Cobra’s Fang & Tiki Giveaway

If you know me at all, you know that I’m obsessed with Tiki. I’ve talked about this at length before so I won’t rehash the finer points of my affection for this kitschy cocktail culture in this post but I am delighted to announce a giveaway that should help indoctrinate you into the world of Tiki.

I’m giving away two tickets to the Rhum Rhapsodies Cocktail Competition: A Tribute to Tiki taking place at Q Bar in Queen Street Fare on Tuesday, October 15th, doors open at 6:30 p.m. Flor de Caña Rum will be the primary spirit in these Tiki themed cocktails. Guests will have a chance to enjoy 7 cocktails at your leisure while interacting and getting to know some great mixologists from the Ottawa cocktail scene.

This is a competition for the bartenders by bartenders – celebrating the hard-working individuals who are innovating to expand the horizons of the cocktail scene in Ottawa. There will be a viewer’s choice award as well as a judge’s choice so they’ll need your help in determining who will take home the title of ‘Rhapsody Champion’.

Participating bars and restaurants include: Supply and Demand, Common Eatery, Bar Lupulus, Mati, Rabbit Hole, Riviera, and OZ Kafe. Tickets are valued at $65 and include a 12oz ceramic Tiki mug to take home with you, a $15 food voucher to use at any of the vendors in Queen Street Fare (to help you lay down a solid base for all that rum), seven tokens to enjoy seven different cocktails from the competing bartenders, and a sample of Flor de Caña rum.

Head over to this Instagram post to enter the giveaway and have a chance at winning two tickets to this awesome event. If you want to hedge your bets and play it safe, you can purchase tickets here.

To help you get in the spirit, I’m sharing this recipe for a little-known classic Tiki cocktail called the Cobra’s Fang. This drink was created at Don the Beachcomber – the Los Angeles-based restaurant the was the birthplace of Tiki culture in America.

The history of Don the Beachcomber is a fascinating one and certainly worth the read. The restaurant is credited with creating many Tiki essentials such as the Mai Tai and the Zombie. Certainly, the Cobra’s Fang hasn’t enjoyed the same renown as those two drinks but isn’t any less delicious.

Part of the reason that the Cobra’s Fang hasn’t become a household name is because the original recipe from Don the Beachcomber called for Fassionola Syrup – an ingredient which Donn created and took the recipe to his grave. The syrup was also part of the original Hurricane recipe. Several bartenders have tried their hand at recreating the syrup and, if you’re feeling so inclined, you can follow this recipe to make your own version.

Instead of trying to make my own Fassionola syrup I’ve substituted passionfruit syrup and fresh orange and lime juices to mimic the flavour.

The end result is a fruit-forward cocktail that has layers of complexity and, as in most Tiki drinks, doesn’t shy away from the alcohol content. This tipple could be dangerous if consumed too quickly or in excess – please imbibe responsibly!

Cobra’s Fang

Print

Cobra’s Fang

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cobra’s Fang

Ingredients

• 1½ oz Appleton Estate Reserve Rum
• ¾ oz Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum
• 1 tsp Dillon's Niagara Peach Schnapps
• 2 dashed Dillon's Absinthe
• ¾ oz lime juice
• ½ oz orange juice
• ½ oz Marie Brizard Passion Fruit Syrup
• ½ oz Cinnamon Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• 1 sprig of mint, for garnish
• 1 wheel of lime, for garnish

Cinnamon Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Instructions

1. Short shake all the ingredients with 3 ice cubes, then strain into a tiki mug filled with crushed ice. Garnish with the mint sprig and lime wheel and serve with a straw.

Cinnamon Syrup

1. Combine sugar, water, and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let sit at room temperature overnight. 

2. Remove cinnamon sticks and store syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from: Kaplan, David, Nick Fauchald, and Alex Day. “Cobra’s Fang.”  Death & Co. Modern Classic Cocktails. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2014.