#foundmyspirit at Cardinal Spirits

Earlier this year, when snow was still covering the ground, we had a party.

We invited all of our friends - the chemist, the fire eater, the pioneer, the ringmaster, the artist - and more. It was a discreet event, but when a wanderer walked in from the cold, our bartender couldn't turn him away. 

This is what happened when he took a drink...

The Wanderer found his spirit with Cardinal Spirits. 

Have you found yours? 

We're picking 10 of you to win a free t-shirt and $38 gift certificate to the distillery tasting room.

It just takes a couple minutes:

1. Share this post using the tag #foundmyspirit: http://crdnl.club/foundmyspirit

2. Snap a photo of yourself with either a bottle or a drink of Cardinal Spirits and tag it #foundmyspirit.

At the end of June we'll pick 10 winners (of this contest - you're already a winner in our eyes).

The Source: Clutch Fabrication

From our bar stools to our cocktail ingredients, everything at Cardinal Spirits has a story.
Eventually, we'll tell you all of them.

The bar stools at Cardinal Spirits.

People always want to know where we got our bar stools.

The right question to ask isn't where. It's who.

Our striking stools were made by Josh Smith, a metal fabricator here in Bloomington. 

Josh is the owner of Clutch Fabrication and Design, and he explains his work like this: "I make things that don’t exist." For Cardinal, that meant 16 bar stools, benches, a bike rack and hand rails for the front steps.

Clutch and Cardinal share a love for clean, modern design and things that are made well by hand. Oh, and efficiency. One day we'd be casually sketching hand rails on a scrap of paper, and, like magic, the rails would appear the next day. In the months before we opened, Josh's red truck pulling up to the distillery was a reason to get excited — it meant something amazing had arrived.

We stopped by Josh's workshop to, um, talk shop:

Josh owns a lot of hammers. This is one of them.

CARDINAL: How did the design for the stools at Cardinal come about?

JOSH: There’s a designer who made a hand juicer, and I’ve always loved it. The legs of the barstools came from the style of legs on the juicer. I just always thought they were awesome and it popped into my head for these stools.

Brian (my mentor) taught me to do three drawings when you’re trying to sell a product. You’ve got the Yugo, the Cadillac and the Mercedes. You are aiming for the Cadillac in the middle, but you give the client three choices and hope they pick the one you like. Cardinal picked the one I liked. 

It was the first big furniture run that I had done. It’s reflective of what my capabilities have become as a shop. I like everything about them.

They’re incredibly heavy. How much do they weigh?

I would say at least 30 pounds. They’re not going anywhere. Maybe 50 pounds, I don’t really know.

Bench frames at Cardinal, by Clutch

Triangle marker by Clutch.

Cardinal bike racks and hand rails by Clutch.

What was the first project that you were really proud of?

That always changes because my style changes. 

I built my cake stand for my wedding. It was a three-tiered square cake stand and it had this curved pieces of steel in the back. I was just moving it the other day and I was like, man, these welds are terrible. Now I could build it 10 times nicer. 

My mom still has the log bench I built her when I was 8 years old. So I bet I was pretty proud of that when I was 8. 

Josh is making a bike rack for The Back Door bar.

What are you working on right now?

A really simple bike rack for The Back Door (a Bloomington bar). It’s nothing fancy, but instead of just going out and buying one, they were nice enough to contact me to do it. 

And then a big project that stems from the Cardinal bar stools is a big U-shaped desk with overhead cabinets, filing cabinets and slab wood. It’s going to be pretty wild when it’s done. Scratch built, designed in-house. (The client) just wanted a big crazy desk. It’s like 9-foot-by-9-foot. The piece of walnut wood for one side is seven feet long and three inches thick with live edges on both sides. 

Overhead cabinets for a desk in progress.

How did you get into this kind of work?

I’ve been building stuff all my life, but it came in my early 20s when I got into motorcycles. I starting building stuff for those, all the way up to frames, and then it just snowballed from there.

