Totem mugs, mini umbrellas and swizzle sticks may bring to mind complex, hard-to-make drinks, but you don’t have to have a fully stocked tiki bar with orgeats, homemade syrups and obscure liqueurs to enter tropical bliss. There are plenty of tiki cocktails that call for nothing more complicated than a simple syrup and a few bottles you probably already have on your bar. The next time you need a touch of tiki heaven in your life, remember: It’s only a shake and strain away. Here, the simplest, easiest tiki cocktail recipes that anyone can make.
Forget the cloyingly sweet pre-made mix nightmare usually associated with the Hurricane. In its purest form, the cocktail only calls for three ingredients—dark rum, passion fruit syrup and lemon juice—which results in a fruity, tart and refreshing sipper, ideal for a hot summer day.
The Essentials
dark rum
Passion fruit syrup
Fresh Lemon juice
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Starting with blackstrap rum, the Jungle Bird builds into bittersweet complexity with pineapple and lime juices, simple syrup and Campari. If you’re a fan of the Negroni, you’ll find that this tropical libation is no more difficult to make and will equally satisfy your bittersweet tooth. Just try to stop after one.
The Essentials
Blackstrap Rum
Pineapple Juice
Campari
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If you’re a fan of the Hemingway Daiquiri, you’d be remiss not to give this simple mid-century tiki drink a shot. With only five ingredients that are easy to source if you don’t already have them on hand, the Beachcomber hits all the right tiki notes: sweet, sour, fruity and boozy.
The Essentials
White Rum
Cointreau
Maraschino
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If you have limes, sugar, rum and running water, you won’t have any problem throwing together this cocktail. Essentially a less tart version of the Daiquiri, Grog most likely got its start in the British Royal Navy, when sailors mixed together their daily rations of rum and water with sugar and lime juice to make it more palatable. If a sailor can make it on a boat—no fancy bar setup in sight—then you can make it in your kitchen.
The Essentials
Dark Rum
Lime Juice
Demerara Syrup
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