As the end of summer approaches, you may feel a little depressed. We get it – we are too. However, instead of sitting inside and crying about how summer flies by too quickly, you should do the exact opposite and have a party. Tiki parties are cool and what better way to celebrate a great summer than to throw a tropical-themed gathering?
We recommend going all out on the decorations and food (tiki bar caddy, tropical fruit centerpieces, pineapple desserts, etc.) but where we’re really the most helpful is with the drinks. No good tiki party is complete without some festive libations to keep guests happy, so consider serving all or some of these cocktails.
The Zombie
Don Beach, founder of the Don the Beachcomber restaurants, played a big part in creating the Tiki idea in the 1930s. The recipe below is his original Zombie recipe, though it did change occasionally over the years. Beware: these drinks are strong – so strong, that Don would only let his customers have a maximum of two. Follow the link above for full instructions, but here’s your list of ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Gold Puerto Rican rum
- 1.5 oz. Jamaican amber rum
- 1 oz. Lemon Hart 151-proof Demerara rum
- 3/4 oz. lime juice
- 1/2 oz. falernum
- 2 tsp. unsweetened white grapefruit juice
- 1 tsp. cinnamon-infused simple syrup
- 1 tsp. grenadine
- 1/8 tsp. Pernod Absinthe (or another absinthe-like liquor)
- 1-2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- Sprig of mint for garnish
Hawaiian Black Eye
This is an adaptation of the Hawaiian Eye cocktail, but the “black eye” part comes from adding awesome blackberries. The garnish itself is also really neat looking, so spend some time on it and your guests will be impressed.
Blend all of these ingredients, pour into your favorite tiki-themed mug and then garnish with the blackberry hat (instructions found in the link above):
- 5 blackberries (save one for garnish)
- 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 oz. Fee Brother’s Falernum
- 1/2 oz. simple syrup
- 1/2 oz. Kraken Black Spiced Rum
- 1 oz. Mount Gay Eclipse Rum
- 3 dashes of Miracle Mile Forbidden Bitters
- 1 cup ice
Potted Parrot
The first two drinks we mentioned were a bit more complicated, but the Potted Parrot cocktail only has a few ingredients, it’s easy to make and it tastes delicious.
Fill a shaker with ice, add these ingredients, shake, and then pour into a tall glass. Garnish with a citrus wheel:
- 2.5 oz. Mount Gay white rum
- 1/2 oz. Cointreau
- 2 oz. Lemon juice
- 3 oz. Orange juice
- 1/2 oz. Orgeat syrup