About three and half years ago is when I quit my normal job — my normal job back then was a piercer at a tattoo shop here in town —  and started doing this full time.

"This is my baby," Josh says of his anvil from the 1800s. 

Clutch employee Nick Brown.

Josh works on a bike rack.

What’s your favorite kind of project?

Furniture, usually. 

So, have you made a lot of furniture for your own house? 

No, the only things I have in my house that I made are a set of bookcases I built when I was 18. I don’t have anything else in my house that I built. It doesn’t pay my bills. I think about it all the time — I’m going to do this or that — and then I never do. 

Did you inherit your handiness?

My dad taught me that I could do pretty much anything with just about anything. I took my dad’s style and made it modern. He’s a “get it done” kind of guy. He’s done some pretty crazy stuff. He’ll turn three-wheelers into four-wheelers and four-wheelers into side-by-sides and crazy contraptions.

What’s the craziest request you’ve gotten from a client?

A bar built out of a truck. That idea came from Dave, the owner of Atlas (a Bloomington bar). We’ve been friends for a long time, and he’s always coming up with wild ideas.

It’s in the bar, but it’s not done. One of these days we’ll get to it. It’s a 1957 Chevy Apache and Dave got it off of Craigslist.

It’s only the cab. I took the entire inside out and left the shell. We left the outside completely the way it was, with old patina paint. When it’s done, the roof and the windshield and the hood will open with a cable hoist in the ceiling on a big hinge in the back. It has a three-tap kegerator and it will have ice bins — basically a fully functioning bar. 

Meanwhile, back at the lab...

Any idea what's bubbling away in our teeny tiny test still? We're working like crazy on this spirit that we hope to launch in a month or so, and it's going to make our Tiki Tuesday fans veeeery happy... 

City guide: Fort Wayne

We live in an amazing place called the Midwest. It's full of great places to drink.
This series explores cities through their drinking culture, craft breweries, and craft distilleries. 

                                                        JK O'Donnell's. Photo from Visit Fort Wayne.

For a city of its size, Fort Wayne, has the kind of bar scene we’d expect from a much larger spot. In reality, it’s much more Indy than, say, Plano, Tex. But instead of the same old drafts and tired mixed drinks that those on the right and left coasts might expect from the Midwest, new alehouses and martini bars are popping up in neighborhoods around town, from Lakeside to downtown, and they’re bringing with them the kind of cool atmosphere that’s perfect for a date night, happy hour, or midweek dinner with the family.

Here are some of the best drinking spots in Fort Wayne:

Photo from Visit Fort Wayne

Best for finding a favorite: JK O’Donnell’s

121 W. Wayne St. | The web | Facebook 

An Irish pub with a menu that includes Scotch eggs, lamb pasties and bangers and mash, JK O’Donnell’s is known for its beer and liquor menu. If you’re in the mood to try it all or find a new favorite, this is your stop — and the flights are your best pick. Try one of the three beer flights, or the whiskey, bourbon, or scotch flight. Ranging in price from $6 to $16, these taste-tests are one of the best values you’ll find in town.

Order: The scotch flight for some peaty goodness, which includes 12-year Cardhu, 10-year Springbank, and 10-year Ardbeg

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For the Bourbon Sprawl cocktail at Old Crown, bourbon is infused with house-made chai syrup, giving this drink a spot-on spiced kick. Photo by Jaclyn Garver.

Dinner at Old Crown: The vegetarian bibimbap, a Korean dish of sautéed veggies with a fried egg on top. Photo by Jaclyn Garver. 

Best for old-school cocktails: Old Crown Coffee Roasters

3417 N. Anthony Blvd. | The web | Facebook

Don’t let the “coffee roasters” portion of Old Crown Coffee Roasters fool you. Yes, Old Crown serves up some of Fort Wayne’s best coffee, but it also has a full bar and specializes in the kind of menu you’d expect to find at Don Draper’s third place, full of retro cocktails like gin rickeys, Manhattans, and Old Fashioneds.

