The Grotto
(Credit: Dave Seibert/azcentral.com)
Whether you're craving a killer mai tai or just love paper umbrellas in your drinks, these tiki sips will keep you satisfied.
Top 10 tiki drinks
Feel like you're on an island without leaving Arizona
Gina Niemiec
azcentral.comNovember 6, 2008
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Evil Bastard
A giant ceramic munktiki cup comes to your table at Drift, and its Bacardi 151-soaked sugar cube (placed atop an orange slice) is lit on fire. After singeing your eyebrows, enjoy a strong combination of Whaler's vanilla, more 151, lemonade, orange juice, passion fruit and orgeat (almond) syrups.
Day Tripper
Served in a much more sedate glass, at Drift, the Day Tripper is a cool, creamy delight. Coconut rum, coco lopez, pineapple cream de cacao, half and half and light rum are blended together and sprinkled with shredded coconut.
The Grotto
This drink, served at Drift, is for three or more—and served in a giant clamshell. Get past the embarrassment factor and start sipping multiple Bacardis—151, Limon and O—peach schnapps, blue curacao, apricot brandy and a secret blend of tropical juices.
The Scorpion
Light rum, brandy, orange and lime juices, orgeat syrup and some sugar syrup with a gardenia floating on top of this drink, served at Trader Vic's. Beautiful presentation and the smell of the flower will make you think you are lying on a beach in Hawaii.
Pigmy Pigmy
He “walks small but carries a big stick.” As the Drift menu explains, this short drink is no slouch in the wallop that follows. Blackberry brandy, banana, pineapple and orange juices, grenadine and Castillo rum are served in a tiki mug.
Mai Tai
The most famous rum concoction in the world, and Trader Vic's does it right. Dark and light rums, orange curacao, orgeat syrup, lime juice and mint are served over shaved ice.
Trader Vic's Grog
Trader Vic's serves this huge goblet of a drink blended with dark Jamaican rum, passion fruit syrup, anosturga bitters, unsweetened pineapple juice, lemon juice and mint.
Samoan Fog Cutter
Puerto Rican rum, gin, brandy, sherry, orange and lemon juice and orgeat syrup make for a potent drink, served at Trader Vic's. The menu says “let the drinker beware...” Take their word for it.
Menehune Juice
A menehune is a sort of Hawaiian leprechaun, and there is one perched on your drink for the taking. Trader Vic's secret Mai Tai mix is blended with lime juice, light rum and mint. Drink a few, and you may have visions of the fabled little guy.
Coffee Grog
Hot drinks are not what usually comes to mind when thinking “tiki,” but this libation, served at Trader Vic's, is served in a fun headhunter's mug. Hot coffee, rum infused with cream of coconut, lemon and orange peel, cream and hot buttered rum “batter” make this a spicy, potent end to an evening.
