Big Island Tiki Ladies
Sharing aloha spirits where
every hour is happy hour!
Cocktails
We have a large variety of cocktails for obvious reasons -- we love our happy hours! Happy hour encompasses the spirit of celebrating life with good food, drink and company (in healthy moderation — most of the time)! We hope you enjoy trying some of our favorite spirits as much as we enjoy making and sharing them.
​
Monika has many exotic, fresh fruits and coconuts on her farm for use in cocktails. We have discovered some new drink ingredients that are staples for a tiki bar. We feature a few of these items on this page.
Ingredients from the Farm
Jaboticaba
​
Jaboticaba is a fascinating tree grown mainly in Brazil. Because of Hawaii’s ideal weather, botanists have been bringing exotic plants to the islands for centuries. The fruit grows along the branches and ripens into a large, deep purple grape-like fruit (that’s why some people call it a Brazilian Grape)! The skin is thick and there are large seeds, but the pulp is juicy and tangy. You can pop them in your mouth to eat, but it’s much better to make a juice from them and develop a tasty tiki drink. They can also be frozen to add an ornamental look while keeping your cocktail cold. Read more about Jaboticaba.
Surinam Cherry
​
This shrub or small tree is native from South America; specifically, Surinam, Guyana and French Guiana to southern Brazil (especially the states of Rio de Janeiro, Paraña, Santa Catharina and Rio Grande do Sul), and to northern, eastern and central Uruguay. Read more about Surinam.
Surinam cherry has a distinctive wedged shape (like a tiny pumpkin) with colors ranging from orange to bright red to dark burgundy when fully ripe. In Hawaii, they are grown mainly as an ornamental shrub with edible fruits. The fruits are very juicy and have a resinous, spicy aroma.
Surinam Cherry is rich in antioxidants, which help to prevent the free radicals that are the major cause for inflammation and diseases. The fruits is rich in phosphorus, Vitamin C, riboflavin, iron and niacin. But the best part is that they are so delicious and make great juice for tiki cocktails.
Tiki Staple Mixers
Falernum
Falernum is an ingredient with almonds, cloves, lime, ginger and rum. Since this does not seem to be prevalent at stores in Hawaii, we went online but could only order the non-alcoholic version, which is basically a flavored simple syrup. Monika and Brian don't have a clove tree; however, they do have an Allspice tree, so we want to try making our own version (I personally think the Allspice sounds tastier)! For now, we will just use the non-alcoholic syrup and add the rum. Warning, don't use this with cream drinks or the lime will make it curdle! Read more about Fallernum on The Lost Tiki Lounge site.
​
A little education on the difference between cloves and Allspice. Allspice (Pimenta dioica), sometimes called Jamaica pepper, is a tropical species of evergreen tree grown for its glossy, fragrant foliage and edible berries, which are widely used as a spice. Allspice earned its name because it has a flavor like that of several spices combined. Its taste is often said to most closely resemble a mixture of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper. Cloves tend more towards sweetness, while allspice contains peppery overtones that are not present in cloves.
Orgeat
Orgeat is pronounced “OR-ZHA” or “OR-ZAT. It’s a French word originating from the latin “hordeaceus” which means “made with barley.” (Back in the day, Orgeat was made with a barley-almond blend). Orgeat syrup is almond syrup with a decent amount of sugar and a touch of orange flower water. If you love almonds or Amaretto, you will like this mixer. Similar to the Falernum, you can purchase the non-alcoholic version (simple syrup) online and add your own rum into your drinks. Perhaps we may try making our own simple syrup with sugar, water, almond extract and orange peels.