Stop by Thursday to Saturday evening for the weekly high-end dinner menu with Fort Wayne prices. Recent dishes include housemade Tuscan sausage & capellini, vegetarian korma, and grilled 10-ounce NY strip.

Order: The light and creamy ramos fizz 

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Dash-In. Photos from Visit Fort Wayne.

The hipster hotspot: Dash-In

814 S. Calhoun St. |  The web | Facebook 

Great for a lunch date or a late night drink, Dash-In is a seat-yourself kind of place, and customer art-for-sale covers the walls. One visit, you might see stained glass birds perched above the doors and the next, there’s a painting of a neon frog wearing a monocle and top hat.

When it comes to a beer list, Dash-In has major bragging rights: It was one of the first spots in Fort Wayne to offer craft beer, and diners get options that rotate through the bar’s 23 taps.

If you need to eat, get a gourmet grilled cheese, but don’t be in a hurry. This is a spot for lingering and enjoying your fare. 

Order:  Check out the beer duos, like the Red Velvet: one part Framboise and one part Guinness

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                          Acme Bar & Grill. Photo from Visit Fort Wayne.

Recreate Cheers: Acme Bar & Grill

1105 E. State Blvd. | Facebook 

Acme Bar & Grill closed down a few years back for renovations. As the biggest Fort Wayne staple on the list, the Acme was certainly missed. But when it reopened, regulars couldn’t believe the upgrades. 

Once something of a dive, Acme is now a bar where you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable bringing your kid. The servers have worked there since the beginning of time, and if you’ve been going just as long, they’ll remember your order. If you need some food with your drink, go with the pizza. It’s all about that crust—crispy without being too thin.

Order: While Acme is popular for its beer list, the seasonal cocktail list always has some winners. This season, try the Dreamsicle-esque Orange Float.

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Spend a little, drink a lot: East State Bar & Grill

1210 E. State Blvd.

How much of a hole-in-the-wall is East State Bar & Grill? It doesn’t have a website or a Facebook page.

The bar is dark, the jukebox is loud and the drinks are strong. Very strong. Exceedingly, ridiculously strong. And occasionally served in plastic cups.

And sometimes, that is just right.

Order: Something simple, like a whiskey and Coke.

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Trion Tavern. Photo from Trion.

Trion Tavern

503 Broadway St., New Haven | The web | Facebook

If you’re looking to drink in the Fort, don’t knock driving 15 minutes out of your way to hit up Trion Tavern in New Haven, which boasts 53 taps and dozens of bottles.

It has that sort of brass rail, belly-up-to-the-bar kind of feel. The space is long and narrow, so it’s not too tough to get the bartender’s attention for a refill. The staff is extra friendly and knowledgable. Not sure what to get? Your server will help. Torn between two beers? Ask your server. Want to build a flight of the best IPAs or American wheats? The server’s got your back. And the food menu is huge. Go with the Trion Nachos or the Pig Sandwich.

Order: It is tough to choose from 53+ beers ... but Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale is always a solid choice.

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The Deck. Photo from Visit Fort Wayne

Best for outside drinking: The Deck

305 E. Superior St. | The web | Facebook

Despite the fact that Fort Wayne is on three rivers, choices for riverside drinking and dining are sparse. 

Which is exactly where The Deck comes in. Relatively new to the Fort Wayne scene, The Deck is just across the parking lot from its sister restaurant, Don Hall’s Gas House. The two share a kitchen, providing for The Deck’s truncated but tasty menu; go with the fish tacos or filet sliders.

The cocktail menu isn’t vast, but it’s well-loved, in part because the drinks are good and in part because they’re served in giant mason jars.

Yes, the spot is only open during warm months, but that makes it even more a staple of a proper Fort Wayne summer.

Order: Vodka fans swear by the raspberry lemonade.

