakes, waffles or whatever

[@ThroughTheMixingGlass]

Very clever! I love the idea of using an anti-clumping agent to make the Gardenia Mix a little easier to work with. Great video!

[@jonnyconnoro]

Thought I was up on all the good cocktail youtubers until now, love your videos, super high quality, great to learn more about tiki, also love the fluffy banana video

[@mikeconza1698]

Thanks!

[@makeanddrink]

Thank you!

[@vampyrbus]

Liquid intelligence is such an amazing book, Dave is a gangster. Been watching your channel for quite a while and I really like it. Great mix of history and cocktail makin'. Ps I like the light up peg board on the back bar ;)

[@makeanddrink]

Thank you! 90s kids will know its a Lite-Brite

[@vampyrbus]

@@makeanddrink what's funny is, I was trying to rack my brain for that name haha. I had a Lite Brite when I was a kid too

[@zer02her03]

This is beautiful! This use of 210S makes a classic even better. Extremely well made video from beginning to end. Found out about your channel on the tiki reddit, glad to have found you, look forward to seeing more from you.

[@makeanddrink]

Oh no Tiki Reddit!!! I’m sure everyone says only nice things! Thanks for your kind words.

[@JasonBunting]

Just tried the Pearl Diver at a tiki bar in Austin, and it was delicious... Going to follow your recipe for making my own once I'm home

[@javakidnyc1]

at Tiki Tatsu-Ya or someplace else? I'm in Austin so curious.

[@JasonBunting]

@@javakidnyc1 yes, great tiki bar. Do you live there?

[@javakidnyc1]

@@JasonBunting yep - I'm on the outer ring of town so it's a bit of a drive but the only real destination I know in Austin.

[@JasonBunting]

@@javakidnyc1 yeah, it's a great bar. It was first time visiting, and i made the mistake of thinking Zanzibar was a tiki bar, but it was pretty much terrible - it had a nice enough space, but the drinks were unimpressive.

[@jcloiseau]

Your videos as usual are top notch! 2:

[@f2343]

Excellent job Derek ! Love your presentation and education on the pearl Diver. Iv made this drink a few times, it’s good but like you said I can’t stand the clumps of butter. We definitely give this a try. Keep more coming 😀

[@JWestLoans]

Great vid

[@mikeconza1698]

I believe the clumps of butter in version 1.0 is why it was called a Pearl Diver (ie those were little “pearls” of butter) . . . .

[@makeanddrink]

Do you know where this is coming from?

[@mikeconza1698]

@@makeanddrink unfortunately not a verifiable source . . . a bartender mentioned that to me in passing a few years back . . . it makes a bit of sense, but could easily be something made up and passed along after-the-fact.

[@IverJ]

I've been making Pearl Diver Punch for a few years now, it's a favorite of mine as it has such an exotic taste and unusual mouth feel. I will definitely be trying the Gardenia Mix 2.0. Normally I have my gardenia mix in fridge and need to take it hour at least an hour ahead of time so it can soften up a bit before making the cocktail - not ideal. This idea seems great and I already have the xanthan gum & gum arabic. Cheers.

[@jamess3408]

Did you give the 2.0 version a go, how did you find it?

[@Bigpete9000]

I this version sounds good. I dont like the clumps of butter so i tend not to make it very much but i do have some gum arabic and xanthan layin around from making Kevin Kos super syrup so ill give it a try.

[@hietanbs]

Love the creativity and details in these videos! Keep the great content going, the viewers will come!

[@rwknight110]

Great channel, great video. Quick question about scaling up the Don's Gardenia mix recipe though. If I double that recipe, or triple it, do you have any suggestions on increasing the amount of 210S?

[@makeanddrink]

Thanks! Just scale up the entire recipe including the 210s

[@rwknight110]

@@makeanddrink thanks!

[@Elflavio92]

When using the gum arabic and xanthan gum mix, is it still the same amount when replacing the 210s?

[@makeanddrink]

Yes. Just need to “make your own 210S” first and the use the same amount you would as the real 210S

[@ChrisJConte]

What are some other examples of Gold Jamaican Rum?

