Modern Caribbean Rum

Mai-Kai Cocktail Recipes

Updated April 20, 2024

The Atomic Grog is loaded with cocktail recipes, from old-school classics to modern standards to our own concoctions. They’re not always easy to find, so we’ve compiled this comprehensive list of every recipe on the site. It incorporates all the recipes from The Mai-Kai cocktail guide, plus those we’ve posted in stories, along with our old “cocktail of the week” feature. Below the A-Z list, we’ve broken the same recipes down into categories and drink styles that we hope you’ll find interesting and useful.
Introduction: Recipe list created to mark eighth anniversary of blog

Take a trip down the Tiki Trail for a lethal new Zombie recipe

These are not merely cut-and-pasted recipes. As longtime followers know, we put every recipe to the test and include detailed instructions and photos, along with ingredient recommendations and reviews. We hope you enjoy this resource, which we plan to expand even more in the coming months and years. Coming next: An ingredient guide, plus ratings for every drink!

Jump to: Recipes A through Z

See below: Recipes by category
Don the Beachcomber
Trader Vic’s
The Mai-Kai (authentic)
The Mai-Kai (tributes)
Beachbum Berry
Martin Cate
Brian Miller
The Atomic Grog
Disney Parks

Drink styles: 151 Swizzle | Daiquiri | Hurricane | Mai Tai | Planters Punch | Zombie | Winter holidays

NEW & UPDATED

Mai-Kai cocktail review: Double your pleasure with the exotic and delicious Zula #1 (and #2)
Mai-Kai cocktail review: Double your pleasure with the exotic and delicious Zula #1 (and #2)
Take a deep dive into the history of a vintage cocktail from Mariano Licudine’s 1956 menu. This Don the Beachcomber classic is still being reimagined by craft bartenders today.
>>> See the full story, from the 1930s to 2024
Direct links: Our Zula reviews | Ancestor recipe | Tribute recipes
NEW VIDEO: Zula vs. Penang Afrididi vs. Penang Punch on Make and Drink

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RECIPES A THROUGH Z

You’ll find many Tiki classics on this list, from traditional versions to 21st century reinterpretations. Don the Beachcomber and The Mai-Kai are the focus, but there are plenty of non-traditional and even some non-Tiki tipples that will appeal to the broader drinking public.

Total recipes: 256
 
* 151 Swizzle (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* 151 Swizzle (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* 1862 Rhum Punch (Kern Mattei, The Mai-Kai / The Hukilau 2015)
* 2070 Swizzle (Martin Cate / Smuggler’s Cove)

A
* Admiral Vernon’s Flagship (Grady Johnson / The Hukilau 2011 cocktail contest)
* Alloa Aloha (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Allspicy Daiquiri (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Altered State Zombie (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Appleton Reserve Daiquiri (Joy Spence / Appleton Estate Rum)
* Atomic Mai Tai Cocktail (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Atomic Painkiller (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Atomic Zombie Cocktail (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)

B
* Backscratcher (Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort)
* Banana Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Barrel Before Christmas (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Barrel O’ Rum (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Barrel O’ Rum (The Mai-Kai / Beachbum Berry’s Taboo Table)
* Beachbum’s Special Daiquiri (Latitude 29 tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Beachcomber Punch (Don the Beachcomber / Sunny Sund: The Woman Behind Don the Beachcomber)
* Beachcomber’s Gold (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Big Bamboo (The Mai-Kai / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Black Magic (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* The Black Magic Cocktail (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Blood Island Green Potion #2 (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Blood Orange & Sand (Freddy Diaz of AlambiQ Mixology / 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival)
* Blue Bayou (Brian Miller / Rhum Barbancourt / Served at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival 2019)
* Blue Ricardo (Fairweather, San Diego)
* Bora Bora (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Broken Storm (Steve Yamada, New Orleans)

C
* Captain’s Blood (Traditional)
* Captivation (Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco / Served at The Hukilau 2016 / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Cesar’s Rum Punch (Joseph Cesar, Grand Hotel Oloffson / Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean)
* Chief Lapu Lapu (Traditional / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Chocolate Snowflake (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Christmas Creeper (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Christmas Eve of Destruction (Brad Smith of Latitude 29 for Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Santa / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Cobra Defanged (Luau Lads)
* Cobra’s Fang (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Cobra’s Kiss (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Colonial Grog (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Cotton Mouth Killer (Trailer Happiness / Served at The Hukilau 2018 / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Cuban Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai)

D
* Daiquiri (Traditional)
* Deep Sea Diver (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Demerara 80 Swizzle (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry of Latitude 29 in New Orleans / Served at The Hukilau 2015 / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Demerara Cocktail (The Mai-Kai / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Demerara Cocktail (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Demerara Dry Float (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Intoxica)
* Demerara Flip (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Demerara Float (The Mai-Kai / Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats)
* Demerara Float (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Derby Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai)
* Derby Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Devil’s Island Daiquiri (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry / Food & Wine)
* Doctor Funk (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Intoxica)
* Doctor Funk (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Doctor Funk (Don the Beachcomber / Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* Dr. Fong (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Donga Punch (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Don Q Cocktail (The Mai-Kai / Served at Miami Rum Festival 2014 / Reinterpreted by The Atomic Grog)
* Don’s Beach Planter (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Don’s Own Planter’s (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Don’s Pearl (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Don’s Special Daiquiri (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)

E
* El Dorado Mai Tai (Robert Krueger of Extra Fancy in Brooklyn)
* Escape Pod (Kahuna Kevin’s Tiki Cocktails, Vol. III)

F
* The Final (Destination) Zombie (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Five Island Fizz (David Delaney for Angostura Rum / Served at The Hukilau 2013)
* Floridita Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai / Cocktail.com)
* Formidable Dragon (Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco / Served at The Hukilau 2015 / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Frankie’s Tiki Room Zombie (Liquid Vacation: 77 Refreshing Tropical Drinks from Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas)