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More City Scout guides: Louisville

Whiskey-rita with White Oak Whiskey

Our White Oak Whiskey made its debut this weekend, and today we're sharing a recipe that shows just how versatile this spirit is — a tart, refreshing spin on a margarita. It has a very clever name: Whiskey-rita. 

A really tasty triple sec or dry curacao is key here. We make our triple sec from scratch at the distillery — at home, we absolutely love and worship Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao.

Whiskey-Rita

Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits White Oak Whiskey
3/4 ounce triple sec or dry curacao
3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. 
Shake, then strain into a coupe glass. 

4 awesomely easy ways to use our coffee liqueur

Till the one day when our vodka met this coffee...

Our coffee liqueur launches today and when you bring a bottle home, you might be wondering what to do with it.

First, you should know that this is not the weird, old coffee liqueur that sat in your parents' cupboard for like three decades. You'll actually want to use this ... in everything. We use Hopscotch Coffee to make it — that's the excellent roaster and coffee shop just up the street from us.

Here are 4 easy and delicious ways to drink our coffee liqueur:

1. Splash some in your coffee. No need to measure. You'll know when.

2. Make a quick little coffee soda. Pour 2 ounces of coffee liqueur into a glass, add ice and top with club soda. That is refreshing.

3. Make a White Russian. It's classic recipe that's worth committing to memory: Pour 1 ounce of coffee liqueur and 2 ounces of vodka into an Old-Fashioned glass. Add ice. Stir. Float heavy cream on top.

4. Pour it over a couple scoops of ice cream. This is dessert at your next dinner party, where your guests declare you the most amazing host ever. Yay, you!

The source: Hopscotch Coffee

From our bar stools to our cocktail ingredients, everything at Cardinal has a story.
Eventually we'll tell you all of them.
 

The folks at Hopscotch Coffee, the roaster and coffee shop at Dodds Street and the B-Line, are our friends and neighbors but we don't like them only because they are nice and nearby.

Hopscotch makes phenomenal coffee. So, that, along with being nice and nearby, makes them wonderful collaborators, too. Hopscotch is our house coffee, and we use it in our caffeinated cocktails like the Iced Hopscotch, White Russian and Cafe a l'Orange.

We've even been using Hopscotch Coffee to make our popular coffee liqueur in very tiny batches ever since we opened. This week we're finally bottling and selling it for the first time. (Speaking of which: come to the coffee liqueur release party this Thursday. White Russians! The Big Lebowski! Free mugs!)

Recently we walked the B-Line with roaster and co-owner Jane Kupersmith to talk all things Hopscotch...

Cardinal:  Hopscotch makes an amazing drink called the Cobra Verde, and it's definitely the drink of summer. Tell us everything about it.

Jane:  Cobra Verde is our iced green-coffee drink — it’s really zippy and fresh, and it doesn’t taste anything like coffee. It has organic citrus and ginger juices, a little cane sugar-simple syrup and green coffee extract. 

My childhood friend Jarrett Mitchell, who runs Wake Up Iowa City, invented the Cobra Verde recipe and extraction process, so we licensed that formally from him. We’re working on kegging it for the summer. 

Hopscotch’s espresso machine is gorgeous. What’s special about it?

That’s our Cadillac. It defines how we do coffee here.

It’s a La Marzocco FB80 — it’s the 80th anniversary machine for La Marzocco, so it’s a little bit of a retro design. We feel like it pulls really smooth shots of espresso. It extracts more evenly and is less likely to have a bitterness. 

So, when people come to the shop and want to order an espresso, we often tell them that they can try something a little stronger than they might elsewhere. If they usually get a cappuccino, which is two ounces of espresso and four ounces of milk, maybe they’ll try a cortado, which is two ounces of espresso and two ounces of steamed milk.

What should we know about the coffee at Hopscotch?

Consumers are more and more concerned with the ethics of coffee. We know that it’s possible for farms to not have the best practices in terms of labor or growing practices, and so we want to highlight farms that have really good practices. We are certified fair trade and we use that coffee often. 

