The Best Bars in World of Tile (conclusion)

The Best Bars in the World (continued)

Every sailor in the Pacific knows the Nite Capt in San Francisco. This is no ordinary gin mill; it is a place of surprising, albeit thoroughly rustic, charm and warmth. To the wanderers of the sea, it is a home. Captain Bertil Parkstrom, the "Big Squarehead," is always there to greet them with a slap on the back with his ham-like hand and a giant glass of his fabled Navy Glšgg.
As cultured as San Francisco is, it is still the port of the Pacific, a frantic city teeming with the raw energy of foreign influences. The Nite Capt lets these disparate elements come together in friendly camaraderie. (If anyone gets out of line, one look from the big steely-eyed Swede behind the bar is usually enough to restore peace.)
The Navy Glšgg is a perfect metaphor for this melting-pot atmosphere, with its East-meets-West ingredients that pack a powerful punch. The Nite Capt is on O'Farrell Street, in the lively entertainment district near Union Square.
NAVY GL…GG
1 oz. dark Jamaica rum
1/2 oz. Russian vodka
1/2 oz. aquavit
1 oz. lingonberry syrup
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. lychee juice
1/2 cup crushed ice
Put all ingredients into blender. Blend at low speed 15 seconds. Pour into double old fashioned glass. Add more ice if desired ("Ja, for de ladies," as Capt. Parkstrom says). Serve with straw.

The only authentic Tiki bar in the United States is the Pogo Pogo Club in Honolulu. Here the Mai Tai is served in the traditional way: piping hot, with a piece of genuine lava in the drink. Few Mainlanders know that the Ma'i Ta'i (as it is known to islanders) originated as a sacred drink to placate the tempestuous fire goddess PelŽ, who is believed to control the volcanoes of Polynesia. MA'I TA'I

3 ozs. light rum
1/2 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
Piece of hot lava
Shake rum, lime juice, triple sec and sugar with no ice. Strain into cup made from a large, drained coconut shell. Using bamboo or wooden spoon, carefully lower ice-cube-size piece of hot (about 400 degrees Fahrenheit) hardened lava into cup. If lava is unavailable, heat small chunk of rock (such as granite) in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes and put in drink.

In fact, genuine Tiki bars function as temples to PelŽ. Their bartenders are practicing priests, the waitresses are acolytes and the Tiki statues are not mere ornaments but revered representations of Hawaiian gods. The serving and consumption of strong libations, especially the Ma'i Ta'i, is a solemn form of worship for them.
Outsiders are welcome at the Pogo Pogo Club, but they should be careful to respect the religious significance of the cocktail service. They will be rewarded by a truly unique experience of "going native." The Pogo Pogo Club is in Honolulu's fashionable Waikiki Beach, on Hotel Street near the Outrigger and Royal Hawaiian hotels.

Bustling, beguiling Hong Kong is a paradox: very modern, no-nonsense and British on the surface, yet unmistakably part of the inscrutable Orient. A striking example of this combination is the Double Dragon Lounge, a splendidly ornate room that is almost incongruous in the clubby surroundings of the Cathay Pacific Hotel. It seems garish to Western eyes, with its bright silk furnishings and ubiquitous prancing dragon motif, but the room exudes a peculiarly Chinese air of imperial dignity. This yin-yang character of the Cathay Pacific makes it the perfect home-away-from-home for a number of British luminaries. It is said to be James Bond's favorite Hong Kong hotel. HONG KONG FLING

1-1/2 ozs. English gin
1 oz. cherry-flavored brandy
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. lychee juice
Dash of grenadine
Slice of lime
Iced club soda
Shake gin, cherry brandy, lime juice, lychee juice and grenadine with ice. Pour unstrained into prechilled highball glass. Fill glass with soda. Garnish with lime and paper umbrella, if desired.

With its broad picture windows, the Double Dragon Lounge has a commanding view of Hong Kong harbor, making it a favorite place for people to sit and gaze at the harbor, idly watching the comings and goings of ships and aircraft from all over the world. This activity is particularly popular with employees from the many nearby embassies.
The Double Dragon is known the world over; it is one of the few international establishments that advertises in the New York magazine CLUE. The Cathay Pacific Hotel is in Hong Kong's central district on Queen's Road.

