Jade Banana Telegraph: Tiki 101, Oakwash and Banana Juice

Welcome to another edition of the Jade Banana Telegraph. This week we’re sharing our first Tiki 101, introducing our feature on Oakwash and providing a peek into our work-in-progress liquid gold syrup aka banana juice aka banana oleo saccharum.

Our new series, Tiki 101, introduces the basics and fundamentals of tiki. Everyone needs to start somewhere and for our first installment, we’re covering must-read tiki books.

Many discover tiki by stumbling into a tiki bar and falling in love with the experience. Naturally, you want to learn more about the world of tiki and escapism. So if you’ve just had your first cocktail at Tikitatsu-ya, Lost Idol or Three Dots and a Dash and you’re hungry for more, these are the must-read, must-have books about tiki:

1) Smuggler’s Cove by Martin and Rebecca Cate. This is as close to the tiki bible as it gets. Classic cocktail recipes, history, lore: this book is number one for a reason. Also, the book crucial for learning about the vast varieties of rum and how they’re used in tiki cocktails.

2) Beach Bum Berry’s Grog Log by Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry and Annene Kaye. Jeff is another legendary figure in the tiki community. The Grog Log is the first in his series of books, but it’s as good as any of the rest. Grog Log is great for exploring even more recipes.

3) Minimalist Tiki by Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith. A relatively recent riff on Tiki cocktails. When constructing the range of classic tiki cocktails, one discovers the vast number of ingredients, rums, juices and extras required. Minimalist Tiki tries to strip this back and simplify (where it can). This is a good, modern take on cocktails.

4) Polynesiacs by Tiki Tom-Tom. For inspiration of Americana tiki/escapism culture, this is the go-to. Great for visualizing what your home bar could look like. At the very least, a fun and beautiful read.

5) Tropical Standard by Garret Richard and Ben Schaffer. This is a new go-to for tiki enthusiasts. Classic and new cocktails using modern techniques, ingredients and flavors. If you’re looking to get in the weeds, and have lots of space to keep your ingredients, rums and barware, this is the book for you.

Onto our next featured Artist: Oakwash. Omar ‘Oakwash’ Girona is a red hot ceramicist making a variety of slipcast pieces. He’s taken the tiki world by storm, impressing with his vast number of designs and glazes.

Omar is based in Louisiana where he produces from a studio (built himself with some help from family and friends) behind his home. He credits the way of life in Louisiana with shaping his work ethic. This is evident in the volume of work Oakwash has released lately.

Omar’s been creating since 2019, going on to full-time in 2020. He takes inspiration from his kids and Disney concept artwork.

What’s been very impressive over the past six months is the volume of designs that Oakwash has launched which culminated in a webstore launch at earlier in January this year. This includes three mugs in at least three or four glaze options along with three pendants in multiple glaze options as well. Even more pendants, mugs and catchalls are on the way.

What I’m most impressed with is Oakwash’s storytelling behind the new pieces. As described on Oakwash.com, each piece has a story behind it, along with an ‘ar-ti-fact’ number designating the position of the edition in the Oakwash collection.

Big thanks to Omar for sharing some details about himself. Be sure to check out his work at https://www.instagram.com/oakwash/ and Oakwash.com.

Lastly, a sneak peek at my homemade banana juice aka banana oleo saccharum. Oleo saccharum (latin for oil-sugar) is typically made by combining citrus peels with sugar and letting it sit for a few days. The sugar draws the moisture out of the peels and creates a wonderfully flavorful and sweet syrup. It’s also a joy to watch the dry mixture liquify over a few days.

We went with about 300 grams of banana peels and 450 grams of demerara sugar, to go for a deep sweetness. I’ve still got a few days left, but I plan to add it to a Mai Tai, Jungle Bird and coffee based cocktail. Any other can’t-miss recipes to use it with? We’ll be sure to share the results