This Trouble in Paradise Whisky Tiki Cocktail feels like a timely addition to the blog as I’m fresh off a much-needed two-week vacation. While I didn’t go anywhere tropical, it was just the reset I needed to come back feeling refreshed and inspired. I spent the last week in Vancouver – soaking up some of the best food, drink, and experiences the city has to offer.
Fear not dear reader, I’ll be posting a travel guide to Vancouver in the not-too-distant future. I was overwhelmed by all your positive feedback on my recent 48 Hours in Montreal travel guide and want to deliver more of that helpful content to inspire your travels in good taste (and tipples).
This cocktail is a combination of two of my favourite things: whisky and Tiki. While rum is the perennial favourite for tropical flavour pairings, rye and a splash of smoky single malt add a dry and subtly spicy character to this fruity concoction.
Coconut water imparts a subtle coconut flavour and some electrolytes – could you sip this after a yoga class? Yes. Will it speed your recovery? Probably not. But it tastes damn delicious. I opted for coconut water instead of coconut milk or cream because I wanted to let the mango juice shine and prevent the cocktail from being too creamy/heavy.
In the event that this is the first Tiki cocktail recipe you’ve stumbled across on my blog, you may be wondering what the hell “orgeat” is and how to pronounce it. Orgeat is a kind of almond syrup that’s used widely in tropical drinks, alongside it’s cousin, “falernum”. The orgeat pictured here is made by Montreal-based Prosyro and doesn’t actually include any almonds – making it a perfect option for those of you with nut allergies.
In terms of pronunciation, it’s “or-zhaat“. I’m quite sure that’s not how you were saying it in your head, but your secret is safe with me my friends.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your own orgeat from scratch – a method I’d recommend for the most faithful rendition of Tiki cocktails. Orgeat is *essential* in one of the best-known tropical cocktails – the Mai Tai. There are a also a lot of inventive riffs on this nutty syrup that yield entirely distinct flavour profiles. Pistachio and hazelnut alternatives are two of the more commonplace swaps.
Feeling flush? Try a pine nut orgeat and light your money on fire while you’re at it. If you don’t get that joke, you obviously haven’t purchased 100g of pine nuts recently.
Whether or not you take on the task of making your own orgeat, I hope you’ll give this Trouble in Paradise cocktail a try.
Trouble in Paradise
This tropical cocktail swaps out the perennial favourite of rum in favour of drier, spicier rye whisky and a splash of smoky single malt Scotch. It's a balanced and complex Tiki drink for your real or imagined tropical escapes.
- 2 oz rye whisky
- 1 tsp Islay single malt Scotch
- 1/3 oz coconut water
- 1 oz mango juice
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz orgeat
- 1 dash Angostura aromatic bitters
- Garnish: fresh mango slices
- Garnish: fresh mint bouquet
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Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Short shake over 3 ice cubes.
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Strain into Tiki mug over crushed ice.
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Garnish with fresh mango and mint.
