Royal Hawaiian
Classic tiki drink from the Royal Hawaiian hotel. Nice, balanced, refreshing cocktail. Hits some of the same notes a gin and tonic does.
"Imperial" Royal Hawaiian
This is a very pretty version made with Empress 1908 Gin, which has a lovely indigo color. All the ingredients other than the Empress are shaken together, and poured over ice. The Empress is floated on top, making a really pretty gradient of indigo into gold.
The recipe from Empress Gin is very pretty, but a little bland. Empress 1908 is a delicate gin. Adding a half ounce of Hendricks to the rest of the ingredients and floating the Empress on top yields a pretty, but tasty and balanced cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- ½ oz Hendricks gin
- 1 oz Pineapple juice, preferably cold pressed (See Note)
- ½ oz Fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz orgeat syrup
- Lemon peel
Hardware
- 10 oz Collins or highball glass
- cocktail shaker
Directions:
- Express lemon peel and wipe on the inside and outside of glass. (See Note)
- Add Hendricks, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orgeat to shaker.
- Shake lightly over large ice cube.
- Strain into tall glass with crushed or pebble ice.
- Gently float Empress gin on top.
- Garnish with pineapple wedge, pineapple fronds, and/or flowers.
Classic Royal Hawaiian
Made with London dry gin. A little better than the much prettier version above.
Ingredients:
- 1½ London dry gin (I like Hendricks)
- 1 oz Pineapple juice
- ½ oz Fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz orgeat syrup
- Lemon peel
Hardware
- 10 oz Collins or highball glass
- cocktail shaker
Directions:
- Express lemon peel and wipe on the inside and outside of glass. (See Note)
- Add Hendricks, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orgeat to shaker.
- Shake lightly over large ice cube.
- Strain into tall glass with crushed or pebble ice.
- Garnish with pineapple wedge, pineapple fronds, and/or flowers.
Notes:
- Expressing the lemon peel and wiping the glass is not optional; this completely transforms and elevates the drink. The fresh lemon oil accentuates the gin, which can easily get lost in the dilution.
- The quality of the pineapple juice is important, as that's the second largest flavor component.