Kingston Negroni

I love a traditional Negroni, but this may be even better. A little sweeter, more depth of flavor and a silky mouth feel. I'll be making more of these.

1oz Smith & Cross Jamaica Rum

1oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

1oz Campari

Combine all ingredients in an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Stir until chilled. Garnish with an orange twist. 

Planter's Punch

A fairly simple Tiki cocktail. Make it your own by playing with the juice, rum and bitters.

1oz Lime Juice

.75oz Demerara Syrup

.25 Allspice Dram

3oz Blended Aged Rum

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Open pour into a Collins glass. Garnish with mint.

Bitter Daiquiri

 2oz Pineapple Rum

.25oz Campari

.5oz Lime Juice

.5oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and double strain into a coupe.

Jets to Brazil

The bastard child of a daiquiri and Jungle Bird. The addition of Aperol elevates it above the Bitter Daiquiri. 

1.5oz Pineapple Rum

.5oz Lime Juice

.5oz Demerara Syrup

.25oz Campari

.25oz Aperol

Shake with ice and double strain into a coupe.

Old Cuban

1.5oz Aged Rum

.75oz Lime Juice

1oz Simple Syrup

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

6-8 Mint Leaves

2oz Dry Sparkling Wine

In a shaker, combine all ingredients except the sparkling wine. Shake with ice. Double-strain into a chilled glass, top with sparkling wine and garnish with a single mint leaf.

Fantastic cocktail, but a bit on the sweet side, next time I would use a little less simple syrup.

Almost Perfect

This digestif from Seattle's Canlis restaurant just might be the perfect balance of bitter, sweet and boozy. 

1.5oz Plantation Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
.75oz Averna
.75oz Cocchi Americano
.25oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
.25oz Grenadine
4 Dashes Angostura Bitter

Build over a large ice cube, stir and garnish with a lemon twist.

Long Island Iced Tea

.5oz Vodka

.5oz Gin

.5oz White Rum

.5oz Silver Tequila

.5oz Cointreau

.75oz Lemon Juice

2tsp Simple Syrup

.75oz Mexican Coke

Shake ingredients (except the Coke), then strain into a Highball or Collins glass over ice. Top with Coke and a lemon twist.  

Next time I'd probably double everything, this is a Long Island Iced Tea after all, use a bit less lemon juice and garnish with a lemon wedge instead of a twist.

Lost Lake

2oz Jamaican Rum

.75oz Passion Fruit Syrup

.75oz Lime Juice

.5oz Pineapple Juice

.25oz Maraschino Liqueur

.25oz Campari

Shake ingredients with a small amount of ice. Open pour into a Tiki mug and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with the usual Tiki usual suspects.

Zombie

All the things the undead king of Tiki should be: booze forward, complex, sweet & juicy, bitter and cold. Did I mention booze forward? Limit two per customer.

1.5oz Gold Puerto Rican or Barbadian Rum

1.5oz Jamaican Rum

1oz Overproof (151) Rum

.5oz Velvet Falernum

.25oz Grapefruit Juice

.25oz Cinnamon Syrup

.75oz Lime Juice

1tsp Grenadine

1 Dash Angostura Bitters

2 Dashes Absinthe or Pernod

Shake all ingredients with a bit of ice. Open pour into a Zombie glass or Tiki mug. Fill with crushed ice. Garnish with mint.

Hurricane

A traditional New Orleans Hurricane is a fairly simple drink, and maybe my recipe is making things a little more complicated than they have to be. One might also call this a Tiki version of the Hurricane -taking a three ingredient cocktail and splitting it into six, plus two types of bitters. But you get a more interesting cocktails that's worth the extra effort.

2oz Dark Jamaican Rum

2oz Dark Rum -More Jamaican works, but if you've got other rums make use of them.

1oz Lemon Juice

1oz Lime Juice

1.5oz Passion Fruit Syrup

.5oz Grenadine

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

2 Dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Combine ingredients and shake with a small amount of ice. Open pour into a Hurricane glass and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with an umbrella and any combination of cherries, lime, mint and orange slice.

Morse Code

I reworked just about every aspect of the original recipe; better rum at different ratios, less lime juice, more simple and add bitters. The result is cocktail full of flavor but still bright & refreshing. That one strawberry shines through even better with less lime juice.

