When it comes to home entertainment, Tiki cocktails are the life of any party with their colourful garnishes and exotic ingredients but they can be a challenge to make for a crowd.
In this article on how to batch Tiki cocktails, Mitch Wilson, Plantation Rum Ambassador for Australia takes us through three popular Tiki cocktails, how to make one serve and how to batch Tiki cocktails for a crowd including his pro tips for successful batching.
The following applies whether you’re batching cocktails in a bar, or just throwing the ultimate Tiki House Party. The only difference between the two will be how many drinks you’re making.
When it comes to batching Tiki cocktails, it’s important to consider:
- How much do you need
- When are you going to use it
- What ingredients are perishable/non-perishable
How much you need is dependent on whether you’re entertaining guests at home or batching for a bar. For the former, the rule of thumb is 1.5 of each cocktail per person. Some guests may not drink, others may stick to other drinks such as beer and wine. Spirits last for a while but fresh juices and citrus are best juiced on the day. For the latter, the volume will be higher.
In this article, we’ll show you which ingredients you can be mixed together and which ones to keep separate. Here are three classic Tiki cocktails and how to batch them at home or in your bar, as shown above from left to right: Mai Tai, Zombie, Piña Colada.
Mai Tai Recipe
(serves 1)
Ingredients
- 45 ml Plantation OFTD Rum
- 30 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 ml orgeat
- 15 ml Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Glassware: rocks glass
Garnish: orange wheel, mint sprig
Method
Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Add ice, and garnish with an orange wheel and mint sprig.
How to Batch for Mai Tai
For 8 people – (1.5 serves per person)
You can batch the rum, curaçao and bitters together. Orgeat will have an expiry time but if you’re going to use the batch within the month, you can add it in. Keep your lime juice separate and mix it in as needed. For 8 people, following the 1.5 cocktails per person rule, you need to batch:
- 540 ml Plantation OFTD Rum
- 180 ml orgeat
- 180 ml Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
- 24 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Prepare 360ml of fresh lime juice and keep in a separate bottle.
To make one Mai Tai, you need:
- 75 ml of your batched Mai Tai mix
- 30 ml of lime juice.
Pour the Mai Tai mix and lime juice in a cocktail shaker, add about 10 ice cubes, shake, strain and serve. Garnish with an orange wheel and mint sprig.
Click on the next page for How to Batch Tiki Cocktails: The Zombie.
