There are exotic cocktails that live just on the edge of Tiki Lounge drink acceptability. These include more tropical/Caribbean drinks such as the Piña Colada and Dark and Stormy, and others that worked their way into Asian restaurants and Tiki bars over the last half century. One such concoction normally enjoyed at upscale Chinese restaurants, but that can be nicely added to your home Tiki drink menu is the
Lychee Martini
Exotic, tasty, and with an interesting look, the Lychee Martini is easy to make and fun to serve. After trying several recipes, I’ve found this one to be the most interesting and tasteful.
Ingredients
1 oz lychee liqueur
2/3 ounce vodka
1/4 tspn vanilla extract (real)
1 dash Cointreau
2 oz lychee syrup
1 lychee fruit (canned fruit and juice is fine, it’s not easy to find them fresh, but of course use fresh if possible)
Lychee fruits, for garnish
Quarter-fill a cocktail shaker with crushed ice, top with cubed ice to about the 2/3 mark. Separately, crush one lychee in a glass and add all ingredients, mix well and add to shaker. Shake until the outside of the shaker starts to freeze up. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with lychees. Can also be garnished with a curl of shaved chocolate or an orchid for added flair.
-Tiki Chris, reporting from behind the bar at Pirate’s Cove Tiki Lounge