A Tiki Drink for Valentines Day – Ma’ane’i No Ke Aloha ~ For love is here and now

Tiki month of february continues with a little something for the valentine`s day…i see more and more romantic cocktails for the upcoming Valentine´s day in the making but nowhere do i see a romantic tiki drink?  - looks like somebody has to do something about that and what can be better timing for that than now since it also is the tiki month?

When thinking of romantic-tiki i visualize polynesian tropical sunsets, palm fronds gently swaying in the soft breeze and flickering tiki torches – often two tiki torches are crossed together, like two lovers…and then we have the distant waves crashing against the reef and melodic ukulele music – the whole Hawaiian dream – so i think we´re going to Hawaii for this valentine´s tiki drink…

Hawaii means aloha and aloha is not just hello and goodbye, it also means love - The aloha spirit is a spirit of love. It’s a spirit of caring, sharing, and giving and it puts the needs of others first. Isn’t that what love is all about?

So here is a tiki drink for valentine´s day, with a Hawaiian name of love of course:

Ma’ane’i No Ke Aloha ~ For love is here and now

1 oz white rum (i used Tiki Lover´s white)

0.5 oz rhum agricole blanc ( i used La Mauny)

0.5 oz dark Jamaican rum – Smith & Cross – for a funky punch

1 oz Coco Lopez cream of coconut

1 oz Coconut milk

4 oz fresh pineapple juice

0.5 oz green chartreuse

0.5 oz fresh lime juice

0.25 oz sugarcane syrup (i used Petit canne)

Shake with ice cubes and pour into a wide large glass with a pink sugar rim and garnish with orchid and pineapple leaves. You may choose some other garnish…i decided to go for cerise-pink because that´s what i had at home and that´s also a color of love, it´s not just red. You may add some grated some nutmeg on top as well

This drink is inspired by the classic pina colada which becomes soooo much better if a golden or even dark rum is used (adding some character)

This drink isn´t exactly weak in the flavor since it contains both rhum agricole and Smith and Cross but i think these rums funks it up in a good way – and the lovely green chartreuse adds some herbal notes and mystery..

Me Ke Aloha! (with love)