The tiki

01What it is

Tiki drinks are tropical, layered and generous. Most are built on rum, often two or three kinds, with fresh lime, pineapple, spice and syrups like orgeat (almond) and falernum (lime, ginger and clove).

They taste like a holiday, and they're often much stronger than they taste. That's part of the fun, and part of why you should sip slowly.

02A short history

Tiki began in 1930s Hollywood, where Donn Beach opened Don the Beachcomber, a bar dressed up as a South Seas escape. He mixed several rums with fresh juices and spice and created drinks like the Zombie, which he famously limited to two per customer.

Trader Vic followed in Oakland and is credited with the Mai Tai in 1944. Tiki faded in the 1970s and came roaring back in the 2000s, when bartenders rediscovered the original recipes.

03The old rhyme

This rhyme for Planter's Punch is the oldest tiki recipe of all. Most tiki drinks are a fancy version of it.

04Why it tastes this way

05The family tree

Same family, small changes. Each of these is one swap away from the next.

Planters PunchRum, lime, sugar. The ancestor.MaiTwo rums, lime, orange curaçao and orgeat.ZombieThree rums, lime and spice. Famously strong.Jungle BirdDark rum and pineapple with bitter Campari.Three Dots and a DashRhum agricole and aged rum with falernum and allspice.Pina ColadaRum, coconut cream and pineapple, blended.Don’s Special DaiquiriA tiki daiquiri with passion fruit and honey.Missionary’s DownfallRum, peach brandy, mint and pineapple, blended.Chartreuse SwizzleGreen Chartreuse, pineapple, lime and falernum, swizzled.Pisco PunchPisco and pineapple from old San Francisco.IllegalMezcal and overproof rum with falernum.

06Spot it on a menu

Look for these words. Tap one to see what it means.

Two or more rums, pineapple or passion fruit, and a spiced syrup on the ingredient list mean a tiki drink.

07How to order it

1. Ask the bartender how strong it is. A Zombie can have more rum than three regular drinks.
2. Great to share the moment, not to rush. Sip slowly and drink water alongside.
3. If you want the flavour without the punch, a Piña Colada or a Jungle Bird is a gentler start.

08Mistakes to avoid

09Start with these three

MaiTwo rums, orange curaçao, orgeat and a lot of fresh lime. Nutty and citrus-heavy — no pineapple juice, whatever the beach bar told you.Pina ColadaWhite rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice blended until thick. Sweet, creamy and shameless.Jungle BirdCampari in a tiki drink sounds wrong until you taste it against pineapple and dark rum. Bitter, tropical and unusually well balanced.

10All 12 tiki classics

Jungle BirdRum · 12.1%MaiRum · 22%Pina ColadaRum · 13%ZombieRum · 18%Chartreuse Swizzle19.6%Don’s Special DaiquiriRum · 18%IBA TikiRum · 14%IllegalMezcal · 18%Missionary’s DownfallRum · 12%Pisco PunchPisco · 16%Planters PunchRum · 13.4%Three Dots and a DashRum · 22.2%

11Browse them in the library

See every tiki classic as photo cards, next to the other lists in the cocktail library.

Open the Island time list →Every classic, A to Z →

12If you like this family