Classic Tiki Drinks

Despite a brief tenure as a bartender and a fascination with cocktail culture (and consumption), I've always been a bit apprehensive when it comes to venturing into the world of tiki cocktail creation, since many of these tropical tipples owe their complex flavor to a laundry list of ingredients. Thankfully, the Mai Tai — a rum-forward stunner — is comparatively simple, clocking in at a mere four ingredients, and has quickly become a staple in my home bar repertoire.

Even more crucially, this classic Polynesian recipe is dangerously quaffable — watch out; it packs a real punch — perfectly suited to Spring's warmer weather, and a solid choice for toasting to Sunday's Mad Men premiere thanks to its retro styling. Get the recipe and follow suit.

The classic tiki drink dubbed "the zombie" wasn't named in honor of Halloween but because of its highly boozy effect. Combining light rum, dark rum, and high-proof rum, this is one dangerous but delicious drink. Given its horror movie connotations, it makes a perfect mixer for any Halloween party and especially a zombie Halloween party.

The recipe calls for blood orange juice, giving the drink a bloody hue, though I used a touch of blood orange Italian soda instead. The zombie goes down pretty easy but thankfully tastes strong enough to keep you in check. Celebrate Halloween early or toast to this freaky Friday and get the recipe now.

After shaking up a simple Singapore sling a few weeks ago, I decided I needed to compare it to the real deal. But I realized the classic drink's ingredients weren't just hard to track down; they'd also be expensive to acquire.

I paid a visit to Smuggler's Cove, a tropical escape in San Francisco that specializes in re-creating authentic versions of classic Tiki cocktails. There, owner Martin Cate and bar star Marco Dionysos made me a perfectly balanced version, and chatted with me about the Polynesian pastime. Both bartenders believe that the cocktail's hazy beginnings are the cause of its devolution and waning popularity.
Prominent bar chefs disagree over whether the drink should have pineapple juice. Their recipe, which comes from Singapore Sling authority Ted Haigh, does. In comparison to my simple sling, it's far more complex, with more depth of fruit, less sugar, a clean finish, and a nice, foamy top. Read on for the recipe.