Summer is the perfect time to perfect your mixology skills. And, nothing says Master Mixologist more than whipping up an amazing Mai Tai, Zombie, or Singapore Sling. Check out some of these tiki cocktail recipe books and you’ll be an expert in no time.
A good collection of cocktail recipe books can be just as important to the home bar as the actual bar equipment. Sure, you can always use your phone to look up a recipe, but this group of cocktail recipe books dig a lot deeper than a single recipe. Grab one, or a couple, and head to your hammock for some relaxing summertime reading.
Tantalizing Tiki Cocktail Recipe Books
Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki
Let’s start our list of cocktail recipe books with the proverbial “Bible” for Tiki lovers: Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki. In addition to the 100 drink recipes, the book includes sections on Tiki Bar history and their evolution, decor, a rum primer (who knew there were so many different kinds of rum??), and Tiki party tips. This is a real must-have book for those that are just dipping their toes into the Tiki pool.
Tiki Cocktails: 200 Super Summery Drinks
Tiki Cocktails: 200 Super Summery Drinks provides eighty recipes with cool retro illustrations. This is a handy book to have behind your Tiki bar. Not sure if I’ll try the Punky Monkey or the Trotsky first.
Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails
Once you’ve tackled the classics, it’s time to level up to Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails. Recipe introductions include descriptions of the alcohol’s flavor palette that are very similar to wine descriptions, with phrases like “grassy, vegetal notes, restrained fruitiness, and, in some cases, a savory, slightly briny character.” Wow. These recipes are for the serious mixologist!
Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes
Exotic cocktails are notoriously complex, often with 8-10 ingredients. That complexity is what makes them so tasty. As a result, these drinks are not so easy for the home bartender. Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes is the answer, with simplified recipes and minimal ingredients.
The Home Bar Guide to Tropical Cocktails: A Spirited Journey Through Suburbia’s Hidden Tiki Temples
The Home Bar Guide to Tropical Cocktails: A Spirited Journey Through Suburbia’s Hidden Tiki Temples is a great place to start if you’re considering setting up a home tiki bar. The book includes photos of inspirational home tiki bars, as well as drink recipes.
Beach Bum Berry Remixed
BeachBum Berry Remixed is an updated compilation of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s classic Grog Log and Intoxica! books. Berry is credited with discovering and deciphering many of the “lost” original tiki cocktails from Donn the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s.
Once you have the drinks mastered, it’s time to throw your very own Trader Vic inspired party. With food and drink recipes, as well as party ideas, Trader Vic’s Tiki Party! Cocktails and Food to Share with Friends has just about everything you need to throw an epic bash. Add an outdoor tiki bar, some tiki torches, and you’ll have the party of the summer. I really enjoyed the historical background section on Victor Bergeron (aka Trader Vic) and the beginnings of his restaurant.
Don the Beachcomber’s Little Hawaiian Tropical Drink Cookbook
Enjoy some rhum rhapsodies courtesy of Don the Beachcomber’s Little Hawaiian Tropical Drink Cookbook. This book has 39 of The Godfather of Tiki Cocktails’ recipes.
Professor Cocktail’s Zombie Horde: Recipes for the World’s Most Lethal Drink
Ready to go down the rabbit hole of a single cocktail? Professor Cocktail’s Zombie Horde: Recipes for the World’s Most Lethal Drink traces the origins and variations of the infamous Zombie from its creation in 1934, through the 21st century. With over 70 Zombie recipes, you’re sure to find a favorite.
Ke-Tiki: The Keto & Low-Carb Guide to Tiki Drinks
While delicious, Tiki cocktails aren’t exactly keto friendly. But, with Ke-Tiki: The Keto & Low-Carb Guide to Tiki Drinks those following a keto or low carb diet can enjoy tiki cocktails with all the flavor and none of the guilt. The book includes the usual tropical drinks like a Zombie or Outrigger, and most importantly, recipes for homemade syrups and flavored liqueurs. If you’re short on time, or don’t want to make all your drink ingredients, the author provides specific brand recommendations that will meet your diet goals.
That’s quite the collection of tiki cocktail recipe books! Now for the hardest decision – which drink to make first??
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