We try to highlight really interesting beans that are well sourced and then we try to share the roasting process with the consumer so they are really getting information from start to finish.

One kind of fun blend is called Mother’s Little Helper, and that is a half-caf blend. It’s all fair-trade, organic coffee — one half is this really nice decaf and the other half is from this Sumatra Ketiara women-run coffee cooperative. The president of the coffee co-op is a woman, and the majority of the members are women, which is super rare in the coffee industry. They reinvest in community infrastructure and health care and schools, and it’s really nice to be able to make that connection.

What do you love about roasting?

It’s really sensory. The roaster I have has an open chamber which is cool because you can see, smell and hear the roasting process, and I feel like all those components are really critical in knowing what’s going on. There are a lot of high-tech roasters, but my roaster is small. It roasts 10-pound batches. 

There’s a thing called dry cupping where you take a bean that’s going through the roasting process and taste it, and that’s really interesting because a lot of the flavor notes that we talk about or that we list when we talk about our coffees, you can taste them right out of the roaster.

So, how's it going with Cardinal Spirits? Asking for a friend. 

Our coffee is so good. How do you make it better? You make it boozy. And serve it in a nice place. It’s a no brainer. 

That’s been just a wonderful gift. (Cardinal) is like-minded in that they saw this neighborhood and they could see the potential here, and they’re also making really wonderful craft products. It makes sense that we would try to find ways to work together. 

I am so proud of what they’re doing with our coffee. I think it’s more incredible than what we’re doing with our coffee. 

Hopscotch jazzes up coffee drinks with syrups and sodas from a local food truck called Bea’s Soda Bar. What are some favorites?

Our collaboration with Bea’s Soda Bar has lead us to some interesting drinks. Right now we have lavender syrup from Bea’s, and we’ve just been delighted with its popularity. We make lavender lattes with that, or you can buy a handmade lavender soda. 

Another seasonal drink right now with Bea’s syrup is the Bee Sting, which is a vanilla honey blossom soda (from Bea’s) with a double shot of espresso floated on top of it. It has a little bit of fizz, a little bit of sweetness and a little bit of bite. 

People talk about the interior nearly as much as the coffee at Hopscotch. How did the design come together?

We wanted it to feel well designed but we wanted everyone to feel at home and welcome, and I really feel like we did it.

Three people have had such an impact on the design. Rusty Peterson is our carpenter and we went to him with our ideas and needs, and we knew that he’s just such a thoughtful and practical builder that it would just come out like Rusty. It’s funny because Rusty says that he doesn’t have a particular aesthetic, but he does, and it’s always thoughtful, clean, simple —  his designs make sense and they’re useful and just so well crafted. 

When we told him we had this idea for a floating bench … it turned out he had this hundred-year-old, three-inch-thick, 17-foot-long piece of native beech that had been reclaimed from a demo job downtown. It was subfloor in an old car garage. So, if you come sit on our bench, that’s what you’re sitting on. 

And then (co-owner) Jeff’s wife, Erin, is a graphic designer and she came up with the mural on one of the walls. She designed and hand-painted the entire thing. It’s just lovely. It’s a sweet and humorous way to break up what otherwise could be a serious space. 

And then the third person is Vincent Edwards. He designed the chairs and stools that are in the space. What’s neat about these people is that they’re friends and loved ones, and what’s inside their minds, we get to have in the shop. 

What’s next for you guys?

There’s a lot of pressure to expand, and I think we’d like to do that. But I think we want to wear this hat for a while and see how that goes, and make sure that we’re doing everything well. 

Bourbon-berry smash: A cocktail for a cookout

Chances are you've got a cookout in your future for Memorial Day weekend. Before you fire up the grill, make this Bourbon-Berry Smash, an easy-drinking cocktail from Cardinal's bar manager Logan Hunter.

Bourbon-based cocktails are perfect with grilled and barbecued meals. Add a couple of favorite summer flavors — strawberries and mint — and splash in prosecco for a lovely bit of fizz, and you've got a most pleasant drink to sip outside.