No treatise on liquid cheer is complete without a mention of beer, the favorite of kings and poets throughout the ages. Beer drinking is synonymous with the famous "brown pubs" of Amsterdam, but enlightened bibbers know that the very best Dutch pub is in the exciting cosmopolitan port city of Rotterdam. For this is the home of the Elm Tree and an especially exquisite, rare beer. Many of northern Europe's cities are identified with celebrated brews: WŸrtzberger, Dortmunder and Amstel to name a few. Yet the king of them all is the lesser-known Rotter.
Brewed only in Rotterdam according to a closely guarded secret formula, Rotter is complex, subtle, thoroughly refreshing with a lingering finish that magically blends softness and bite. The only misfortune is that Rotter does not keep well in bottles, hence one reason for its rarity. The few cases that make it to these shores taste good, but the flavor is pallid and flat compared to the stuff sold domestically. The other reason why this regal pilsner is scarce has to do with brewer Pieter van Vorst's profound fear that someone will figure out the family's ancient recipe. Because van Vorst distrusts all tavern owners except his old friend from the Resistance, Joop van der Graaf, Rotter is available on draft in only one public place: the Elm Tree.

Perhaps this is just as well, because the Elm Tree is a sublime little pub. It serves hearty, simple seafood dishes and typically Dutch mayonnaise-smothered French fries that taste like a feast when accompanied by the heavenly Rotter.
Situated on the Westerwagenstraat near the World Trade Center and the Rotte River, the Elm Tree attracts people from diverse walks of life: stevedores, artists, merchants and diplomats. It is also reportedly the site of more than a little international intrigue, being in the midst of a major port that is so near the headquarters of N.A.T.O. and the U.N. International Court of Justice. But whether they come to uncover intelligence or just a good time, all patrons of the Elm Tree enjoy a cold glass of the incomparable Rotter.

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	The only authentic Tiki bar in the United States is the Pogo Pogo Club in Honolulu. Here the Mai Tai is served in the traditional way: piping hot, with a piece of genuine lava in the drink. Few Mainlanders know that the Ma'i Ta'i (as it is known to islanders) originated as a sacred drink to placate the tempestuous fire goddess PelŽ, who is believed to control the volcanoes of Polynesia.	MA'I TA'I 3 ozs. light rum 1/2 oz. triple sec 1/2 oz. pineapple juice 1/2 oz. lime juice 1/2 tsp. sugar Piece of hot lava Shake rum, lime juice, triple sec and sugar with no ice. Strain into cup made from a large, drained coconut shell. Using bamboo or wooden spoon, carefully lower ice-cube-size piece of hot (about 400 degrees Fahrenheit) hardened lava into cup. If lava is unavailable, heat small chunk of rock (such as granite) in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes and put in drink.
In fact, genuine Tiki bars function as temples to PelŽ. Their bartenders are practicing priests, the waitresses are acolytes and the Tiki statues are not mere ornaments but revered representations of Hawaiian gods. The serving and consumption of strong libations, especially the Ma'i Ta'i, is a solemn form of worship for them. Outsiders are welcome at the Pogo Pogo Club, but they should be careful to respect the religious significance of the cocktail service. They will be rewarded by a truly unique experience of "going native." The Pogo Pogo Club is in Honolulu's fashionable Waikiki Beach, on Hotel Street near the Outrigger and Royal Hawaiian hotels.

	Bustling, beguiling Hong Kong is a paradox: very modern, no-nonsense and British on the surface, yet unmistakably part of the inscrutable Orient. A striking example of this combination is the Double Dragon Lounge, a splendidly ornate room that is almost incongruous in the clubby surroundings of the Cathay Pacific Hotel. It seems garish to Western eyes, with its bright silk furnishings and ubiquitous prancing dragon motif, but the room exudes a peculiarly Chinese air of imperial dignity. This yin-yang character of the Cathay Pacific makes it the perfect home-away-from-home for a number of British luminaries. It is said to be James Bond's favorite Hong Kong hotel.	HONG KONG FLING 1-1/2 ozs. English gin 1 oz. cherry-flavored brandy 1/2 oz. lime juice 1/2 oz. lychee juice Dash of grenadine Slice of lime Iced club soda Shake gin, cherry brandy, lime juice, lychee juice and grenadine with ice. Pour unstrained into prechilled highball glass. Fill glass with soda. Garnish with lime and paper umbrella, if desired.
With its broad picture windows, the Double Dragon Lounge has a commanding view of Hong Kong harbor, making it a favorite place for people to sit and gaze at the harbor, idly watching the comings and goings of ships and aircraft from all over the world. This activity is particularly popular with employees from the many nearby embassies. The Double Dragon is known the world over; it is one of the few international establishments that advertises in the New York magazine CLUE. The Cathay Pacific Hotel is in Hong Kong's central district on Queen's Road.