G
* The Ghost Host (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Gill-Man Grog (James Masterson)
* Ginger Grant (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Good Head (Ian “Rum Ambassador” Burrell / Served at Miami Rum Festival 2014)
* Greedo in Paradise (Brian Miller / Tiki Mondays With Miller / Served at The Hukilau 2016)
* Guyanese Zombie (Helena Tiare Olsen, A Mountain of Crushed Ice / PKNY via Professor Cocktail’s Zombie Horde)

H
* Hamilton Navy Grog (The Mai-Kai / Hamilton Rum master class, February 2019)
* Hamilton Zombie (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Hanalei Bay (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Hapa Holidaze (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Haitian Frolic (Brian Miller / Tiki Mondays With Miller / Served at The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at SoBeWFF 2016)
* Henry & John (Martin Cate / Smuggler’s Cove)
* Hidden Pearl (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Hot Buttered Rum (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Hotel Nacional Special (Charles H. Baker / The Gentleman’s Companion and Erik Adkins, San Francisco / The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique by Jeffrey Morgenthaler)
* The Hukilau (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Hurricane Caesar (Joe Cammarata of Backbar, Sommerville, Mass. / For Tales of the Cocktail 2014)

I
* Impatient Virgin (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Island of Martinique Cocktail (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean)
* Island Queen (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)

J
* Jack Sparrow’s Rum Barrel (Pablus / The Hukilau 2011 cocktail contest)
* Jamaican Bad Decisions (Jeanie Grant of Pagan Idol / Iron TikiTender competition)
* Jet Pilot (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Jungle Bird (Traditional via Beachbum Berry Remixed / Variation by David Delaney for Angostura Rum)
* Jungle Fogg (David McCauley of Knoxville, Tenn. / The Hukilau 2013 cocktail contest)

K
* Kilauea Iki (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* K.O. Cooler (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Koko Kahuna (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Kona Coffee Grog (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Kulau Kapu (Lucky the Painproof Man of Pittsburgh / The Hukilau 2013 cocktail contest)

L
* La Floridita Daiquiri (Bar La Florida / Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails)
* La Guildive (Martin Cate / Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* The Last Fang (Oriol Elias / Minimalist Tiki)
* Last Rites (The Mai-Kai / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Last Rites (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Le Zombi (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Liquid Gold (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Lost Lake (Paul McGee / Lost Lake, Chicago)
* Lost Treasure (Syd Thomas / Tonga Hut, Los Angeles / Exotica Moderne magazine)

M
* The Mad Doctor’s Green Blood Potion (Jason Alexander / Devil’s Reef in Tacoma, Wash.)
* Mai-Kai Blizzard (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* The Mai-Kai Hurricane (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* The Mai-Kai Moai (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Mai-Kai Special (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Mai-Kai Swizzle (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Miami Swizzle (Freddy Diaz of AlambiQ Mixology / Served at Miami Rum Festival 2014)
* Mai Tai (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Mai Tai (Traditional / Adapted by Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove)
* Mai Ta-IPA (By Jacob Grier, Cocktails on Tap: The Art of Mixing Spirits and Beer / Adapted by 5 Minutes of Rum and The Atomic Grog)
* Makani Pahili (Skipper Mickey of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto / Iron TikiTender competition)
* Mara-Amu (The Mai-Kai)
* Martiki’s Merchant Daiquiri (Smuggler’s Cove tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Martin Cate’s Punch (Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove / Created for the 10th anniversary of Tiki Oasis)
* Martinique Milk Punch (Saveur magazine)
* Martinique Milk Punch (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* The Master Ninja (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry of Latitude 29 in New Orleans / Served at The Hukilau 2016)
* Merchant’s Mai Tai (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Missionary’s Downfall (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Molokai Mike (Trader Vic’s)
* Molokai Swizzle (The Mai-Kai / The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at SoBeWFF 2015)
* The Monaco (Mount Gay Rum)
* Montego Bay (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Moon Barrel (Joe Desmond / The Hukilau 2011 cocktail contest)
* Moonkist Coconut (The Mai-Kai / Esquire magazine)
* The Morning After (Yani Frye / Angostura Rum)
* Mutiny (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Mystery Gardenia (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)

N-O
* Navy Grog (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Navy Grog (The Ancient Mariner) (Trader Vic’s / Adapted by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry)
* Navy Grog (Latitude 29 / Jeff “Beachbum” Berry)
* Never Say Die (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Nu Nui Nui (Daniele Dalla Pola / Nu Lounge Bar in Bologna, Italy)
* Nutty Old Fashioned (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Oh Mai Darling (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Oh So Deadly (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)

P
* Painkiller (Pusser’s Rum)
* Pain Reliever (Brian Miller / Tiki Mondays With Miller / The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at SoBeWFF 2015 / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Pampanito (Martin Cate / Smuggler’s Cove)
* Papeete Paralyzer (Damon Bolte / Served at The Hukilau 2010)
* Paradise City (Rhum Barbancourt / The Hukilau 2016)
* Passport to Martinique (VenTiki in Ventura, Calif. / Served at The Hukilau 2012)
* Passion Fontaine (Freddy Diaz and Julio Cabrera of AlambiQ Mixology / Served at Miami Rum Festival 2014)
* Passion Fruit West Indies (Pagan Idol)
* Pearl Diver’s Punch (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Penang Afrididi (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Pieces of Eight (Pieces of Eight in Marina Del Rey, Calif. / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Piña Colada (Traditional variation)
* Piña Colada (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Piña Passion (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Pineapple Express (Jim Kearns of The Happiest Hour in New York City / InStyle)
* Pineapple Paradise (The Hawaiian Room in the Hotel Lexington, New York City / Beachbum Berry’s Intoxica)
* Pineapple Surprise (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Pi Yi (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Plantation Mai Tai (Julie Reiner / Lani Kai and Clover Club, New York City)
* Planters Punch (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Planter’s Punch (Jasper LeFranc of the Bay Roc Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica / Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails)
* Planter’s Punch (Traditional / Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean)
* Playboy (Tiki Underground)
* Pooch Punch (Joe Everett of Driftwood / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* The Powderkeg (Blair Frodelius / The Hukilau 2011 cocktail contest)
* Puka-Puka Punch (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean)
* Pupule Punch (The Mai-Kai / The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at SoBeWFF 2016)