Bourbon-Berry Smash

By Logan Hunter

Makes 1 cocktail

3 strawberries
4 mint leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1.5 ounces bourbon
1.5 ounces prosecco

Muddle strawberries, mint and sugar together until berries are good and smushy.
Add bourbon and a few heaps of ice.
Top with prosecco.

My Liquid life

Cardinal's own Becky Button on what makes Bloomington a great place to drink.

By Becky Button

Confession: I have been drinking in Bloomington for more than seven years. Well now, that seems like quite a long time when one puts words to the thought. In my time here, I have met my share of fine folks — sometimes I’m serving them drinks, sometimes they’re serving me drinks and other times we’re simply drinking together — and seven years is a wink compared to their time in Bloomington. 

But together, we share a common love and awe for a town that yields so much adventure and positivity when it comes to alcohol. I am definitely not alone. 

Yes, my friends, Bloomington is a drinker’s town. The variety of watering holes increases every year. It is the accessibility of good wine, beer and spirits that makes our Bloomington so great. This isn’t a city that simply sells alcohol. Bloomington is full of makers — craft breweries, local wineries, and the newest addition, a craft distillery. And we celebrate with events like Craft Beer Fest, Wine and Food Fest, and various musical and restaurant events that support local establishments. 

And naturally, with one kind of great variety comes variety of a different species. Being that Bloomington is the college town in Indiana, we have so many types of what I like to call “drinker identities.”

I have been, seen and spoken to them all. 

Yep, I was the under-confident college girl waiting at the steps of fraternities some freshman nights (forgive me); I was the chain-smoking porch gal staying up until 5 a.m. with her sister-friends; and yes, I was the new 21-year-old hopping from bar to bar regardless of whatever night of the week it was. 

Seven years of changing identities and I have finally come to the one I feel most comfortable with: a Cersei-level wine-loving lady who finds enjoyment in a casual drink on the patio, with a fine friend and good conversation. It is a great gift to make the passage from out-of-state student to the loveable label of "townie," and with so many wonderful opportunities in our town, it is quite fun to be a part of the scene.

My enjoyment in the Bloomington restaurant and bar scene started as it has for many of my kin, working in service. It was easy to fall in love with this town's food and drink; wine and cuisine at Finch's Brasserie; beards and beer knowledge at Function Brewing; mountains of wine and craft cocktails at Feast Cafe and Cardinal Spirits. Also, dating a sommelier — that helps. Working with sharp, motivated and thirsty enthusiasts, the relationships I have made have shaped the way I live, breathe and drink in Bloomington. 

When it comes down to it, the people who run, support, and participate in the industry are family. Mi restaurante es su restaurante. Hours have passed chatting in respective dining rooms, creating the atmosphere that is the craft drinking world of Bloomington. As time passes in our town, her personality develops, crediting the individuals and their supporters that put their heart and soul into Bloomington businesses. It is ultimately this family that gives Bloomington her heart and soul.

I adore Bloomington; always have, always will. And in an effort to summarize this small town ode, here are several questions and answers one might seek before journeying to our town: 

Can different kinds of folks thrive in our ever-changing drinking culture? Of course. 

Is the drinking scene limited to students and young adults? Absolutely not!

Can you meet fantastic people that could potentially help shape your life? Sure thing. 

Is this really a great place to live? You betcha.

Meet our #tikituesdays masterminds

Cardinal bartenders Baylee Pruitt and Chris Resnick are the wizards behind the weekly oasis known as Tiki Tuesdays. You’ll find this couple behind the bar every Tuesday night, shaking up tropical delights like Cobra Fang, Traditional Family Voodoo and Montego Babe, using fresh fruits and ingredients that they've made from scratch. The garnishes are just as spectacular — you can’t not Instagram their gorgeous drinks.

Their love for tiki runs deep, and not just at Cardinal. At home, they have more rums than most bars do, they stalk tiki treasures online and sometimes they serve drinks out of a giant conch-shaped vessel. No big deal.

