On this most American of holidays, I went to local spirts (and tiki) connoisseur Dean Hurst for some expert advice about tiki culture — and the drinks that foster the colorful, tropical vibes.
Tiki bars are an American creation, though they borrow their ambience and cocktail inspiration from Polynesian islands and the Caribbean. They were huge in the 1940s and ’50s. We don’t have many of the kitschy spots around here, which is why Hurst decided to build one in his backyard. To read more about his home setup and to learn how to make 6 classic tiki drinks, click here .
But for this column, I was inspired by Hurst to up my at-home bar game. He talks a lot about little things you can do to make your home cocktail-making (and drinking) experience more special.
So while you may have most of the food nailed down for today’s patriotic festivities, here are some ideas to up your bar game — whether or not you have built a tiki bar on your porch.
BYOB(ottle)
If you’re having friends or family over and they like a good cocktail, ask everyone to bring one bottle of something they enjoy. It doesn’t have to be unopened; they just have to be willing to share. Make one round of drinks with one person’s bottle, then move to another bottle, and so on. It’s a fun and affordable way to try a bunch of different liquors.
Fruit forward
Even if you are using Solo cups for your cocktails today, you can still garnish the heck out of those drinks. Citrus is always a good idea, as are pitted cherries. Have a vegetable peeler on hand and gently peel a strip of lemon rind or orange rind, then simply bend it almost in half and set gently on the rim of your cup. Or roll the peel into a cute shape and secure with a toothpick stacked with a couple fresh (or maraschino) cherries.
Designated shaker
If you don’t have a cocktail shaker and you like to make drinks at home, you should invest in one. But you can and should improvise one for these festive occasions. It will make your drink-making more seamless and authentic. Try using a tall cup or glass, and find a leftover container lid or other flat cover that can cover the opening of the cup. Add drink ingredients to the cup, place cover on top of cup, then shake well. Be careful when you shake, and you might spill a bit, but it’ll get the job done. Another thing I noticed from watching Hurst make drinks: He used a drink blender to blend many of the drinks with ice, resulting in a not-quite-slush but still very icy consistency that was marvelous on a hot day. You can easily do this with an immersion blender, especially if you’re mixing up lots of drinks at once. Just be sure to use a plastic vessel or something else that can withstand the blades of your blender: Mix the drink in there, then insert the immersion blender and give it a few whirls.
Serve snacks
If you’re spending the day trying a few different cocktails, snacks are a must. You need something to soak up all that booze, plus who doesn’t crave something salty and crunchy around drink No. 2? To go with the tiki bar theme, I came up with a tropical snack mix that has salty, crunchy, and some slightly sweet elements.
RECIPES
One of my favorite drinks this summer is the Pineapple Gin Freeze. Click here for the recipe. And below is a sweet and salty snack to pair with it.
Tropical Snack Mix
1 cup raw whole cashews
½ cup raw macadamia nuts
1 cup pretzel twists, roughly chopped or broken into smaller pieces
1 cup dried pineapple, roughly chopped
1 cup dried mango, roughly chopped
½ cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes
½ cup honey
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Add cashews, macadamia nuts, pineapple, mango and coconut flakes to a large bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, add honey and butter. Cook until butter is melted, stirring often. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.
Let sauce cool slightly, for at least 5 minutes. Pour sauce over contents in bowl, and stir really well to make sure sauce is coating snack mix.
Divide into smaller bowls or ramekins and set out around the area where you’re serving drinks.
Makes about 4 cups.
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