With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, we have been working overtime on creating a series of fall and holiday-themed tiki cocktails.

I personally love this time of year. The cold temperatures and early sunsets make for ideal drinking weather - plus, we get to experiment with the lesser used ingredients of the tiki world.

This week we present the Sailor’s Harvest. Made with cinnamon, vanilla, allspice and apricot liquor, it’s like a Christmas pastry in a cup - a bit on the desserty side, but not too sweet (more like a savory/spice filled dessert)

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

Ingredients:

• 1 oz lemon juice
• ½ oz cinnamon syrup
• ½ oz vanilla syrup
• ¼ oz allspice dram (we use St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram)
• 1 oz apricot liquor (we use Rothman & Winter)
• 2 oz blended aged rum (we use El Dorado 8 Year)
• ½ oz black blended overproof rum (we use Plantation O.F.T.D)
• Orange bitters (optional)
• Fresh grated nutmeg (optional)

Cocktail Steps:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and shake with ice for 10 seconds.  Strain into a glass with crushed ice, and add 5-6 dashed of orange bitters (optional step).

Garnish:
Garnish with grated nutmeg, a dried orange/lemon peel, and 3 luxardo cherries on a decorative cocktail pick.

Wayward Spirits Rating:
Overall Score - 4.5

“Sailor’s Harvest” is a delicious holiday tiki drink. The molasses and butterscotch finish on the El Dorado 8 Year ties a nice bow on the vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and warm-yet-fruity apricot liquor - and the addition of citrus helps keep the drink from feeling too heavy.

It’s truly a fantastic replacement for mulled wine or a hot toddy, while still staying in the holiday spirit. Plus, it’s sure to impress guests who want a special or unique holiday cocktail, but tend to avoid heavy nogs or butter-based drinks.

Even though we have recently been writing about our favorite fall and holiday themed tiki cocktails, we often like to shake things up and revisit some of our favorite summer cocktails (especially when the weather is unseasonably warm for fall).

This past summer (or as we call it, our “quarantine summer”), the Bitter Mai Tai from Easy Tiki was one of our very favorite go-to recipes.

We first tried it while vacationing in Palm Springs and fell in love with this particular riff, as it felt more unique and refreshing than most. If you love Mai Tais and Campari, you are bound to appreciate this particular twist on a tiki classic.

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: Double Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 1 oz lime juice
• ¾ oz orgeat
• ½ oz orange curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
• ½ oz Campari
• ¾ oz aged Jamaican rum (Smith & Cross)

Cocktail Steps:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and shake with ice for 10 seconds.  Strain into a glass with crushed ice, and add 2-3 dashed Angostura bitters.

Garnish:
Garnish with a large sprig of mint.

Wayward Spirits Rating:
Overall Score - 4

The Bitter Mai Tai from Easy Tiki is a deliciously unique riff on the classic tiki cocktail - well balanced, refreshing, and perfect for hot summer days next to the ocean or pool.

As a huge fan of all things bitter, this particular recipe spoke to me. That’s not to say this version is perfect - It does lack a certain complexity and spice (explaining the 4 star rating), however, it makes up for this with its unique blend of bitter and sweet.

​Give it a try, and let us know that you think!