OK, let’s talk tiki with these two.

You guys are really into tiki, so much so that you got matching pineapple tattoos a couple months ago. What’s the story?

CHRIS RESNICK: We woke up one day and we just really wanted to get tattoos, and we kind of wanted to get the same thing. It was right after Tiki Tuesday and we were still on a high from the night before. 

BAYLEE PRUITT: I said, "What if we got pineapples?" and Chris said, "Yesss."

Yeah, those are very real.

What got you hooked on tiki drinks in the first place?

CR: The fact that they weren't super staunchy and boring. 

BP: Yeah, they're silly and over-the-top.

CR: I think it mostly stems from rum more than anything. I was almost always a whiskey drinker, but the more tiki drinks I make, the more I find how much I enjoy rum. A lot of people don't really think they like rum. They've only had bad stuff and made terrible mistakes when they were 16 years old.

BP: I was one of those people. But now we drink rum all the time. At home, it's our go to liquor. 

When you started Tiki Tuesdays at Cardinal, there was just vodka and gin to work with — no rum yet. What’s the trick for using something other than rum successfully in a tiki drink?

CR: Making it taste like rum, mostly.

No such thing as too much garnish.

Baylee cuts each of these skulls and snakes by hand.

Is it possible to make a tiki drink with gin?

CR: Gin will actually be a really fun challenge. Tea goes really well with gin. Then something probably with cream, and maybe orange? We usually never know until we get here. 

What’s your favorite Tiki Tuesday cocktail?

CR: My favorite is the Jungle Bird, which is a classic cocktail usually made with a really deep Black Strap rum, a dark rum. So, (our version) doesn't taste quite as full as a regular one, but it's still really nice with our housemade bitter liqueur. Actually, ours is a little easier to drink than a regular Jungle Bird.

BP: My favorite one to make would probably be the Seabag, which has coconut milk, cinnamon and passion fruit, and toasted coconut shavings. I make the coconut milk, and that process is really fun and it makes the cocktail super fresh.  

Tiki mugs on loan from Baylee and Chris' personal collection.

C-caw! It's a Jungle Bird.

What’s the key to a good tiki drink?

CR: Balance.

BP: And not too sweet.

CR: Tiki drinks typically have three to nine ingredients, so there can be a lot of stuff in there, and you want to be able to taste every flavor.

Speaking of ingredients, which ones do you make from scratch?

CR: Falernum (an almond-ginger-lime syrup), coconut milk, cinnamon syrup, black pepper syrup, strawberry syrup, ginger syrup. 

 Order punch for the table and Baylee and Chris will blow your mind with this cool skull bowl. 

What do people love about your Tiki Tuesday drinks?

BP: Definitely the orange-rind skulls that I spend hours carving! Garnishing is just a huge part of a tiki cocktail. It's as important as any other part of the cocktail. I'm getting much faster at the skulls.

CR: Yeah, she can do around 50 in an hour.

BP: Which doesn't sound like a lot, but it is! 

Your garnish game is strong. And then there's the cool tiki glasses.

BP: The tiki mugs we have at Cardinal, those are from our personal collection. We have twice as much at home as what we have here. We look on eBay, and shop at places online. There's this one company (Bespoke Barware) in London that's fantastic and we lust after everything they make. We do have one thing from them.

CR: It's a big, beautiful conch shell (for shared drinks). It's enormous.

What kind of rum is best for making tiki drinks at home?

CR: I like Appleton Jamaica Rum for most purposes. For a white rum, I would go with Barbancourt.

BP: Rum is great, as far as being affordable. You can get some really nice stuff for the same price as an "eh" bottle of any other spirit.

And, finally, where do you get your sweet tiki shirts?

BP: We buy a lot of stuff from local shops in town, like A.Z. Vintage and Cherry Canary. 

CR: I got a decent haul at H&M recently. They went tropical for spring, which worked out really well for me.