Q
* Q.B. Cooler (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log)
* Q.B. Cooler (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Queen’s Road Cocktail (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)

R
* The Rain Barrel (George Jenkins / The Hukilau 2011 cocktail contest)
* Ray’s Mystique (à la Ray’s Mistake) (Garret Richard / Tropical Standard)
* Rebel With a Cause (Denizen Rum)
* Red Tide (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Restless Native (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Revenge of the Atomic Zombie Cocktail (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Rudolph’s Red Rum Swizzle (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Return of the Zombie Dolphin (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Rum Julep (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Rum Julep (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Rum Pot (Traditional / Adapted by Beachbum Berry)
* Rum Rat Pack Punch (Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove / Served at The Hukilau 2011)

S
* Samoan Grog (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Santero’s Elixir (Kern Mattei, The Mai-Kai / 2016 Miami Rum Festival party)
* Scorpion Bowl (Trader Vic’s)
* Secret Santa Flip (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Shark Bite (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Shark’s Tooth (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Shark’s Tooth (Based on Tiger Shark by Tony Ramos of the China Trader via Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari / Variation by PKNY, New York City)
* Shrunken Pumpkin Head (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Shrunken Skull (The Mai-Kai / Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats / Beachbum Berry Remixed and Sippin’ Safari)
* Shrunken Skull (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Sidewinder’s Fang (Lanai in San Mateo, Calif. / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Singapore Sling (2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival)
* Singapore Sling (The Essential Bartender’s Guide by Robert Hess)
* Singapore Sling (Freddy Diaz of AlambiQ Mixology / 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival)
* Skull & Bones (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* S.O.S. (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Special Daiquiri No. 1 (Garret Richard / Tropical Standard)
* Special Planters Punch (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Special Reserve Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Spicy Hula Girl (Kern Mattei, The Mai-Kai / Served at The Hukilau 2016)
* Stephen Remsberg’s Planter’s Punch (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Strawberry Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Suffering Bastard (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Sumatra Kula (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Sunakora (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Sunakora Zombie (Don the Beachcomber / Sunny Sund: The Woman Behind Don the Beachcomber)
* Sweet Micky (The Broken Shaker, Miami Beach / Served at The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at SoBeWFF 2016 / The Atomic Grog tribute)

T
* Tahitian (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry / Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log)
* Tahitian Breeze (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Tahitian Coffee (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Tahitian Rum Punch (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Tahitian Rum Punch (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Test Pilot (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Test Pilot (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Three Dots and a Dash (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Three Dots and a Dash (Paul McGee for Three Dots and a Dash, Chicago / Punch)
* Three Dots and a Dash (Three Dots and a Dash, Chicago / Served at The Hukilau 2017)
* The Tiki Lover (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Tiki Swizzle (The Mai-Kai)
* Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum (Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar)
* Tiki Trail Zombie (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* The Trader’s Polynesian Aloha Grog (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Tropical Itch (Harry Yee / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Tropical Thunder Express (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Tukupi’s Cup (John Tremain and Matt Anderson of Seattle / The Hukilau 2013 cocktail contest)
* Tutu Rum Punch (Trader Vic’s)

U
* Uh Oa! (Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Uncle Ed’s Elixir (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* The Undead Gentleman (Martin Cate / Smuggler’s Cove)
* The Underground Cardamom Daiquiri (Tiki Underground tribute / Mark Hooper, The Pith Crew)
* Unisphere (Thomas Mario / Playboy’s Host & Bar Book)
* The Urban Archaeologist (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)

V
* Val’s Daiquiri (Valentin González, New York City / The New York Times)
* Vicious Virgin (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Vicious Virgin #2 and #3 (Beachbum Berry Remixed and The Atomic Grog)
* Virgin Island Kula (Ray Buhen of the Tiki-Ti in Los Angeles / Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean)
* Vodou Zonbi (Haitian Zombie) (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)

W
* Wicked Wahine (Brice Ginardi of Hawaii and California / Imbibe)
* Witch Doctor (Jasper LeFranc of the Bay Roc Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica)
* Winter Daiquiri (Mindy Kucan of Hale Pele in Portland / Cocktail Virgin)

X-Y-Z
* Xanté Pear Sidecar (Freddy Diaz of AlambiQ Mixology / 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival)
* Yeoman’s Grog (The Mai-Kai tribute / Steve Wahlin)
* Zacapa Hurricane (Danny Valdez / Ron Zacapa Rum)
* Zombie (1934) (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Zombie (1950) (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Zombie (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Zula #1 and #2 (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)

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RECIPES BY CATEGORY

Don the Beachcomber (45)

Donn Beach, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt but better known as Don the Beachcomber. (Donn-Beach.com)
Donn Beach, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt but better known as Don the Beachcomber. (Donn-Beach.com)

A former rum-runner and Hollywood hanger-on named Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt changed the way the world approached rum and tropical cocktails when he opened the first Don the Beachcomber in 1933 on the heels of Prohibition. This South Seas paradise was no mere marketing ploy. The wildly creative barkeep went all-in, changing his name to Donn Beach and creating a template for exotic cocktails and themed tropical establishments that influenced everyone who followed. Donn’s legend, along with his complex cocktails, were cloaked in secrecy for decades until author and influential Tiki revivalist Jeff “Beachbum” Berry unearthed and decoded his recipes. Donn’s influence can still be felt today, from The Mai-Kai (where many of his secret recipes have been painstakingly preserved for 60+ years) to a new generation of bars that continue to serve the classics with reverence. The only remnants of the worldwide Beachcomber empire are at the Royal Kona Resort in Hawaii, where Donn moved in 1946 (he died in 1989). A restaurant with the U.S. rights to the Don the Beachcomber name was a cornerstone of the Southern California scene until it closed its Huntington Beach location in 2018. A Tampa-based hospitality company bought the rights to the name and announced plans on Donn Beach’s birthday in 2023 for a new chain of Don the Beachcomber restaurants and bars. Tentative plans call for as many as 10 to 15 locations across the Southeast over the next several years. Also stay tuned for an upcoming book (Searching for Don the Beachcomber) and film (The Donn of Tiki) for the full story of Donn Beach’s life and times.

