Skip to main content

Tiki Cocktails to Make You Forget It’s Getting Cold AF

Thanks to what we can assume is global warming, we have been enjoying summer-like temperatures long after we traditionally would. Then, for the northern parts of the country, it turned into winter overnight. (Those Game of Thrones folks lied to us, basically.) Many of us went from being able to sit outside and enjoy ourselves with a nice cocktail to wondering where the hell our other glove went.

Being stuck inside for the next few months (unless you’re winter outdoorsy, which if you are, make sure you mix up some flask cocktails then check out some great winter outdoor activities here) may seem daunting, but we’ve figured out a way to stave off the cabin fever the winter season might bring—tiki cocktails.

Recommended Videos

That’s right. If summer has to go away, then we’ll just bring it right back in a glass. Thanks to Marlo Gamora of Dante in New York City, we can do just that. Mixing these drinks up will help you forget that it sucks outside (if even for a little while).

Barrelman

Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • 1.5 oz Santa Teresa 1796
  • .75 oz Smith and Cross Jamaican Rum
  • .75 oz Passion fruit syrup
  • 1 oz Ruby red grapefruit juice
  • .5 oz Lime juice
  • .25 oz Don’s Spices #2 (cinnamon simple syrup and allspice liquor)

Method: Shake all ingredients and strain into a barrel mug with fresh ice. Garnish with mint top, lime wheel, orange wedge, and a cocktail umbrella.

Under the Swell

Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • 1 oz Banks 7 rum
  • 1 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum
  • .5 oz Amontillado Sherry
  • .25 oz All spice dram
  • .25 oz Creme de banana
  • .5 oz Lime
  • .25 oz Honey
  • 1 dash Absinthe
  • 1 dash Tiki Bitters
  • Nutmeg

Method: Whip shake all ingredients and strain into a tiki mug with crushed ice. Garnish with mint top, lime wheel, swizzle stick and dusted nutmeg. 

Follow the Compass

Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • 2 oz Bacardi 8
  • .75 oz Don’s Mix*
  • .5 oz St-Germain French Elderflower Liqueur
  • .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
  • .5 oz unsweetened pineapple juice

Method: Whip shake all ingredients and strain into a Mai Tai glass with crushed ice. Garnish with mint top, cherry, pineapple wedge and dusted cinnamon.

 *Don’s Mix 

  • 2 cups of white grapefruit juice
  • 1 cup of cinnamon simple syrup

Paper Boat

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Method: Shake all ingredients and double strain into a coupe. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel. 

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
Get a taste of a fresh spring garden with these mezcal cocktails
Mezcal Unión

If you have a garden -- whether it's a sprawling outdoor paradise or a tiny little balcony with some pots -- then you'll know that spring is a special time of year. Green is sprouting up everywhere, seedlings are getting ready to go outside, and the first early crops are getting ready for harvest.

If you're a cocktail enthusiast too, then the combination of gardening and bartending goes hand in hand. We're always extolling the virtues of fresh ingredients for your cocktails, and what could be fresher than ingredients take straight from your garden?

Read more
Show off your skills with these gorgeous tequila cocktails
El Tequileño

Making great cocktails isn't just about great flavors -- it's about the whole experience of a drink. That includes details like garnishes, which add some visual flair and texture to drinks, as well as ingredients like bitters which are most detectable as scents. If you're looking to take your cocktail making game up a notch, then challenge yourself to create a drink which is truly beautiful, with pleasing colors and composition as well as great flavors.

These stunning spring drinks from El Tequileño are the perfect inspiration, capturing all the beauty of spring in a glass.

Read more
Honey beer is here in time for spring
Lone Tree Honey Lager.

Lone Tree Brewing has released Honey Lager, a toast to springtime. The Colorado brewery is counting on local honey to add a little flair to its popular seasonal ale. It's yet another intriguing offering from a decidedly cool Denver drinks scene.

What's in the can? A beer made with a handful of malt varieties along with Colorado honey and jasmine rice. There's a honeycomb element to the beer, rounded out by a nice malt character and crisp build.

Read more