Tiki Rum Cocktails
Tiki is a family of drinks rather than one recipe: multi-rum builds, fresh citrus, counted syrups and liqueurs, and generous ice. This selection gathers the tiki-style recipes already measured on this site, so every link keeps its own complete method, sources and alcohol-unit statement.
These are our own measured recipes, not a credited selection from other publishers. Each one names its rum measures and counts every alcoholic ingredient, including liqueurs and bitters.
Mai Tai
The almond-and-lime standard
Two rum styles — Jamaican and Martinique molasses — with lime, orange curaçao and almond orgeat. In the cited IBA specification the pineapple spear is a garnish, not juice in the drink. Both rums and the curaçao are counted: three UK units at the assumed strengths.
Zombie
Three rums, three small servings
Three rum styles with falernum, grapefruit, cinnamon, grenadine, bitters and a small anise measure. Our house presentation divides the IBA-proportioned blender batch into three small servings of about 1.67 units each; the whole batch is about five units.
Hurricane
Passionfruit and lemon
An original-style build of dark Jamaican rum, passionfruit syrup and lemon. The long fruit-juice versions you may know are different recipes, and the linked page explains the difference rather than blending the two.
Painkiller®
Pineapple, orange and coconut
Pusser's rum with pineapple and orange juice and sweetened cream of coconut, finished with grated nutmeg. The named rum is part of the branded serve, so a different-rum version should be labelled as a separate adaptation.
Jungle Bird
The bitter one
Blackstrap rum and a measured 22.5ml of Campari with pineapple and lime. The Campari is a counted alcoholic ingredient, not an unmeasured splash, which is why the units include it.
Piña Colada
Blended and creamy
White rum, pineapple juice and coconut cream blended with a measured starting weight of crushed ice. Its tiki-family connection is the pineapple-and-coconut profile rather than an elaborate multi-rum build.
Rum Runner
Florida Keys fruit and liqueur
Two rums plus banana and blackberry liqueurs with pineapple and lime over crushed ice. Both liqueurs are alcoholic and counted — together nearly a unit of the 3.32-unit total.
What makes these tiki-style
What the drinks on this page share is structure, not garnish: more than one alcoholic ingredient measured separately, fresh citrus, syrups or liqueurs that carry sweetness and alcohol at once, and plenty of ice. A drink is not made tiki by a paper umbrella, and none of these recipes needs special glassware to work.
The counted liqueurs matter for strength. Falernum in the Zombie, Campari in the Jungle Bird and the two Giffard liqueurs in the Rum Runner all contribute alcohol, which is why each linked page counts them rather than assuming every drink contains only rum.
Units are stated per linked recipe
Tiki drinks are often the strongest serves on any menu because they combine several alcoholic ingredients. The linked pages count each one: the Zombie batch holds about five UK units divided across three small servings, the Rum Runner 3.32 per serving, and the Mai Tai 3.0 with both rums and the curaçao counted. Treat these as per-drink facts from the linked pages, not one average.
Ice, juice and melting dilute each sip but do not remove alcohol. If you plan more than one tiki drink in an evening, check the unit statements on each linked recipe page and pace accordingly. Visit Drinkaware for guidance.
Tiki Rum Cocktails questions
Is a piña colada a tiki cocktail?
Its place in the tiki family is debated: it shares the tropical pineapple-and-coconut profile but is a simple three-ingredient blend rather than an elaborate multi-rum build. We include it for completeness and clearly describe it as the blended, creamy option rather than claiming a strict tiki pedigree.
Does tiki always mean a strong drink?
Tiki drinks often are strong because several alcoholic ingredients are measured into one glass, but strength varies by recipe. Each linked page states its own per-serving units at the named or assumed strengths; check the labels on your bottles rather than averaging across the family.
Can I use spiced rum in all of these?
Each linked recipe documents a clearly labelled spiced adaptation that replaces one measured rum component — never an extra measure added on top. Check the linked page before substituting, because a few serves name rum styles that are central to their identity, and any substitution changes the unit calculation if the strength differs.
Do I need a swizzle stick, tiki mugs or a blender?
No special equipment is essential. Some of these drinks use crushed ice or an ice-rated blender, and the Rum Swizzle is churned rather than shaken, but each linked method works with ordinary bar tools and standard glassware. Follow the linked recipe's equipment notes rather than buying kit first.
Selection checked 24 October 2026. 18+. Please drink responsibly. Visit Drinkaware for alcohol information.