LIVE COVERAGE & REVIEW: Don the Beachcomber grand opening in Florida is a smashing success
LIVE COVERAGE & REVIEW:
Don the Beachcomber grand opening in Florida is a smashing success

If there were any doubts that the inaugural “next gen” restaurant and tropical bar would not live up to the high standards of its namesake, they were quickly put to rest during the launch in Madeira Beach.
>>> OPENING DAY PHOTOS, RECAP, MORE
 
* 151 Swizzle (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Beachcomber Punch (Sunny Sund: The Woman Behind Don the Beachcomber)
* Beachcomber’s Gold (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Cobra’s Fang (Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Colonial Grog (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Demerara Dry Float (Beachbum Berry’s Intoxica)
* Donga Punch (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Don’s Beach Planter (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Don’s Own Planter’s (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Don’s Pearl (Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Don’s Special Daiquiri (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
 
* Doctor Funk (Beachbum Berry’s Intoxica)
* Doctor Funk (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Doctor Funk (Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* Island of Martinique Cocktail (Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean)
* Kona Coffee Grog (Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Missionary’s Downfall (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Montego Bay (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Mystery Gardenia (Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Navy Grog (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Never Say Die (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Pearl Diver’s Punch (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Penang Afrididi (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
 
* Pineapple Surprise (Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Pi Yi (Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Planters Punch (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Puka-Puka Punch (Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean)
* Q.B. Cooler (Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log)
* Q.B. Cooler (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Queen’s Road Cocktail (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Rum Julep (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Shark’s Tooth (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Skull & Bones (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Sumatra Kula (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
 
* Sunakora (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Sunakora Zombie (Sunny Sund: The Woman Behind Don the Beachcomber)
* Tahitian Coffee (Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Tahitian Rum Punch (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Tahitian Rum Punch (Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Test Pilot ( Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Test Pilot ( Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Three Dots and a Dash (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Vicious Virgin (Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Zombie (1934) (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Zombie (1950) (Beachbum Berry Remixed)

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Trader Vic’s (4)
Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron (1902-1984) was one of many restaurateurs who took the ball from Don the Beachcomber and ran with it in the 1930s. Unlike most who fell by the wayside, Vic stood the test of time, and his family-operated brand still boasts 19 restaurants around the world. Most of the new locations are in the Middle East, but classic Trader Vic’s restaurants still exist in London; Tokyo; Munich; Atlanta and Emeryville, Calif.
Official site: TraderVics.com
 
* Molokai Mike (Trader Vic’s Tiki Party)
* Navy Grog (The Ancient Mariner) (Trader Vic’s / Adapted by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry)
* Scorpion Bowl (Trader Vic’s Tiki Party)
* Tutu Rum Punch (Trader Vic’s Tiki Party)

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The Mai-Kai (authentic) (18)

The Mai-Kai's deadly Halloween quarts and gallons, plus more great moments in Zombie cocktail history

When fledgling restaurateurs Bob and Jack Thornton opened the historic Fort Lauderdale restaurant in late December 1956, they took more than inspiration from the acclaimed Don the Beachcomber outpost in their native Chicago. They also found a general manger, a chef, and a head mixologist. Working with the Thorntons, veteran barman Mariano Licudine took Donn Beach’s recipes and perfected them over the next 20+ years, adding his own distinctive touch. The Mai-Kai is temporarily closed for repairs and renovations, but otherwise still going strong and faithfully following the high standards of their late owners and master mixologist.
Official sites: MaiKai.com | MaiKaiTradingPost.com
Twitter | Facebook: Official page | Friends of The Mai-Kai group
Instagram: Restaurant | The Molokai bar | Trading Post

The Mai-Kai restoration guide
MAI-KAI RESTORATION GUIDE
Check out our new page for all the latest news, photos, video and deep details on the refurbishment and reopening of South Florida’s Polynesian Palace.
>>> COMPLETE COVERAGE FROM THE ATOMIC GROG

More from The Atomic Grog
* The Mai-Kai’s deadly Zombie resurrected for Halloween, along with mysterious legend
* What we learned at Appleton master blender Joy Spence’s rum tasting
* Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy: How to Mix Like The Mai-Kai
* The Mai-Kai updates bar menu, adds classic ‘lost’ cocktail
* Tiki bar of the week: The Molokai lounge
* Mai-Kai tropical drink family tree
* Heeeeeeere’s the rich history and lost stories of The Mai-Kai
* Tour of The Mai-Kai’s mysterious bars and kitchen
* Interview with General Manager Kern Mattei
 
* 1862 Rhum Punch (The Hukilau 2015)
* Banana Daiquiri (Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Barrel O’ Rum (Beachbum Berry’s Taboo Table)
* Big Bamboo (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Demerara Cocktail (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Demerara Float (Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats)
* Derby Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai)
* Floridita Daiquiri (Cocktail.com)
* Hamilton Navy Grog (Hamilton Rum master class, February 2019)
 
* Last Rites (Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari)
* Mara-Amu (The Mai-Kai)
* Molokai Swizzle (The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at SoBeWFF 2015)
* Moonkist Coconut (Esquire magazine)
* Pupule Punch (The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at SoBeWFF 2016)
* Santero’s Elixir (2016 Miami Rum Festival party)
* Shrunken Skull (Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats / Beachbum Berry Remixed and Sippin’ Safari)
* Spicy Hula Girl (Served at The Hukilau 2016)
* Tiki Swizzle

