417 Tasting Don Q 2005 Single Barrel, XM Special Demerara With A Tamarind Cocktail

At the beginning of this podcast episode Sunshine had a working drink in the shaker. Tamarind nectar was in good supply behind the bar as well as fresh limes and some well prices Demerara just picked up at the local liquor barn. The first taste was good however the ladies had some immediate feedback. Starshine wanted a little mezcal and tajin seasoning added. Then it needed a bit more pineapple rum to balance. Its good to have taste testers on hand to help perfect a drink recipe. As with most drinks we craft here in the Zen Tiki Lounge, this one only has 6 ingredients and is easy to replicate in your home. Enjoy Demerara Tamarindo

Next we moved on to trying some of the rums that happened to be on sale at our local booze emporium. A few years back we happened upon the Don Q 2005 Single Barrel and recall enjoying it as a nice sipper. We were delighted that a few years later this offering from Don Q is just what we remember and stands up as a quality Puerto Rican rum with good character and a particularly anapestic aroma. The odd duck in the bunch is the XM Special Demerara. You really can’t find any good info online about this rum other than it is supposed to be full 12 year aged Demerara, not a blend. Its sweet and a little earthy. Nice for mixing and decent for sipping.

On a recent Vegas trip Sunshine and a friend tried Cheers Restore supplement after a night of ample imbibing. This supplement is packed with DHM and other vitamins that are supposed to help prevent the feeling of fatigue, headache and general hangover the next morning. Did it work? Well, no one had a hangover and we did wake up ready for another day in Las Vegas. Would we have felt the same without this supplement? Too soon to tell. Both nights we tried using this we noticed that we slept better than usual. As a frequent visitor of sin city Sunshine is accostomed to getting too little sleep. So, even if this simply helps you rest more peacefully…maybe that’s enough. Naturally the directions do say to drink water and get some sleep. We will have to try this another time or two before we give a full thumbs up or not.

Other conversation on this episode includes: plans for a future episode dedicated to the banana, avoiding hangovers, things to do with empty liquor bottles, elderly private moments, house fly infestations, an upcoming meet up in Las Vegas and the 75th birthday of the mai tai.

The Tahitian Fire Room looks great on this months shirt from Tiki Bar T-Shirt Club. We love wearing the soft cotton t’s that always strike up a conversation. Get just the one you want our get them all delivered each month.