I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink… and by a drink, I mean a spirit-forward tropical cocktail that helps me sail away from my worries (or maybe even forget them entirely).

Typically, when I’m craving a boozy concoction, I fall back on some of the tiki staples: Zombie, Après-ski Swizzle, maybe even a boozy grog, etc. But why not break the mold, and create one of our own?

This week, we bring you the Wayward Spirits. Seeing as this drink is our namesake, we promise you bold and exotic flavors that will help you escape your woes, and knock you on your butt in the process. While this drink is delicious, beware: we recommend only consuming 2 at most (lest you want a headache tomorrow).

The following post provides the necessary ingredients and steps for making this drink at home. Let us know what you think in the comments — cheers!

Recipe/ Instructions:

Glassware: Brandy Snifter or Hurricane Glass

Ingredients:

• 2 oz high-proof Jamaican rum (we used Smith & Cross)
• ½ oz black rum (we used Bacardi Black)
• ½ oz fresh orange juice
• ¼ oz vanilla syrup
• ¼ oz cinnamon syrup
• ¼ oz orange curaçao
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• (Angostura bitters and grated nutmeg to garnish)

Cocktail Steps:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, and shake for 10 seconds. Pour over crushed ice. Add 3-4 drops of Angostura bitters. 

Garnish:
Garnish with a few lime wedges and grated nutmeg

Wayward Spirits Rating:
Overall Score - 5

Not for the faint of heart, this drink is for the bold and adventurous drinker. Much like other boozy tiki concoctions, this drink is very spirit forward (using navy strength funky Jamaican rum), with tiki staples (vanilla, cinnamon, citrus) serving as a refreshing backdrop.

I’d recommend experimenting with different rums for this recipe (though don’t stray too far from high proof Jamaican rums). Cheers, and let us know what you think in the comments!​

If you are anything like me, you tend to avoid Blue Hawaiians.  Personally, I have always shied away from using blue curaçao when making tiki drinks, as I've always found the taste fairly hard to incorporate properly, and inevitably the drink ends up too sweet (plus, nothing says synthetic sugar like bright blue food coloring). 

With 2022 being the year of overcoming obstacles and trying new things, this week we have a treat for you:  a cocktail with blue curaçao that is actually REALLY good.  

A Wayward Spirits original, The Creature From The Blue Lagoon is a delicious and rummy riff on a piña colada, painkiller, and/or lava flow (or really any coconut-oriented resort cocktail), but with a bit more of a spiced/herbal flavor due to the allspice dram and bitters. 

Despite the key ingredients (coconut and blue curaçao) sounding quite sugary, this drink is not as sweet as you would suspect, making it a great alternative to the aforementioned "resort drinks" like the Blue Hawaiian.

The following post provides the necessary ingredients and steps for making this drink at home. Let us know what you think in the comments — cheers!

Recipe/ Instructions:

Glassware: Brandy Snifter or Hurricane Glass

Ingredients:

• 1 oz lime juice
• 1 oz creme of coconut
• 1 oz blue curaçao
• ¼ oz allspice dram (we use St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram)
• 1 ½ oz white rum (we used Denizen Aged White Rum)
• ½ oz coconut rum (we used Malibu)
• ½ oz black or dark rum float (we used Goslings Black Seal)

Cocktail Steps:
Combine all ingredients (minus dark rum) in a shaker with crushed ice (and one or two large agitator cubes) and shake well. Open pour into brandy snifter or hurricane glass, and top with crushed ice as needed. Add the dark rum float, and 5-6 drops of El Guapo Polynesian Kiss bitters (or Bittermens Elemakule Tiki bitters).  

Garnish:
Garnish with a few lime wedges.

Wayward Spirits Rating:
Overall Score - 5

This drink really surprised us.  We were not expecting to love it nearly as much as we do, and this drink has crash landed its way into our "top 3" original cocktails here at Wayward Spirits.  We liked it so much that we made multiple back-to-back, a rarity for drinks with creme of coconut.

If you are a fan of coconut-drinks, but cringe at the thought of Blue Hawaiians or Lava Flows, we highly recommend giving this drink a chance.  The citrus, allspice dram, and bitters help offset the sweetness of the coconut and blue curaçao, making this a well-balanced alternative to traditional resort drinks.   Cheers!