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The Mai-Kai (tributes) (49)

The Mai-Kai's Demerara Float history, recipes

The Mai-Kai’s original head bartender, Mariano Licudine, kept his recipes secret and his staff hidden from view in back bars, just like his longtime boss, Don the Beachcomber. More than 60 years after opening in Fort Lauderdale, this historic restaurant still maintains the same mid-century standards and commitment to secrecy. Aided by the research of Beachbum Berry, The Atomic Grog has taken many of Donn Beach’s original classics and tweaked them to fit the flavor profile of The Mai-Kai. When no “ancestor recipe” was available, we reverse engineered the recipes based on our extensive experience imbibing and rating every cocktail on the menu. Home bartenders across the globe joined the party, and over the years the popularity of these “tribute recipes” has continued to grow. In June 2018, Hurricane Hayward shared his knowledge in a sold-out Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy class, “How to Mix Like The Mai-Kai,” at The Hukilau 2018. A follow-up class and additional symposium on “The Rums of The Mai-Kai” were held at The Huiklau 2019.

Okole Maluna Society: The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
Okole Maluna Society: The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide

Latest news on the renovations, takeout cocktails, plus our full archive of reviews and ratings.
More on The Atomic Grog
* Demerara Rum: The Mai-Kai’s secret weapon
* The rums of The Mai-Kai: Potent, funky flavors from Guyana and Jamaica
* The Mai-Kai’s tropical drink family tree
* The rich history and lost stories of The Mai-Kai

Mai-Kai cocktail review: The Black Magic emerges from the darkness as a true classic
 
* 151 Swizzle
* Barrel Before Christmas
* Barrel O’ Rum
* Black Magic
* The Black Magic Cocktail
* Blood Island Green Potion #2
* Bora Bora
* Chocolate Snowflake
* Cobra’s Kiss
* Deep Sea Diver
* Demerara Cocktail
* Demerara Float
* Derby Daiquiri
 
* Don Q Cocktail
* Dr. Fong
* Hanalei Bay
* Hidden Pearl
* Hot Buttered Rum
* The Hukilau
* Impatient Virgin
* Island Queen
* Jet Pilot
* K.O. Cooler

Mai-Kai cocktail review: The Mutiny is a worthy foe in the battle of the tropical titans
 
* Last Rites
* Liquid Gold
* Mai-Kai Blizzard
* Mai-Kai Special
* Mai-Kai Swizzle
* Mai Tai
* Martinique Milk Punch
* Mutiny
* Oh So Deadly
* Piña Colada
* Piña Passion
* Rum Julep
* Samoan Grog
 
* Shark Bite
* Shrunken Skull
* S.O.S.
* Special Planters Punch
* Special Reserve Daiquiri
* Strawberry Daiquiri
* Suffering Bastard
* Tahitian Breeze
* Yeoman’s Grog
* Zombie
* Zula #1 and #2

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Jeff “Beachbum” Berry (59)

Beachbum Berry demonstrates how to make a proper Zombie at The Mai-Kai during his symposium at The Hukilau in April 2012
Beachbum Berry demonstrates how to make a proper Zombie at The Mai-Kai during his symposium at The Hukilau in April 2012. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

This list includes recipes from the Tiki cocktail archaeologist and author’s many books, plus some served at special events, his New Orleans bar (Latitude 29) and his growing Sippin’ Santa holiday pop-up concept. Berry’s research was instrumental in not only the modern Tiki cocktail revival, but the creation of this blog’s Mai-Kai cocktail guide. It’s safe to say that a majority of the recipes on this entire list would not exist if it were not for the man we lovingly call “the Bum.”
Official sites: BeachbumBerry.com | Latitude29NOLA.com | Sippin Santa
Buy the Bum’s books and app: Sippin’ Safari (10th anniversary edition) | Potions of the Caribbean | Remixed | Taboo Table | Total Tiki (iPhone and iPad)
More: Barware from Cocktail Kingdom
On The Atomic Grog: Website of the week | Latitude 29 profile | Take 5 interview
* Zombie hunters: Beachbum Berry, Ed Hamilton join forces on rum blend
* Sippin’ Santa comes to town: Beachbum Berry interview
* Jeff Berry proves he’s never too busy to be a ‘Beachbum’
* ‘Potions of the Caribbean’ cruises back to the birthplace of Tiki cocktails
* Beachbum Berry digs deep to unearth vintage Zombies, more ‘Potions of the Caribbean’
 
* 151 Swizzle (Don the Beachcomber)
* Banana Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai)
* Barrel O’ Rum (The Mai-Kai)
* Beachcomber’s Gold (Don the Beachcomber)
* Big Bamboo (The Mai-Kai)
* Cesar’s Rum Punch (Joseph Cesar, Grand Hotel Oloffson)
* Chief Lapu Lapu (Traditional)
* Christmas Eve of Destruction (Brad Smith of Latitude 29 for Sippin’ Santa / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Colonial Grog (Don the Beachcomber)
* Demerara 80 Swizzle (The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Demerara Cocktail (The Mai-Kai)
 
* Demerara Dry Float (Don the Beachcomber)
* Derby Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai)
* Devil’s Island Daiquiri (Beachbum Berry original)
* Donga Punch (Don the Beachcomber)
* Don’s Beach Planter (Don the Beachcomber)
* Don’s Own Planter’s (Don the Beachcomber)
* Don’s Special Daiquiri (Don the Beachcomber)
* Doctor Funk (1937) (Don the Beachcomber)
* Doctor Funk (1953) (Don the Beachcomber)
* Island of Martinique Cocktail (Don the Beachcomber)
* Last Rites (The Mai-Kai)
* Mara-Amu (The Mai-Kai)
 
