This post is in partnership with Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company, but opinions are 100% my own.
Summer is still putting up a fight over here, so this week, I am mixing up a Tangerine Tiki Cocktail that will cool you off and make you swoon.
Jump right to the recipe for Tangerine Tiki Cocktail
Tiki cocktails seem to be making a comeback as they are a hot trend in the cocktail scene. To me they are the ultimate craft cocktail, because you can use your creativity when concocting them. But, you don’t have to be a bartender to create these tasty beverages.
The main components of a Tiki cocktail are fresh citrus juices, simple syrups or sweet liqueurs, a bit of spice like cloves or cinnamon, and of course, good rum. These cocktails come from the tropics, so think umbrella drinks and drinks served in coconuts. One of the most famous Tiki cocktails is the Mai Tai.
Since, Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company specializes in authentically fresh juices, I thought it would be a blast to build a Tiki cocktail with their Tangerine Juice. I started with an aged rum, but you can choose your favorite rum. Then I added the tangerine juice, fresh lime juice, fresh pineapple juice and Polynesian bitters. I shook it all up in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and strained it into a glass over ice.
Tiki cocktails are famous for fun presentations and extravagant garnishes. I decided to keep my garnishes simple with a slice of pineapple and a pineapple leaf. I think it still looks so fun!
If you aren’t familiar with bitters, in simple terms they are extracts made with all sorts of plant materials from roots to bark. They infuse beverages with a powerful punch of flavor. Mark Bitterman, author of Bitterman’s Field Guide to Bitters and Amari says, ” Bitters are to cocktails as salt is to food. They improve and align flavors just like salt does; they help to accentuate flavor and they bring their own flavors.”
Try this recipe soon and then begin playing with it. Add you own favorite juices. Add some funky simple syrups and give different bitters a go. Try various varieties of rum and then branch out to other spirits, too.
Tangerine Tiki Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz aged rum
- 2 oz Natalie’s Tangerine Juice
- 1 oz pineapple juice
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 2-4 El Guapo Bitters- Polynesian Kiss or your favorite bitters
- Fresh pineapple garnish
- Fresh orange slices garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine rum, tangerine juice, pineapple juice, lime juice and coconut bitters. Shake until well chilled. Pour over ice. Garnish with pineapple and orange slices.
