Trader Pup invited me to pour the shot of lime juice into my highball cocktail.
The drink was uplit and garnished with butterflies, so there was already a sense of mystique. I used a swizzle to stir, and, like magic, the drink’s color dramatically changed from blue to purple. The Butterfly Tai, Trader Pup’s original creation, which he proudly calls the gayest cocktail ever, is an tiki drink made with pea flower (clitoria ternatea) infused rum. After seeing bartenders use this for other craft cocktails, Terry experimented first by using pea flower curacao, but then realized that infusing his own white rum would provide the most dramatic color change. The result dramatically changes a chrysalis Mai Tai into a drink with wings – the Butterfly Tai.
This was only one of several dramatic experiences I had at the UNPOC Lounge.
Read the rest of the story in Polynesiacs: Tiki at Home, page 302.
UNPOC Lounge, Tehachapi, California
