Summer
Holiday in a glass
To travel is to live, especially if there are good cocktails along the way. The tiki classics are undeniably good in summer: rum, lime and pineapple joined into something that tastes of holidays and no plans.
Two ingredients keep coming back and are worth getting to know: orgeat, an almond syrup with a hint of marzipan, and falernum, a spiced lime syrup from Barbados with cloves and ginger. With those two in the cupboard, half of this list is suddenly within reach.
The order takes you gently by the hand: we start by the pool and end in the volcano. The Zombie at the end is called that for a reason. Serve no more than two per guest.
11 recipes
Piña ColadaA creamy, tropical rum drink of pineapple and coconut, blended until silky smooth.Creamy, sweet and entirely unbothered by what the critics think.
PainkillerA creamy, fruity rum drink with pineapple, orange and coconut, topped with freshly grated nutmeg.The Piña Colada’s seafaring cousin: orange juice gives it an edge, and the coconut cream keeps it soft.
Mai TaiA classic tiki drink in which aged rum, lime and orgeat meet in perfect balance between sweet, tart and nutty.The king of tiki. Dark rum, curaçao and orgeat in balance, tasting of more than five ingredients should.
Jungle BirdBitter Campari, dark rum and sweet-tart pineapple meet in this tiki classic with a sharp, tropical twist.Campari in a tiki drink sounds wrong and tastes right. Bittersweet, tropical and impossible to stop at one.
Chartreuse SwizzleHerbal green Chartreuse meets pineapple, lime and spicy falernum in an ice-cold swizzle full of crushed ice.Green Chartreuse met pineapple and moved to the tropics. Herbal, fresh and a guaranteed talking point.
BarracudaGolden rum and Galliano meet fresh pineapple and lime, topped with a sparkling veil of Prosecco.Golden rum and Galliano topped with prosecco: half tiki, half high society. Serve it when you feel relaxed and a little fancy.
Singapore SlingA fruity, tart sling of gin, cherry liqueur and a hint of herbal liqueur under a sparkling top.The hotel classic from Raffles: gin, cherry and pineapple in a tall glass. Long, elegant and pink on purpose, and it tastes very good indeed.
Three Dots and a DashA lush tiki classic of rum, honey, citrus and spice: sweet, fresh and a little exotic.Morse code for “victory”, with honey and falernum in the glass. The story is good; the drink is better.
Jet PilotThree kinds of rum, tart grapefruit and a touch of cinnamon and absinthe: tiki with bite and depth.Three rums, absinthe and cinnamon in tight formation. One of tiki’s great legends, and it will take you right up into the clouds.
Fog CutterA complex tiki classic of rum, gin and cognac, lifted by fresh citrus and sweet almond orgeat, with a dry sherry finish.Rum, gin and cognac with sherry on top. After two, you understand the name.
ZombieA complex tiki classic with three rums, tropical juices and a hint of anise from absinthe.Don the Beachcomber’s masterpiece with three rums. Legendary, delicious, and the reason the original bar set a limit of two.