* Missionary’s Downfall (Don the Beachcomber)
* Montego Bay (Don the Beachcomber)
* Navy Grog (Don the Beachcomber)
* Navy Grog (The Ancient Mariner) (Trader Vic’s)
* Navy Grog (Latitude 29)
* Never Say Die (Don the Beachcomber)
* Pearl Diver’s Punch (Don the Beachcomber)
* Penang Afrididi (Don the Beachcomber)
* Pieces of Eight (Pieces of Eight in Marina Del Rey, Calif.)
* Pineapple Paradise (The Hawaiian Room in the Hotel Lexington, New York City)
* Planters Punch (Don the Beachcomber)
* Planter’s Punch (Traditional)
 
* Puka-Puka Punch (Don the Beachcomber)
* Q.B. Cooler (1937) (Don the Beachcomber)
* Q.B. Cooler (1941) (Don the Beachcomber)
* Queen’s Road Cocktail (Don the Beachcomber)
* Red Tide (Beachbum Berry original)
* Restless Native (Beachbum Berry original)
* Rum Pot (Traditional / Adapted by Beachbum Berry)
* Rum Julep (Don the Beachcomber)
* Shark’s Tooth (Don the Beachcomber)
* Shrunken Skull (The Mai-Kai / Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats)
 
* Sidewinder’s Fang (Lanai in San Mateo, Calif.)
* Skull & Bones (Don the Beachcomber)
* Stephen Remsberg’s Planter’s Punch
* Sumatra Kula (Don the Beachcomber)
* Sunakora (Don the Beachcomber)
* Tahitian (Beachbum Berry original)
* Tahitian Rum Punch (Don the Beachcomber)
* Test Pilot (Don the Beachcomber)
* Three Dots and a Dash (Don the Beachcomber)
* Tropical Itch (Harry Yee of the Hawaiian Village in Waikiki)
* Vicious Virgin #2 (Pago Pago in Tucson)
* Virgin Island Kula (Ray Buhen of the Tiki-Ti in Los Angeles)
* Zombie (1934) (Don the Beachcomber)
* Zombie (1950) (Don the Beachcomber)

See also: Beachbum’s Special Daiquiri (Latitude 29 tribute / The Atomic Grog)

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Martin Cate and Smuggler’s Cove (11)

Martin Cate and Rebecca Cate kick off their book tour at The Mai-Kai in June 2016. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
Martin Cate and Rebecca Cate kick off their Smuggler’s Cove book tour at The Mai-Kai in June 2016. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

An influential figure in both the Tiki and craft cocktail scenes, Cate raised tropical mixology to new heights with his San Francisco rum bar, which opened in 2009. The award-winning venue inspired an award-winning book that encapsulates the modern Tiki revival and elevates this under-appreciated genre to a science.
Official site: SmugglersCoveSF.com
Buy the book: Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki
On The Atomic Grog: Book release | Smuggler’s Cove profile | Take 5 interview
* ‘Rum Rat Pack’ starts a revolution at Hukilau 2011
 
* 2070 Swizzle (Circa 2013 / Updated in Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* Captivation (Served at The Hukilau 2016 / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Doctor Funk (Don the Beachcomber / Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* Formidable Dragon (Served at The Hukilau 2015 / The Atomic Grog tribute / Official recipe in Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* Henry & John (Wine Enthusiast)
* La Guildive (Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* Mai Tai (Circa 2013 / Updated in Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* Martin Cate’s Punch (Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove / Created for the 10th anniversary of Tiki Oasis)
* Pampanito (YouTube, circa 2012; later appeared in Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* The Undead Gentleman (From Professor Cocktail’s Zombie Horde, 2013 / Updated in Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki)
* Rum Rat Pack Punch (Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove / Served at The Hukilau 2011)

See also: Martiki’s Merchant Daiquiri (Smuggler’s Cove tribute / The Atomic Grog)

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Brian Miller (4)

Representing a new, freewheeling approach to Tiki cocktails, New York City’s Brian Miller has been influential in the recent history of craft and tropical cocktails on the East Coast. In 2011, he created arguably the first modern Tiki pop-up bar, Tiki Mondays With Miller, in New York City. Miller has represented Rhum Barbancourt and has been a regular at events such as The Hukilau and the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, where he won the inaugural Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown in 2015. When it came time to finally launch his own bar and restaurant, he did it in grand style, partnering with a major NYC restaurant group to open The Polynesian on the rooftop of The POD Hotel in Times Square in 2018.
On The Atomic Grog: The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown 2015
* Tiki Tower Takeover at The Hukilau: 2015 | 2016
 
* Blue Bayou (Served at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival 2019)
* Greedo in Paradise (Served at The Hukilau 2016)
* Haitian Frolic (Served at The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at SoBeWFF 2016)
* Pain Reliever (The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at SoBeWFF 2015 / The Atomic Grog tribute)

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Hurricane Hayward (right), with assistance from Nik Satterfield, mixes his Atomic Zombie Cocktail during the Zombie Jamboree at The Mai-Kai in April 2011. (Atomic Grog photo)
Hurricane Hayward (right), with assistance from Nik Satterfield, mixes his Atomic Zombie Cocktail during the Zombie Jamboree at The Mai-Kai in April 2011. (Atomic Grog photo)

The Atomic Grog (85)
Humbly submitted, here are some of our original creations and a long list tribute recipes inspired by our little neighborhood Tiki bar, The Mai-Kai. The influence of the world’s most acclaimed mid-century Polynesian palace cannot be denied, but we’ve thrown in a few curveballs to keep things interesting.
* The Atomic Grog 10th anniversary: Beware! Deadly Zombies ahead
 
* 151 Swizzle (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Altered State Zombie (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Allspicy Daiquiri (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Alloa Aloha (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Atomic Mai Tai Cocktail (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Atomic Painkiller (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Atomic Zombie Cocktail (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Barrel Before Christmas (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Barrel O’ Rum(The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Beachbum’s Special Daiquiri (Latitude 29 tribute)
* Black Magic (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* The Black Magic Cocktail (The Mai-Kai tribute)
 
