Hey y’all! Happy New Year and welcome to Tiki The Snow Away Volume IV!

Some of you have already started this party on instagram and like me, you’re definitely wishing you were on holiday in a tropical paradise. If you’re new to Home Bar Girl, you may be feeling confused as to why on earth we’d throw a Tiki party in the middle of winter but I’ve got one word for you- “escapism.”

Now, I’ll attempt to answer any questions you may have.

A. What is Tiki The Snow Away? On Jan 1 2015, I had an Egg Nog hangover, Brooklyn was covered in snow, and I was like, “screw these heavy drinks, I’m only going to have citrusy Rum drinks for a month!” I asked some cocktail friends on instagram what they thought a good hashtag for a month-long-frozen-in-the-dead-of-winter Tiki party would be and @ntitz suggested #TikiTheSnowAway.

B. How do we join the party? Well, since this is year IV, we’ve gotten fancier and have created our own Instagram page- @TikiTheSnowAway. If you post a Tiki drink on Instagram during January, use the hashtag #TikiTheSnowAway and we’ll repost to our page! Funnnnnnn.

C. What sort of Spirits & Liqueurs will you need? RUM. You’re going to need a lot of Rum. I have a wide selection of Rum from several caribbean countries and I love trying to fit two or three of them into a drink. You can also use Cachaça, Gin, Tequila, Mezcal, Brandy, Blended Scotch and really any spirits that work well with spiced syrups, citrus, and other Tiki ingredients.

As far as the Liqueurs go, this is winter Tiki. Though I’m still totally gonna use that Blue Curaçao to make another Surf Girl variation, I’m also challenging myself to try and work Amaro Meletti (or another easy going Amaro), PX Sherry, and St. George Bruto Americano into a few drinks. Beyond that, I’d highly recommed having some kind of Orange Curaçao/Creole Shrubb, Falernum, and Angostura Bitters on hand. If you’re lucky enough to have the Hamilton Pimento Dram (allspice liqueur made with funky Jamaican Rum), you can use it in a Daiquiri along with your fave Rum!

D. What kind of produce do you need? Fresh fruit. Now, I know this is a winter Tiki party, but you should be able to get Limes, Grapefruit, and BLOOD ORANGES at the grocery store! Seasonally appropriate and way more delicious than regular oranges, Blood Oranges will give beautiful color to your drinks!

If you can’t find any good Pineapples to juice, I would recommend getting a bottle of unsweetened Pineapple Juice.

*Note: If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, I know it’s summer so, go wild with your fruit selections.

E. What kind of Syrups will you need?  Cinnamon Bark Syrup. Cinnamon is always linked to wintry flavors so I’d recommend making a batch. Other highly recommended syrups are: Simple Syrup made with Cane or Demerara Sugar, Orgeat, Passionfruit, Honey Syrup (1:1 Honey and water), Coconut Cream, and Grenadine.

Tiki Mugs & Glassware

Tiki and spice garnishes

F. Anything Else? Glassware and garnishes. Tiki Mugs are tons of fun, but If you don’t have mugs, cocktail glassware will do though you might need to get a large glass for some of the bigger Tiki drinks. It’s also fun to throw a swizzle stick, Tiki umbrella, some monkeys, or a plastic sword in your drink, so head to a party store if you don’t have any of those items. Whole spices like Cinnamon, Star Anise, and freshly grated Nutmeg go well in Tiki drinks too.

Most of all, just have fun with it! Remember this is your Tropical Paradise escape from reality. Cheers and can’t wait to prrrrrrrty with y’all!