OK full disclosure, I’m genuinely and highly surprised when I realize how many people still think that a daiquiri is a frozen strawberry drink overly sweet made with cheap, artificially made fructose syrup. While we’re at it, I get a little confused when I get a request for any other concoction that suffered from the dark age of cocktails. Any Tiki cocktails are good examples for that. Am I facing one that knows or not? Or will he return what I consider to be the proper recipe because he’s expecting a diabetes crisis mix? It’s always a guess and I try to keep in mind that people don’t come at the bar to be schooled. They come to have fun so I don’t take it too seriously. But between us, let’s clarify something, Tiki drinks suffered a lot in the past but they are GREAT and should be the exact opposite of artificial, unbalanced or dated!

This is the top 3 of my favourite classic Tiki cocktail recipes. These are my interpretations of the classics.

Hurricane

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 oz Havana Club rum 3 years
  • 1 oz El Dorado rum 12 years
  • ½ oz Plantation Overproof rum
  • ¾ oz Fresh Orange juice
  • ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz Fresh passion fruit purée
  • ½ oz Grenadine
  • ½ oz Orgeat syrup
  • ¼ oz Galiano

METHOD:

  1. Shake all ingredients over ice.
  2. Strain in a large cobbler glass or Tiki mug filled with crushed ice.
  3. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Fog cutter

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 oz Flor De Cana white rum
  • ¾ oz Courvoisier VSOP Cognac
  • ¾ oz G Vine Floraison gin
  • ½ oz Creole Shrubb orange liqueur
  • ½ oz Lustau East India Sherry
  • 1 oz Fresh orange juice
  • 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz Orgeat syrup

METHOD:

  1. Shake all the ingredients over ice except for the Sherry.
  2. Strain in a Tiki mug filled with crushed ice.
  3. Pour the sherry on top in order to make a float.
  4. Garnish with an orange slice and mint sprig.

Mai Tai

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 oz Appleton Estate rum
  • ½ oz Ron Aldea white
  • ½ oz El Dorado rum 12 years
  • ½ oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
  • 1 oz Fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz Orgeat syrup

METHOD:

  1. Shake all ingredients over ice.
  2. Strain in a glass filled with fresh ice.
  3. Garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig.

If you are new to the amazing world of Tiki, there’s one thing you have to keep in mind. Have fun! If you want to add an umbrella to keep your ice from melting down on a hot summer day, it’s time to do it shamelessly. If you want to use your hollow lime halves to pour a shot of overproof rum in and caught it on fire to flame grated nutmeg, go for it!  It smells great and makes a cool show when lights are dimmed. Over the top garnishes, fun times, boozy drinks and fresh ingredients are the key words for a successful Tiki night!

Cheers and Aloha!!!

Jean-Felix

Tiki CocktailThis is a selection of bar tools I’m dying to get for myself. I even went further in my shopping and found some amazing home decor pieces that would make your home bar, a dream bar.

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