In a shaker, combine the above with the crushed ice. To keep in touch with the British naval roots of this drink, it could be poured into a tin cup, or just use a mug or glass of your choosing.

The most important part to remember about this drink is that the ratios of 1, 2, 3, and 4 are THE Tiki cocktail recipe. Whenever you start to experiment on your own, think about what these numbers can represent. Citrus juices can be sour and a little sweet. Flavored syrups obviously are sweet. Liqueurs can add both sweet and strong. Your strong should usually be rum, but it's not uncommon to use brandy, gin, or even tequila in a tiki style drink. Pick a rum with a little bit of age on it from one of the old British colonies.

In a shaker, combine the above with 12 ounces of crushed ice. Shake, and pour into a short glass. Garnish with mint and a spent lime shell—it looks like a little floating island.

The Mai Tai has suffered under the addition of more and more fruit juice and sugar for years. This recipe is considered the 1944 version, originally created by Trader Vic. The goal is a daiquiri with a light orange and almond flavor. For rums, we always experiment but typically use Clément Première Canne and Appleton 12 year.

In a mixing tin, add the above ingredients. Stick blend or shake. Pour into a short glass. Garnish with a small toy jet.

Here, we see quite the mix of rum. For black blended, we’ll use Goslings which brings a buttery, brown sugar flavor. Our blended aged go-to is always Appleton 12, for all the tastiness a Jamaican rum can bring. For overproof, we use Hamilton 151 to give the drink some heat, with molasses and oak. Herbstura became a common ingredient for Don the Beachcomber. It is a combination Angostura bitters and Herbsaint liqueur—any anisette can be substituted for Herbsaint—but be careful: more than one drop will quickly overwhelm the drink.

In a mixing tin, add the above ingredients. Stick blend or shake. Pour into a tall glass. Garnish with a pineapple spear topped with three cherries.

This drink is a Don Beach original. The name is morse code for "V", which stands for "Victory". It was created to celebrate the end of World War II. It predominantly features the flavors of the Martinique rhum agricole, with a touch of allspice. Clément VSOP is the most easily found option for this rum, but we prefer the stronger flavor of La Favorite Rhum Ambré. The aged rum can vary, but we generally just use Jamaican or Barbadian rum with 8 or more years of age.

In a shaker, combine the above ingredients with ice. Shake, and pour into a big glass.

This one is an original of ours that was crafted for a large suite party at Midwest Furfest. It is a boat drink-style drink, with fruit juice playing a larger role. The idea was to create a drink that introduced Tiki flavor in a lower-proof way for the masses. The allspice gives it a nice, wintry flavor.