Rum isn’t usually everyone’s go to spirit, but we’re changing that.
We at Saucey are huge fans of all things Tiki. Rum isn’t usually everyone’s go to spirit, besides mixing it with a little Coca-Cola or orange juice every now and then most of us don’t know what to do with it. But there are few things more indulgent and decidedly summertime than the golden concoction of rum and fruit juices, and we feel the whole drink style is drastically underrated.
Tiki Culture boomed in post WWII America, servicemen returned home with tales and souvenirs from the South Pacific and the income boost for the middle class in a post war economy saw a lot more time spent on leisure and dining. Mid-century restaurants with Polynesian themed menus and flamboyant tropical decor started cropping up along the coast of Southern California and the trend spread throughout the rest of the United States pretty rapidly. By the time Hawaiian statehood became official in 1959, the tiki aesthetic reached far beyond restaurants and could be seen from popular home decor styles to pop culture with shows like Gilligan’s Island.
The part of Tiki culture that still manages to hang on are the drinks. Whether you believe Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron actually deserves credit for creating the Mai Tai or you’re on team Don The Beachcomber (the two had a contested feud for said credit, it was a thing), we can all agree that these two restaurateurs and their respective brands have enriched all of our lives with the invention of Tiki cocktails.
Here is the rundown of our go-to tropical recipes:
The Quintessential Mai Tai
Ingredients
4 oz. light rum
1 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. coconut rum
4 oz. orange juice
1 oz. dark rum
Maraschino cherries or oranges for garnish, if desired
Instructions
In a shaker, combine light rum, Triple Sec, coconut rum and orange juice with 2 ice cubes. Shake vigorously and pour evenly into two glasses. Float 1/2 oz. of dark rum on top of each drink. Serve with a straw and garnish as desired.
Saucey’s Favorite Pina Colada
Ingredients
½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into 1½-inch pieces
6 ounces sweetened cream of coconut (preferably Coco López)
2 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
8 ounces white rum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 ounces dark rum (optional)
Maraschino cherries and lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
Place pineapple pieces in a plastic freezer bag and lay them flat. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours. This is the most important step! Shake cream of coconut and coconut milk in their cans before measuring. Purée pineapple, cream of coconut, coconut milk, white rum, lime juice, and 3 cups ice (about 15 oz.) in a blender until smooth. Transfer blender cup to freezer and freeze until mixture is thickened (it should be the consistency of a milkshake), 25–35 minutes. Blend again until mixture is the perfect slushy frozen drink consistency. Divide among glasses. Top off each with ½ oz. dark rum, if using, and garnish each with a cherry and lime wedge.
The Fog Cutter
Ingredients
2 ounces orange juice
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce orgeat
1 1/2 ounces white rum
1/2 ounce gin
1/2 ounce brandy
1/2 ounce sherry
Instructions
Add everything except sherry to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Carefully pour the sherry on top of the drink.
Singapore Sling
Ingredients
6 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons gin
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grenadine
2 dashes triple sec
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Instructions
Fill a shaker with ice. Add ingredients to shaker and shake for about 1 minute, keep shaking! Strain over ice into a tall glass.
Planter’s Punch (Serves 8)
Ingredients
1/2 cup canned chopped pineapple in heavy syrup, plus 1/4 syrup from the can
2 ounces dark rum
6 ounces white rum
6 ounces spiced rum
6 ounces aged rum
3 ounces fresh lime juice
8 ounces chilled fresh orange juice
Ice
About 16 ounces club soda
8 orange slices and 8 mint sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the chopped pineapple with the syrup and the dark rum. Strain the mixture into a pitcher and add the white, spiced and aged rums as well as the lime juice and orange juice. Pour the punch into ice-filled collins glasses and top with club soda. Garnish with the orange slices and mint sprigs and serve.
The Hula Dancer
Ingredients
1 ounce Pineapple Vodka
1/2 ounce vanilla rum
1 ounce lychee puree (or lychee syrup)
Splash of fresh lemon juice
3 ounces pineapple juice
Grenadine
Instructions
Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass, then add a little Grenadine for that gorgeous pink color.
Zombie (A Classic Tiki Cocktail)
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces amber rum
1/2 ounce dark rum
1/2 ounce 151-proof rum
3/4 ounce fresh pineapple juice
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce Velvet Falernum (substitute with equal parts Orgeat syrup
and lime juice if you can’t find this particular ingredient)
1/2 ounce brown sugar simple syrup (brown sugar dissolved in equal
part simmering water and cooled)
Mint sprig, for garnish
Instructions
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the liquids and stir well. Strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with the mint.
Spicy Coconut Fling
Ingredients
6 ounces fresh pineapple puree
2 ounce vodka
2 ounce coconut water
1-inch ginger, minced, adjust according to taste and heat preference
Mint Leaves, garnish
Ice
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake. Finely strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with mint leaves.
Pineapple Rum Punch
Ingredients
3 cups Ginger Ale
3 cups pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups Malibu rum
Fresh pineapple chunks
Instructions
Combine all ingredients into pitcher or serving bowl over ice.
The Grog
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces spiced rum, preferably Captain Morgan
3 ounces chilled brewed lemon verbena tea (plain lemon tea will work as well)
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Dash of lemon bitters
1 lemon wedge, for garnish
Instructions
Add all ingredients into cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and garnish with the lemon wedge.
So there you have it, lots of rum and lots of juice. We’re betting you have a pretty extensive shopping list now, so we’ll leave you too it. kāmau kī`aha!
There should be photos of the finished product – I don’t know what they’re meant to look like or if mine came out correctly!