10 Tiki Drinks You've Got to Try Before You Die

Recipe: Fog Cutter

This three-spirit blend (white rum, gin, brandy) hails from the shaker of Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron, one of the early trailblazers of Tiki lore. And one of the key ingredients in any Fog Cutter (besides the booze, of course) is orgeat, a sweet almond syrup, which Bergeron helped introduce in the American drinking vernacular.

Recipe: Test Pilot

Don the Beachcomber, the father of the Tiki drink movement, aptly named this drink after the surge in flight advancements during the 1940s. According to Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, a modern-day Tiki researcher, this cocktail inspired other aviation cocktails such as the Astronaut, Space Pilot, and the Jet Pilot.

Recipe: Blue Hawaiian

At the behest of sales reps for blue curacao, bartender Harry Yee created this Technicolor classic at the Hilton Hawai'i Village in Waikiki in 1957.

Recipe: Nui Nui

Modern-day Tiki "archaeologist" Beachbum Barry cracked the code for this drink after deciphering what "spices number two" and "spices number four" were in Don the Beachcomber's little black books (Donn Beach was notoriously secretive) at his eponymous tiki bar. The secret? A mixture of allspice and vanilla and cinnamon-infused sugar syrup.

Recipe: Banana Daiquiri

Cocktail legend holds that British sea captain George Soule scoured the Caribbean for the ultimate cocktail, and found it in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The tropical blend of Virgin Islands Cruzan Rum, sugar cane extract, and ripe bananas is still served at the Mountain Top bar on St. Thomas. Learn how to make an impressive banana dolphin garnish here.

Recipe: Navy Grog

For a Navy Grog true to those served to the likes of Frank Sinatra at Don the Beachcomber's, use a honey syrup (versus straight honey) so it blends smoothly into the drink. Also, chill the cocktail with a signature Navy Grog ice cone.

Recipe: Lapu Lapu

Though named for the fierce Filipino warrior chief, this blended rum drink is more fruity than feisty.

Recipe: Piña Colada

While the true inventor of the official drink of Puerto Rico is hotly contested—the Caribe Hilton and The Barrachina in San Juan both hang plaques claiming to be the birthplace—there's no doubt this Tiki classic is a sip of pineapple-coconut heaven.

Recipe: Rum Runner

Faced with an excess of rum and fruity liqueurs, a Holiday Isle Tiki Bar bartender turned its surplus product into a Tiki legend, which he named after the bootleggers of Florida's Prohibition days.

Recipe: 151 Swizzle

Unlike most Tiki drinks, this Don the Beachcomber cocktail is on the simpler side, meaning you'll want to use a higher quality rum for the extra-boozy concoction. Also, don't forget to serve it in a flared metal cup, the 151 Swizzle's signature vessel for over 40 years.

Recipe: Painkiller

Rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut easily make this drink live up to its name. 

Recipe: Deep Sea Diver

Three types of rum make this diver drink a triple threat. 

Recipe: Missionary's Downfall

As its name implies, this tiki bar classic is hard to turn down.

Recipe: Passion Fruit Zombie

Tropical fruits and apricot brandy provide this drink with a balanced sweetness, tempered by tart lime juice and a dash of bitters.

Recipe: Planter's Punch 

South Carolina's Planter's Inn often takes credit for this tiki cocktail, but it first appeared in print in 1895 in the book Modern American Drinks as Jamaican Rum Punch.

Recipe: Bahama Hurricane 

A standard in bars in Nassau, this rendition of the hurricane is nothing like New Orleans' potent punch. Consider this a chilled eye-opener of a cocktail that is a fine restorative after a bitter tropical storm or as a delicious post-meal digestif.

Recipe: Singapore Sling 

First crafted at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel in Singapore in the early 1900s, the Singapore Sling is known for its bright pink hue and foamy fruit punch cap. The drink combines gin, cherry brandy, and citrus juices for a sweet treat. 

Recipe: Scorpion

Top off this mixture of orange juice, rum, lemon juice, brandy, and orgeat syrup with festive straws and fresh orange slices, and you'll feel like you're on vacation after just one sip. 

Recipe: Mai Tai

Both Victor Bergeron of Trader Vic's and Donn Beach of Don the Beachcomber took credit for creating this quintessential tiki cocktail. Versions containing pineapple juice are typically credited to Victor, who was commissioned to develop a signature spin on the mai tai cocktail for the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. This recipe skews closer to the mai tai of questionable origin.

Recipe: 3 Dots and a Dash

Add a literal cherry, or three, on top of this refreshing drink for a garnish that'll earn its name.