* Blood Island Green Potion #2 (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Bora Bora (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Christmas Creeper (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Chocolate Snowflake (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Cobra’s Kiss (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Deep Sea Diver (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Demerara Cocktail (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Demerara Flip (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Demerara Float (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Derby Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Dr. Fong (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* The Final (Destination) Zombie (Hurricane Hayward original)
 
* The Ghost Host (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Ginger Grant (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Habanero Lime Margarita (Walt Disney World / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Hamilton Zombie (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Hanalei Bay (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Hapa Holidaze (Hurricane Hayward original)
* Hidden Pearl (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Hot Buttered Rum (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* The Hukilau (The Mai-Kai tribute)
* Impatient Virgin (The Mai-Kai tribute)

Mai-Kai cocktail review: Jet Pilot soars over its ancestors with flying colors

The S.O.S. was one of three cocktails featured at The Hukilau 2018 in Hurricane Hayward's Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy class, How to Mix Like The Mai-Kai
The S.O.S. was one of three cocktails featured at The Hukilau 2018 in Hurricane Hayward’s Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy class, How to Mix Like The Mai-Kai. (Atomic Grog photo)

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Disney Parks (9)

A guilty pleasure to be sure, cocktails at the Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. The addition of the Trader Sam’s Tiki bars on both coasts has a lot to do with this assessment, but visit any Disney park and you’ll find that the craft cocktail ethos is being embraced far more widely that one would expect.
Official sites: Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar | Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
Facebook groups: Trader Sam’s Coast To Coast | Trader Sam’s Mug Trading
On The Atomic Grog:
* Tambu Lounge at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
* Epcot Food and Wine Festival continues to deliver delicious bites, a bounty of booze
* Miami mixologist shows how to jazz up your cocktails at Epcot Food and Wine Festival
* Disney raises the bar for cocktails at Epcot Food and Wine Festival
* Cocktails come of age at Epcot Food and Wine Festival
 
* Backscratcher (Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort)
* Blood Orange & Sand (Freddy Diaz of AlambiQ Mixology / 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival)
* Habanero Lime Margarita (Walt Disney World / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Singapore Sling (2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival)
* Singapore Sling (Freddy Diaz of AlambiQ Mixology / 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival)
* Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum (Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar)
* The Trader’s Polynesian Aloha Grog (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Uh Oa! (Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Xanté Pear Sidecar (Freddy Diaz of AlambiQ Mixology / 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival)

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DRINK STYLES

There are some cocktails that transcend the rum and Tiki genres, yet also please the purists. Master these drinks and you’ll be the hit of any party.

Mai-Kai cocktail review: Robust flavors and potency are hallmark of 151 Swizzle

151 Swizzle (4)

It looks unassuming in its modest metal cup, certainly no match for potent brethren such as the Rum Barrel or Jet Pilot. But don’t let its small stature fool you. Next to the Zombie, the 151 Swizzle may be Don the Beachcomber’s crowning achievement in the deadly cocktail sweepstakes. This compact concoction is packed with flavor (and potent rum). While the broader “swizzle” category can be more diverse and unpredictable, drinks featuring a healthy dose of 151 rum (or something similar), made in the spirit of Donn’s original, rise to the top of the tropical canon.
 
* 151 Swizzle (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* 151 Swizzle (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* 2070 Swizzle (Martin Cate / Smuggler’s Cove)
* Demerara 80 Swizzle (Beachbum Berry tribute / The Atomic Grog)

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Cuban Daiquiri by The Atomic Grog
Cuban Daiquiri by The Atomic Grog. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, May 2013)

Daiquiri (20)
With all due respect to other classics, this simple combination of rum, lime, and sugar may very well be the perfect cocktail. While its exact origin can be debated, the consensus is that it sprang from Cuba in the early 20th century as a refreshing vehicle to spotlight that nation’s outstanding cane spirits. Tiki’s pioneers took this simple template and ran with it, but there’s nothing quite like a stripped-down Daiquiri. Or any of the many extrapolations, including the less-respected frozen variety. There’s a good reason Daiquiri recipes easily outnumber all others on The Atomic Grog.
 
* Allspicy Daiquiri (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Appleton Reserve Daiquiri (Joy Spence / Appleton Estate Rum)
* Banana Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Beachbum’s Special Daiquiri (Latitude 29 tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Cuban Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai)
* Daiquiri (Traditional)
* Derby Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai)
* Derby Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Devil’s Island Daiquiri (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry / Food & Wine)
* Don’s Special Daiquiri (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
 
* Floridita Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai / Cocktail.com)
* La Floridita Daiquiri (Bar La Florida / Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails)
* Martiki’s Merchant Daiquiri (Smuggler’s Cove tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* The Morning After (Yani Frye / Angostura Rum)
* Red Tide (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Restless Native (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Special Reserve Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Strawberry Daiquiri (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Val’s Daiquiri (Valentin González, New York City / The New York Times)
* Winter Daiquiri (Mindy Kucan of Hale Pele in Portland / Cocktail Virgin)

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Hurricane (4)
The original Hurricane, a New Orleans party drink with only tenuous ties to Tiki, has some great bones. With the right touch, it can blow you away with its intensity and envelope you with a storm surge of exotic flavors.
 