[@makeanddrink]

This is a question that needs its own 30-minute episode. The Hamilton Gold Jamaican differs completely from Appleton Signature, Rum Bar Gold, etc. This might be something you're well aware of, but the term "gold" is relatively meaningless. It's marketing and means the color is gold. Doesn't mean it's been aged or it's a certain quality. Sometimes the gold color is from wood barrels sometimes it's from caramel coloring. Monymusk is one I just picked up but haven't tried yet, and while it's not labeled as gold I'd always suggest Appleton Signature as a great affordable Jamaican rum for cocktails.

[@SalemSeven777]

What garnish leaf did you use? And where can I get that straw?

[@makeanddrink]

It's either a banana leaf or bamboo leaf. There's links to those straws in the episode description (tiki straws)

[@EtruskenRaider]

What’s the background song? It sounds almost like Someday Soon by Wilco.

[@DigitalAndInnovation]

What is that tiny graduated cylinder that the 210s was weighed in?

[@rizzler1.2]

Hey Derek! Would you share some of the retailers you buy your booze from?

[@makeanddrink]

For sure! Best pricing and local to me is Total Wine. Even though they're a mega company, prices are too good to pass up. They sell Appleton 12 for 40% under everyone else. The rest of these are CA only but they do ship to anywhere in CA Bitters and Bottles: South SF. The best-curated selection and crazy good finds for a shop that is pretty small. K&L: In SF and Southern CA as well Mission Wine: Southern CA Hi-Time: Costa Mesa. I've never bought here but people love it. I don't mind paying $15-20 shipping if I'm buying 5-6 bottles that I can't find anywhere else. It's worth it in that case. Nowadays most places aren't stocked consistently, but if they carry Hamilton rums that's usually a good place.

[@rizzler1.2]

@@makeanddrink Great info, thank you!! I am ten minutes from Hi Times, it really is a local treasure, lol. We frequently support their business, but I was curious as to what larger retailers were a go-to. Thanks so much!

[@theolderbrother]

Followed the recipe but the butter solidified anyway when it hit the cold. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@makeanddrink]

I’ve had it happen to me once and can’t exactly remember the fix. You could try adding in more 210s but hydrating it will water and not the allspice dram. Blending it again and seeing if that works. One issue I had when testing was if the batch wasn’t large enough I wasn’t able to incorporate everything as well

[@neelsalukhe]

Can you adapt the gardenia mix recipe with soy lecithin?

[@makeanddrink]

Honestly don’t know. Modernist Pantry has some videos that explain all of the different gums and emulsifiers, but not sure when put in butter how it will work.

[@neelsalukhe]

@@makeanddrink I saw that as well. I guess all emulsifiers aren't made equal. Will have to give 210S a try!

[@SmoothCopyCatGaming]

I can’t have a Pearl without an ice ball. I’ve been spoiled by being a Latitude regular.

[@markpanlo15]

Salted or Unsalted Butter?

[@makeanddrink]

Dealers choice. I always use salted butter in pretty much everything, just depends on your preference but I think salt helps most drinks in general.

[@lrvogt1257]

Yikes a glass of butter and ingredients I wouldn't use for anything else. I'd be willing to give it a try and it might taste great but I don't see myself making one.

[@cam2724]

You don't use rum, orange juice, lime or felernum in any other cocktail?

[@lrvogt1257]

@@cam2724 not butter for sure.

[@eberbacher007]

so anybody got a clue what I have to google for that 210s stuff in europe?

[@makeanddrink]

I’d suggest making your own with a 9 to 1 ratio by weight of Gum Arabic to Xanthan. From what I know you’ll have the same exact thing.

[@eberbacher007]

@@makeanddrink would you just mix it in or do you have to soak it over night or something ?

[@makeanddrink]

I believe it needs to be blended in to work properly.

[@fugu4163]

An interesting episode but this drink only confirms my view of tiki drinks as overly sweet drinks that do its best to hide a deadly dose of alcohol.

[@krunkformula]

There is less than an oz of sweetener it's a balanced drink that plays up the flavors of the rum