Tiki Drinks for light weights

What tiki drinks do you serve your friends that stop by and are not used to Tiki drinks? My hubby and I love a good Mai Tai or Navy Grog on a Friday night but when friends stop by they can't handle all of the rum goodness. I'd love to be able to whip up something with some juices and rum that would be good besides just pineapple juice and rum. Plus I hate to waste my good rum on people that won't appreciate it. :) Any good recipe ideas out there?

Thanks!

Take a look at a Derby Daiquiri for starters. It's simple, refreshing, and easy to make with a blender. Don't put super-low-end rum in it, middle-of-the-road like Cruzan is fine. Experiment with the sweetness - the simple syrup can be made in various ratios and you'll want to balance out the sweetener with the tartness of your citrus on that day's batch. I've been using 1:1 simple syrup.

Then, the Pusser's Painkiller is a little more complicated to make, but easier from the standpoint that you mix or shake it - no blender. The Painkiller is always a big hit with my friends who have little to no "real" rum cocktail experience. Do use Pusser's if you can, although Myers's works very well too but doesn't have the same aroma as the Pusser's along with a different (but not dramatically so) flavor profile.

I 2nd the motion regarding the Pusser’s Painkiller. Just stay with the # 2. 

From one of Pusser’s ads;

The infamous Pusser's Painkiller®—the drink we are known for throughout the West Indies, in the U.S. and many parts of Europe!
The Painkiller® is a blend of Pusser's Rum with 4 parts pineapple juice, 1 part cream of coconut and 1 part orange juice served over the rocks with a generous amount of fresh nutmeg on top. You have a choice of numbers 2, 3 or 4, which designate the amount of Pusser's Rum! Cheers!
Painkiller #2 ... 2 parts Pusser's Rum
Painkiller #3 ... 3 parts Pusser's Rum
Painkiller #4 ... 4 parts Pus
Google “Bajan Rum Punch”. Easy to make a pitcherfull although a bit sweet imho.
Good luck and Cheers!
Btw, I use a medium priced rum in the punch and I always use Pusser’s in a painkiller-very tasty!

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2015-02-20 10:54 ]

A Dark and Stormy is tasty and easy to make. They're not loaded with alcohol either. Ginger beer is non-alcoholic.

1.5 oz Gosling's Black Seal Rum
Gosling's Stormy Ginger Beer

In a tall glass filled with ice add 4 - 5 oz of Gosling's Stormy Ginger Beer and top with Gosling's Black Seal Rum. Garnish with a lime wedge (optional).

I third the Painkiller. Always goes over well at our gatherings with tiki or non tiki aficionados. I usually times the recipe by 4 or 5 and dry blend then serve over ice with sprinkles of nutmeg and cinnamon on top, toss a cinna stick in, and stick a pineapple wedge on the glass.

the Leilani Volcano is a great tiki drink for lightweights.

the Painkiller is a great drink, though it's not a tiki drink.

The Spindrift might be good. It's a strong drink but large so you can make it for two. The juices and syrups tend to hide the rum pretty well. On the other hand, kind of a waste of demerara rum for people who don't appreciate it...

My tiki ignorant friends also like the Reverb Crash.

[ Edited by: wupput 2015-02-20 22:01 ]

Tikiyaki's own recipe a Jungle Jetsetter

Jungle Jetsetter

1 1/2 oz lime juice
3/4 oz Maraschino Cherry Juice
1/2 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 oz Orgeat
2 0z Coconut Rum

Shake with crushed ice. Serve in your favorite drink vessel.

optional :
Add a splash of club soda

And the Classic "Blue Hawaiian"

Nice tropical light weight drinks

I can't jive with the 'you're a lightweight, here have a lightweights drink' but I know what you mean - providing a few nice little drinks can be better than knocking some out with a Rum Barrel / Zombie etc. A couple of drinks & good conversation can still make for a good evening.

I think a good trick is to offer food before the drinks & go slow.

Here's few suggestions with their respective rum measures:

• Sumatra Kula, 1.5 oz
• Donga Punch, 1.5 oz
• Montego Bay, 1.5 oz
• Missionary's Downfall, 1.5 oz
• Saturn, 1.5 oz
• Blue Hawaiian, 1.5 oz

A favorite of mine that tastes strong & can takes a while to sip is:

• Dons Own Planters Punch, 2 oz (I streamline it 1oz PR: 1 oz dark Jamaican)

You never know they might build up a tolerance :wink:

Thanks for the ideas! I think I perfected the Derby Daquiri over the weekend so that helps alot. :) I was using the Beachbum Berry Tiki drinks app but I didn't like the way it tasted when you put it in the blender. I found it's much better to shake it and then strain into the glass.