Tiki Rum is undoubtedly a natural star: a smooth and fruity rum with an incredible taste in a massive range of different drinks, from traditional tropical ones to modern concoctions made with exotic fruit juice. The rum is also popular for its tropical accessories: not least the bottle, which is often shaped like a palm tree or pineapple.
What makes this particular rum so wonderful? It is one of the most exotic and unique rums produced around the world today, making it a perfect choice of spirit for many tropical-themed drinks. Here we take a look at the different versions of Tiki Rum available and what makes them the best rum around.
The original Tiki rum, which is now commonly referred to as ‘real’ Tiki, is produced using rum from the Solomon Islands. This type of rum is very expensive, but is well worth the price. Real Tiki can be identified by the white flowers that grow on the skin of the rum bottle. The name of the island has been taken from a Hawaiian phrase meaning ‘the place where the sun sets.’
If you’re looking for the real deal, then you should choose a bottle of Tiki rum produced in the Bahamas. Made from rum that has been imported straight from the islands, the result is smooth, fruity, sweet rum with an authentic taste. Although the island itself is small, producing only 1% of the overall rum production, it still holds its own because of its tropical flair.
The Tiki Rum made from a mix of rum from other parts of the world, such as Jamaica, Brazil and Puerto Rico, are also an excellent choice, but they are not quite as refined or as good in taste as the island produced rum. They can have a similar feel to the island produced rum but lack the refinement of the island-produced versions.
Another option is to try one of the many bottled versions of Tiki. These aren’t too expensive, but are often produced by reputed distilleries such as Smirnoff, which are well known for their quality rum.
You can find some great tasting Tiki rum online. There are several sites that have reviews of the different varieties of Tiki, and which allow you to get in touch with a tiki specialist tiki drinker in person to test their drink before you buy it. There are also a number of online shops that sell Tiki, both online and offline.
The best way to get a flavour of Tiki is to try some of the rum you can find and make your own: there’s no substitute for actually trying it. The rum itself is the star, but if you can make it yourself, the rest will come naturally.
The key to making a Tiki is to get a quality bottle of Tiki rum, such as the island produced variety. It’s important not to settle for a cheaper bottle of tiki rum – you want to make sure you get a premium product. There are a number of different types of mini wine available as well, but the main one is usually the Mai Tai or the Kona, which is made from the finest of red grapes and is usually around 60 years old.
The fruit used to make Tiki is usually the same grapes that grow on the island. The most common is the banana leaf, which is also used to make Tiki beer. It is an important part of any good tiki rum, as it helps the rum to age and become more complex.
Once you’ve decided which type of Tiki rum you want, you need to get the ingredients and tools together. The most important pieces are a blender (not an ordinary blender), some ice and rum. Some people use other tools such as a mortar and pestle to break down the berries to a fine consistency, but using a blender will be quicker.
Once the ingredients have been put together, it is best to make the mixture into a large punch which you can then pour into glasses with some rum. There are two ways to serve this – one is to place it into mugs with some ice cubes (you can serve the punch neat or with ice if you don’t want to mix the rum and the fruit together, and leave the rest of the rum to fizz) or to make it into a drink by filling some glasses.