Syd Thomas: Bijoul of the South

We met for a chat and a snack at a recent favorite – L.A.’s newest family-friendly tropical restaurant/bar in the center of Burbank’s entertainment district. 

Broken Compass is usually jammed at dinner time, but was deserted for lunch, so we settled into a comfortable corner booth and got straight to the topic of tiki, Syd’s creation process, his thoughts about the tiki subculture and being “typecast” as a “tiki bartender.”

Syd is a bit of a conundrum within the tiki community. While his creations definitely pay homage to the spirit of what is popular, his uniquely refined palate sets him shelves above many others. His concoctions unabashedly embrace classic tiki flavor and nearly always teeter on the razor’s edge of progressive and experimental. 

Syd’s repertoire is entirely original. He creates drinks from the bottle up, often influenced by the food he enjoys, the last vacation he took, or even a clever cocktail name that is searching for its spiritual mate. 

For those who watch his steely-eyed focus behind the stick, it’s a delightful surprise to discover that Syd is warm and authentically caring with lightning-quick wit – a quip master and a raging punster. Naming drinks is his passion; he often dreams up a beverage’s name before creating the recipe.

We asked him, “what makes a good recipe?”. Syd said that he pays particular attention to balance. Not balance as in lack of focus; instead, a clear and present flavor profile with a purpose. One wrong ingredient – even too much of a good thing – can throw a recipe off. How does he know when it’s just right? He just does. Intuition and time on task.

His high-proof formula for outrageously fantastic liquid treats is 1) Finding new flavor combinations that his customers will flip over; 2) maintaining consistency from drink to drink – Syd has a real passion for precision; and 3) telling the tale behind the glass – an absurd, quirky, or funny story that inspired the drink. Everyone knows a top-tier bartender like Syd is both a stellar mixologist AND a raconteur. 

Syd’s passionate approach to cocktails and impressive catalog of original recipes is why his devotees follow him from bar to bar. Wherever Syd serves, we see familiar faces from the cocktail’s most kitschy subculture.

Later in the month, we visited Syd at The Atomic Lounge (home base and mad cocktail lab), where he does his best experimenting. The mission? To taste his newest liquid vision – a creamy up-drink known as Bijoul of the South.

After we gawked at Syd’s vast collection of tiki collectibles and listened to some of his (outstanding!!) 80’s vinyl, Syd went to the kitchen and began to mix.

He told us stories over familiar bartender noises, including that during one Tiki Oasis convention, he had the great honor of serving a Zombie to the drummer from The Damned. That’s a golden tiki memory, to be sure.

He emerged from his laboratory with a chilled V-martini glass – an antique by the look of it – containing a frothy and creamy ivory liquid garnished with a simple sprig of dill. Yes, dill.

He explained the story behind the drink. The inspiration for this recipe started with a trip to New Orleans for the industry’s annual Tales of the Cocktail event. Syd and old pal Jim reconnected at Bijou Restaurant and Bar – just up the street from Jim’s French Quarter flat. 

The highlight of the evening was a dish that included a rich sauce infused with dill, lemongrass, and ginger. Syd’s palate was intrigued, and after a nightcap of Agricole rum at Jewel of the South, his cocktail brain was off and running with the name: Bijoul of the South.

While the Bijoul of the South’s ingredients are not typical to Tiki, the slight, familiar sour from the Yogurt Liqueur offers a characteristic Tiki tanginess, as well as a substantial body, usually achieved with fruit juices and “fat” (simple syrup.)

The layer of heavy whipping cream tames – dare we say “balances” – the tang, and the herbaceous combination of ginger and lemongrass bring an earthy pop. 

The familiar tiki combination of rhum agricole with lime is Bijoul of the South’s binding spirit of sophistication that transforms typically tame ingredients into a wonderfully dangerous and new flavor.

Why dill for the garnish? Why not? The umami fragrance was a divine note – a perfect pairing for the drink.

Is it really a “tiki” drink? Well… according to Syd, it’s more of a modern classic with an island vibe. Syd may be known as the guru of cutting-edge tiki cocktail creations, but he has a long history with traditional drinks and knows how to meld more than one genre.

Did we pique your curiosity? Did we get your taste buds all in an uproar? If yes, then GOOD. That’s our mission.

Hi there, We’re Tracy “Ty” Hall and Lisa “Lulu” Hall and we drink adult beverages.

We absolutely love food and drink. We think the best table at a restaurant/bar is – where else? – at the bar. For us, one of the best parts of our weekend is watching someone behind the stick move at lightning speed, mixing and shaking – especially when they are concocting something new and delicious.

Over the years, we’ve made friends with so many bartenders and restaurant managers, and eat/drink establishment owners, we thought it was time to share the adventure. We started our Instagram channel (follow us please) in 2019 and pivoted our blog this year from food to (mostly) all cocktails.

So glad you found us! Now comes the big pitch. We want to feature you and your cocktail on our blog. Are you a bartender with a fantastic recipe you want to talk about? Are you a bar manager with an amazing story? Just leave a comment below.