The Mele Kalikimaka (a Christmas Rum Tiki Drink)

After Santa has delivered his last package, I bet he indulges in this Christmas tiki drink on a beach in Hawaii. Inspired by the flavors of my favorite Hawaiian cocktail, the Mai Tai, this festive drink has a delightful combination of fruit juices that'll transport you to your favorite warm weather location, no plane ticket required.

Mele Kalikimaka means Merry Christmas in Hawaiian, and after one sip of this tropical cocktail you'll see why it's my favorite drink for the holiday season.

My family and I travel to Kauai every couple of years to my mother-in-law's condo, and I always look forward to getting a Mai Tai at Merriman's restaurant. The tropical flavors of pineapple, rum, and island spices are irresistible.

I thought it would be fun to give the tiki drink some Christmas cheer, so this recipe has the addition of cranberry juice and grenadine for a bold Christmas red color. What you'll find is a fruity, boozy punch that's the perfect way to spread holiday cheer this Christmas season.

Looking for more holiday cocktails? This chocolate and candy cane martini is super festive. You'll love my doctored up Trader Joe's winter sangria. It serves a crowd, so it's ideal to serve at a holiday party.

Another fruity cocktail that's one of my favorite drinks is my prickly pear Moscow mule. Or try this Frosty the Snowman cocktail.

If you're looking for a hot drink to serve this holiday season, then my spiced black tea hot toddy is the way to go. Now that you've got more festive cocktails for your holiday parties, let's get to that Mele Kalikimaka!

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this Mele Kalikimaka Mai Tai:

• gold rum
• orange liqueur
• pineapple juice
• cranberry juice
• fresh lime juice
• amaretto
• amaro or bitters
• grenadine

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, let's make this tasty cocktail:

1. First, squeeze the juice from the lime to equal 2 tablespoons.

2. Then, combine all the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake the cocktail and pour into an ice-filled glass.

Hint: Want to get the most juice out of your lime? Before cutting in half, roll the lime on the counter while pressing it with the palm of your hand.

Substitutions

Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some ideas:

• Gold rum - Instead of gold rum, use aged demerara rum, white rum, dark rum, or even spiced rum.
• Amaretto - Look for an almond-flavored liqueur if you need a replacement for the amaretto. Orgeat is a good option.
• Bitters - For this recipe, I had amaro in my liquor cabinet. You can also use angostura bitters or another bitters.
• Cranberry juice - Pomegranate juice is a great alternative to the cranberry juice.
• Grenadine - Instead of grenadine, you can use simple syrup instead.

Variations

Check out these ways to change up this Mele Kalikimaka cocktail:

• Spiced Mele Kalikimaka - Instead of grenadine, use cinnamon syrup or nutmeg syrup. The color won't be as vibrant red so feel free to use grenadine too if you'd like.
• Coconut Tiki Cocktail - Add a little coconut milk for even more tropical flavor.
• Fizzy Christmas Punch - A splash of ginger ale or lemon-lime soda will add some delicious fizz.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need for this recipe:

• measuring spoons
• cocktail shaker
• juicer

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

You can make a batch cocktail and freeze it in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.

• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.