The tiki cocktail craze began in the 1930s but really took off in the 1950s and 1960s, resulting in Polynesian-themed restaurants and bars with bamboo decor and coloured lanterns popping up across North America. The Mai Tai, Pina Colada and Bahama Mama entered the cocktail canon, which can still be found on many bar menus today. In recent years, tiki cocktail bars have had a revival, with the Shameful Tiki Room in Toronto and Le Mal Nécessaire in Montreal opening. This cocktail is an iteration of Trader Vic’s Punch meets Rum Runner, meant for a hot day. –Gabby Peyton
Rum Breeze Cocktail
A tiki rum cocktail made with fresh fruit juice and a demerara sugar simple syrup, from Gabby Peyton's 2023 book Where We Ate.
Ingredients
Demerara Simple Syrup (Makes 1½ cups)
- 1 cup demerara sugar
- 1 cup water
Rum Breeze
- 1½ oz blackstrap rum
- 1½ oz light rum
- 3 tbsp pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 1 tbsp demerara syrup
- 1 tsp orgeat syrup or grenadine
- brandied cherry or pineapple wedge for garnish
Instructions
Demerara Simple Syrup
- Put the demerara sugar and water in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes, and the mixture has thickened ever so slightly.
- Remove the syrup from the heat and let cool completely.
- Store the remaining syrup in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Rum Breeze
- Add all the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. The shaker should be cold to the touch.
- Strain into a stubby glass filled with crushed ice.
- Garnish with a skewered brandied cherry or a pineapple wedge.
