Tiki’s origins are checkered: Its name comes from the first man of Maori mythology (think: Adam in the Bible), its design aesthetic often features replicas of Polynesian carvings (that traditionally referenced sacred gods or ancestors), and its founding fathers were two Americans (Don the Beachcomber, aka Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, and Trader Vic, aka Victor Jules Bergeron). However, the cocktails this “culture” spawned—regardless of how sugar-soaked they became over the years—are boozy, complex, and delightfully refreshing. Harking to the originals, our versions are made with fruit juice and other high-quality mixers that allow the flavors of each ingredient to shine—and we don’t skimp on whimsical garnishes. These are party potions, after all. Bottoms up!
Jungle Bird
This bracingly bitter cocktail might seem a bit out-of-step with other tiki drinks—but its elaborate garnishes sure aren’t.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces black rum
- ¾ ounce Campari
- 1½ ounces pineapple juice
- ½ ounce lime juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Pineapple wedge for garnish
- Pineapple leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Add rum, Campari, juices, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until cold and frosty, about 30 seconds. Fill a double old fashioned glass with crushed ice. Strain cocktail into the ice-filled glass and garnish with the pineapple wedge and leaves. Serve.
- MAKE IT A JELLO SHOT: Bring ¾ cup water and ¼ cup lime juice to a boil, and pour over 3 ounces of pineapple gelatin mix. Stir 2 minutes, or until dissolved. Add ⅔ cup black rum and ⅓ cup Campari and stir. Ladle mixture into Jell-O shot cups and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Dice a fresh pineapple and set aside 16 pieces. Gently insert one pineapple cube into each partially gelled shot. Chill 2 more hours, or overnight, until firm. Serve.
Corn ’n’ Oil
This spiced drink gets its name from the black rum, which looks like crude oil in the glass. Sip it alongside grilled meat or barbecue ribs.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces black rum
- ½ ounce citrus-spice syrup see below
- ½ lime juiced
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until cold and frosty, about 30 seconds. Fill a double old fashioned glass with crushed ice. Strain cocktail into the ice-filled glass and garnish with a swizzle stick.
- CITRUS-SPICE SYRUP: Add 2 cinnamon sticks, the zest and juice of 1 lime, ¼ teaspoon whole cloves, ½ teaspoon almond extract, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup water to a saucepot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon and cool syrup to room temperature. Strain syrup and transfer to glass container. Store unused syrup in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Scorpion Bowl
Floral and juicy, this communal sip goes down just a little too easy. Fresh-squeezed orange juice will lend bright flavors to the cocktail—if you don’t have it on hand, bottled is fine.
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed ice
- 3 ounces orgeat syrup such as Fee Brothers
- 8 ounces orange juice
- 4 ounces lime juice
- 8 ounces dark rum
- 2 ounces brandy
Instructions
- Add ice to a scorpion or punch bowl or another shallow vessel that holds at least 40 ounces of liquid. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or blender, combine orgeat, juices, rum, and brandy. Mix (or pulse several times) to incorporate. Pour mixture into the scorpion bowl and serve with straws.
- MAKE IT A JELL-O SHOT: Bring 1 cup coconut milk to a boil and pour over 3 ounces of pineapple gelatin mix. Stir 2 minutes, or until dissolved. Add 1 cup light rum and stir to combine. Ladle mixture into Jell-O shot cups and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Rinse 16 cocktail cherries in a colander until the water runs clear, then pat the cherries dry. Gently insert one cherry into the partially gelled shots, and sprinkle shots with unsweetened shredded coconut. Chill 2 more hours, or overnight, until firm. Serve.
Mai Tai
This classic quaff is pleasingly simple, both in flavor and preparation.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dark rum
- 1 ounce light rum
- ½ ounce orgeat syrup such as Fee Brothers
- ½ ounce dry orange Curaçao
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 lime wheel for garnish
- 1 sprig fresh mint for garnish
Instructions
- Add rums, orgeat, Curaçao, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until cold and frosty, about 30 seconds. Fill a double old fashioned glass with crushed ice. Strain cocktail into the ice-filled glass and garnish with the lime wheel and mint. Serve.
- MAKE IT A JELL-O SHOT: Bring ¾ cup water and ¼ cup lime juice to a boil, and pour over 3 ounces of orange gelatin mix. Stir 2 minutes, or until dissolved. Add 1 cup dark rum and 1 tablespoon citrus-spice syrup (see recipe for Corn ’n’ Oil above), and stir. Ladle mixture into hollowed-out orange halves and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. When firm, cut into wedges resembling orange slices and serve.
Rum Runner
Delightfully fruity and refreshing, this sipper’s lilac hue will put you in a playful mood.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces dark rum
- ½ ounce crème de cassis
- ½ ounce crème de banane
- ½ ounce citrus-spice syrup see recipe for Corn ’n’ Oil above
- 2 ounces orange juice
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 orange wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Add rum, crème de cassis, crème de banane, citrus-spice syrup, and juices to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until cold and frosty, about 30 seconds. Fill a highball glass with crushed ice. Strain cocktail into the ice-filled glass and garnish with the orange wheel. Serve.
Piña Colada
Sweet, frothy, and oh-so-coconutty, this cocktail is a tropical dessert in a glass. Be sure to use sweetened, thick coconut cream here, not coconut milk—the texture of the drink depends on it. Look for the cream in the garnish and mixer section of your liquor store.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce light rum
- 1 ounce dark rum
- 2 ounces coconut cream
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 cup crushed ice
- 1 pineapple wedge for garnish
- 1 cocktail cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Combine rums, coconut cream, pineapple juice, and crushed ice in a blender. Pulse several times to break up the ice, then process until smooth and uniform, about 30 seconds.
- Pour cocktail into a chilled highball glass and garnish with the pineapple wedge and cherry. Serve.
- MAKE IT A JELL-O SHOT: Bring 1 cup coconut milk to a boil and pour over 3 ounces of pineapple gelatin mix. Stir 2 minutes, or until dissolved. Add 1 cup light rum and stir to combine. Ladle mixture into Jell-O shot cups and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Rinse 16 cocktail cherries in a colander until the water runs clear, then pat the cherries dry. Gently insert one cherry into the partially gelled shots, and sprinkle shots with unsweetened shredded coconut. Chill 2 more hours, or overnight, until firm. Serve.
Rebecca Haley-Park
Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.
