When reviewing the cocktail menu at a jazz club, you might not expect to find a tiki cocktail on the list, but maybe you should.
The Wild Child is just such a beachy South Pacific-themed gem of a beverage that jumps out from the cocktail list at Treme, a blues and jazz club in downtown Islip named for the New Orleans neighborhood where jazz originated, with a Nawlins ambiance to match.
“I wanted something ‘tiki’ on the cocktail menu,” says Josh Thompson, owner of Treme, which serves up Cajun-style tapas with a side of sweet tunes. “Something that we could pay homage to Trader Vic and Don Beach with. Both of these gentlemen were considered pioneers in tiki culture.”
To capture the culture in a glass, Thompson did his best to stay true to such cocktails of the past by incorporating traditional ingredients into The Wild Child, which he named after nothing in particular. Naming cocktails isn’t something he enjoys as much as say, his club’s epic Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party, which falls on Feb. 25 this year and features the Slap Yo’ Mama Jazz Brigade.
The mixture consists of falernum, lime juice, orgeat, cream of coconut, silver Jamaican rum, and raspberry puree.
“We do make our own orgeat syrup and raspberry puree,” Thompson says. “This cocktail starts with a light coating of raspberry puree on the bottom of the glass. Then we combine the ingredients, shake, and strain over crushed ice. Garnish with a flower and add a pinch of coconut shavings over the top.”
Even though guests are oftentimes a “little intimidated by the ingredients” at first, he says, they typically end up changing their minds after learning how the drink’s components work together to deliver an excotic beverage bursting with tropical flavor.
“The guests have really enjoyed this cocktail,” he says. “Some people come by just for The Wild Child. I really enjoy watching someone try it for the first time. It’s always love at first sight. Quite often someone sees the drink from across the bar and wants to order one.”
Treme is located at 553 Main St. in Islip. It can be reached at 631-277-2008 or tremeislip.com
