Renowned rum expert and mixological master Shannon Mustipher’s book Tiki is one of our most treasured resources for delicious, modern tiki cocktail recipes. This one, the Isla de Piña, was the model chosen for the book’s cover, and it makes sense – it’s a tightly-perfected reduction of everything we love about tiki, from funky rum to rich fruits to exotic spices.
Mustipher uses an aged white rum here (Diplomatica Planas). It’s an unusual choice, since most white rums are unaged – but not unexpected, since her bar at Gladys’s Carribean stocks at least 50 unique rums. You can use a standard unaged white rum here, but if you have the luxury, choose one with the most flavor you can manage.
Replacing watery pineapple juice with the concentrated sweetness of pineapple liqueur is a genius stroke. Giffard’s Caribbean Pineapple is our go-to, for its deliciously roasted flavor that reminds us almost of an upside-down pineapple cake.
