Last weekend, I was watching Neko Case sing against a vanilla-sunset sky and it suddenly hit me: summer is over and I really need a jacket. Even Neko Case was chilly, singing with her hands adorably tucked up the sleeves of her sweater. She admitted, while shivering between songs that not only had she forgotten her jacket for this tour, she’d also left behind her toothbrush.

Well, it’s now officially fall and we all need to remember to pack a few extra layers. But there are still plenty of balmy days ahead. So let’s bring the spirit of summer into fall (and winter for that matter, when we’re really desperate) with this awesome tiki recipe. The tropical flavours and playful presentation will instantly transport you to summer, no matter how cold it is outside.

I wanted to learn a tiki recipe from the best, so I reached out to Blair Reynolds, owner of Portland’s famous tiki bar, Hale Pele. I visited Hale Pele last summer when I was eating and drinking my way through Portland’s eclectic food scene. The bar is a cozy hole-in-the-wall where vintage kitsch reigns and the fantasy of a forgotten era has been brought to life. Basically, you all need to go.

tiki3Beachcombers Punch

The recipe calls for B.G. Reynolds Dons Mix, a tropical cocktail mixer containing grapefruit juice, cinnamon, and sugar. You can find it at BYOB Cocktail Emporium in Toronto.

Method 

¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
1½ oz B.G. Reynolds’ Don’s Mix
1½ oz Martinique Rhum
crushed ice

To make this cocktail, pour the lime juice, Don’s Mix syrup and Martinique Rhum in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass full of crushed ice. Garnish with a lime wheel, mint spring and straw.

Stay warm and enjoy!

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