* Hurricane Caesar (Joe Cammarata of Backbar, Sommerville, Mass. / For Tales of the Cocktail 2014)
* The Mai-Kai Hurricane (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Makani Pahili (Skipper Mickey of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto / Iron TikiTender competition)
* Zacapa Hurricane (Danny Valdez / Ron Zacapa Rum)

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Atomic Mai Tai Cocktail
Atomic Mai Tai Cocktail featuring Chairman’s Reserve Original rum and Latitude 29 Formula Orgeat. Matchbook from the old Trader Vic’s at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, September 2018)

Mai Tai (9)
Considered by many to be the ultimate exotic cocktail, this 1940s classic created by Trader Vic remains arguably Tiki’s flagship drink after all these years and is still as popular as ever.
* Florida bartender wins Chairman’s Reserve Mai Tai Challenge at The Mai-Kai
 
* Atomic Mai Tai Cocktail (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* El Dorado Mai Tai (Robert Krueger of Extra Fancy in Brooklyn)
* Mai Tai (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Mai Tai (Traditional / Adapted by Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove)
* Merchant’s Mai Tai (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Oh Mai Darling (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Passport to Martinique (VenTiki in Ventura, Calif. / Served at The Hukilau 2012)
* Plantation Mai Tai (Julie Reiner / Lani Kai and Clover Club, New York City)
* Mai Ta-IPA (By Jacob Grier, Cocktails on Tap: The Art of Mixing Spirits and Beer / Adapted by Kevin Upthegrove and Hurricane Hayward)

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Special Planters Punch tribute by The Atomic Grog, February 2014
Special Planters Punch tribute by The Atomic Grog, February 2014. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

Planters Punch (9)
The inspiration for many of Don the Beachcomber’s “rhum rhapsodies,” this Caribbean classic dates back centuries to the very origins of combining rum, lime, and sugar in a punch bowl. The modern version was perfected in Jamaica and raised to new heights by Donn Beach and his progeny.
 
* Beachcomber Punch (Don the Beachcomber / Sunny Sund: The Woman Behind Don the Beachcomber)
* Cesar’s Rum Punch (Joseph Cesar, Grand Hotel Oloffson / Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean)
* Don’s Own Planter’s (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Planters Punch (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed)
* Planter’s Punch (Jasper LeFranc of the Bay Roc Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica / Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails)
* Planter’s Punch (Traditional / Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean)
* Pooch Punch (Joe Everett of Driftwood / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Special Planters Punch (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Stephen Remsberg’s Planter’s Punch (Beachbum Berry Remixed)

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Revenge of the Atomic Zombie Cocktail (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, April 2021)
Revenge of the Atomic Zombie Cocktail (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, April 2021)

Zombie (16)
This mysterious and deadly concoction dates back to 1934 and the early days of Tiki. However, Don the Beachcomber’s recipe was a closely guarded secret until it was decoded by Beachbum Berry and published in Sippin’ Safari in 2007. Hurricane Hayward cites the Zombie as his all-time favorite cocktail, counting himself among the many who have been inspired to create their own modern tributes and alternative versions. It’s also The Atomic Grog’s No. 1 ranked drink at The Mai-Kai.
* The Mai-Kai’s deadly Zombie resurrected for Halloween, along with mysterious legend
* History, mythology and cultural significance of the zombie
* A new Zombie becomes final challenge for The Hukilau villagers
* Take a trip down the Tiki Trail for a lethal new Zombie recipe
* The Atomic Grog 10th anniversary: Beware! Deadly Zombies ahead
* Zombie hunters: Beachbum Berry, Ed Hamilton join forces on rum blend
* The undead get lively at The Mai-Kai’s Hulaween party
* New book features 86 deadly Zombie recipes
* Zombie alert: 5 crucial things you need to know
* Rum Renaissance Zombie fest at The Mai-Kai
 
* Altered State Zombie (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Atomic Zombie Cocktail (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Christmas Creeper (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* The Final (Destination) Zombie (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Frankie’s Tiki Room Zombie (Liquid Vacation: 77 Refreshing Tropical Drinks from Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas)
* Guyanese Zombie (Helena Tiare Olsen, A Mountain of Crushed Ice / PKNY via Professor Cocktail’s Zombie Horde)
* Hamilton Zombie (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Le Zombi (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
 
* Revenge of the Atomic Zombie Cocktail (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Sunakora Zombie (Don the Beachcomber / Sunny Sund: The Woman Behind Don the Beachcomber)
* Tiki Trail Zombie (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* The Undead Gentleman (Martin Cate / Smuggler’s Cove)
* Vodou Zonbi (Haitian Zombie) (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Zombie (1934) (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed and Sippin’ Safari)
* Zombie (1950) (Don the Beachcomber / Beachbum Berry Remixed and Sippin’ Safari)
* Zombie (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)

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Feeling like a zombie? Here are three new holiday cocktails to raise your spirits
Three Atomic Grog originals: Christmas Creeper, Rudolph’s Red Rum Swizzle, Uncle Ed’s Elixir. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, December 2021)

Winter holidays (18)
While there are some longtime classics on this list, the concept of winter cocktails in any modern sense is a relatively new development. Thanks to the blossoming seasonal pop-up bars – including the Miracle and Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Santa concepts – the craft and Tiki cocktail scenes have embraced the winter holidays will full abandon. Forget the eggnog, here are some recommended cocktails to serve at your next party.
* All the Miracle pop-up cocktails, reviewed and ranked
 
* Allspicy Daiquiri (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Barrel Before Christmas (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Chocolate Snowflake (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Christmas Creeper (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Christmas Eve of Destruction (Brad Smith of Latitude 29 for Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Santa / The Atomic Grog tribute)
* Demerara Flip (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Devil’s Island Daiquiri (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry / Food & Wine)
 
* Hapa Holidaze (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Hot Buttered Rum (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Kona Coffee Grog (Don the Beachcomber / Hawai’i – Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine)
* Mai-Kai Blizzard (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
* Martinique Milk Punch (Saveur magazine)
* Martinique Milk Punch (The Mai-Kai tribute / The Atomic Grog)
 
* Nutty Old Fashioned (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Rudolph’s Red Rum Swizzle (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Secret Santa Flip (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Uncle Ed’s Elixir (Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog)
* Winter Daiquiri (Mindy Kucan of Hale Pele in Portland / Cocktail Virgin)

Okole maluna!

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

Minimalist Tiki

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