If you're looking for a cocktail served up on a hot Summer's day, I suggest you give this a try.

1oz Plantation 3 Star White Rum

1oz Plantation Pineapple Rum

.75oz Lime Juice

.5oz Simple Syrup

2 Dashes Bittermen's Burlesque Bitters

1 Strawberry

Slice and muddle the strawberry, then shake with the rest of the ingredients and ice. Double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with strawberry.

La Florida

Invented by Constantine Ribailagua at Havana's La Florida hotel in the 1930s.

1oz White Rum

.5oz Sweet Vermouth

.25oz White Creme de Cacao

1tsp Grenadine

1tsp Dry Curacao

1oz Lime Juice

Combine all ingredients and shake over ice. Double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with orange peel. 

Mojito

2oz White/Silver Rum

5-7 Mint Leaves

.75oz Lime Juice

.5oz Simple Syrup

Club Soda

Add everything but the club soda to a highball glass and gently muddle the mint -try not to tear the leaves. Add ice and stir until the glass starts to chill. Top with club soda and stir gently a few times. Garnish with a lime wheel and a mint sprig.

Dr. Funk

There is no doubt that this is Tiki. There are so many flavors coming right at you, yet playing nice. Fantastic.

2.5oz Dark Jamaican Rum

.25oz Absinthe or Pernod

.5oz Lemon Juice 

.5oz Lime Juice

.25oz Grenadine

.5oz Simple Syrup

1oz Soda Water

Add everything except soda water into a shaker with ice. Shake. Stir in soda water. Open pour into a Tiki Mug or double old fashioned glass. Fill with crushed ice. Garnish with mint or pineapple fronds. Serve with straw.

Ti' Punch

The Ti' Punch is Martinique’s national cocktail, and the island’s answer to America’s Old-Fashioned.

2oz Rhum Agricole

1tsp Simple or Demerara Syrup

1 Lime Wedge

In a rocks glass add the rum, syrup and an ice cube or two. Squeeze in the lime and stir. Garnish with the spent lime wedge.

Plantation 3 Star also plays well here, just use a bit less syrup.

Bitter Mai Tai

1.5oz Campari

.75oz Aged Jamaican Rum, Preferably Smith & Cross

.5oz Orange Curacao

.75oz Orgeat

1oz Lime Juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Open pour into a large rocks glass and top with crushed ice. Garnish with mint.

When you can't decide between a Mai Tai and a Jungle Bird.

Smokey Indulgence

1.75oz Kahlua 
.75oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
.5oz Kraken Black Spiced Rum
3 Dashes Chocolate Bitters

Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

Whoa Nellie!

1.25oz Bonded Rye Whiskey

.75oz Dark Rum

.75oz Cointreau

4 Dashes Angostura Bitters

.5oz Lemon Juice

.5oz Grapefruit Juice

.5oz Simple Syrup

Shake all of the ingredients over ice and double strain into a martini glass. 

The rest of the ingredients provide a sweet, tart & boozy background for the bitters to shine. 

Lonely Island in the Middle of a Foggy Sea

From Chicago's Three Dots and a Dash

1.5oz Rhum Agricole Blanc

.5oz Cruzan Blackstrap Rum

.5oz Blended Lightly Aged Rum

1oz Pineapple Juice

.75oz Lime Juice

.75oz Demerara Syrup

.25oz Cold Brew Coffee or Kahlua

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a glass or Tiki mug with crushed ice. Garnish with pineapple fronds and coffee beans.

I didn't have a pineapple on hand so I garnished with some mint. It looks pretty, but the mint does NOT jive with the rest of the cocktail. However, the beans are a must; the coffee aroma adds a lot to the flavor of the drink.

Strawberry Daiquiri

2oz Blended Pot Still Rum -Appleton Estate Signature or Plantation Original Dark are both stellar budget workhorse rums that would work well.

.75oz Lime Juice

1oz Simple Syrup

2-3 Strawberries

4-6 Ice Cubes

Blend until smooth. Serve in margarita glass, wine goblet, hurricane glass or whatever feels festive. Garnish with strawberry. If you have room, top with whipped cream.

Like a lot of rum cocktails, this daiquiri is even better if you sub out about .5oz of the rum with something funky like Smith & Cross.