Here’s the first original Tiki drink of my own that I’m posting for #TikiMonth 2018. It is a riff off of the Montego Bae, a delicious cocktail from the Detroit Bar, Standby. I had some changes I wanted to make, especially in that I wanted a slightly crisper profile. I changed a variety of ingredients, removing a lot of sugar, while keeping the base flavors until I reached a kind of plateau in the drink. It was where I wanted to go, but sadly wasn’t as good as the original. I had figured out early on that I wanted to use Dragon Fruit as a garnish, and I hit upon the idea of using some in the drink, and I think that nails it.

First off, this drink does not photograph well. It looks a lot better in person, though I still wish I could find a way to keep the dragon fruit seeds in suspension. They tend to settle in the bottom of the glass before the drink is finished. I haven’t found a solution. I am open to ideas.

The texture on this drink is awesome, in my humble opinion. The flavor is that rich, exotic Tiki melange, but with a crunchy, light edge that is a bit unusual. I like it. I’m proud of it. Do try it.