What's a Tiki Drink....and Why do Tiki Lovers Love White Grapefruit?

I was recently lucky enough to enjoy a relaxing getaway to beautiful Jupiter Island, FL. One night, we stopped in at the Square Grouper, a legendary tiki/beach bar. It sits by the water, serves fabulous fruity drinks under giant palm trees, and is pretty much everything you’d ever wanted from a tropical Florida getaway.

I’m normally more of a beer and wine drinker. But that night, I ordered a fruity, citrus-based tiki-style cocktail. When in Rome, do as the Romans do—and when at a Florida tiki bar, order tiki drinks!

What’s a Tiki Bar?

“Thatch Tiki Bar”  (c) 2008 ryan harvey, CC-BY-SA 2.0

Tiki bars (which are not the same as beach bars) never really went out of style in Florida. But if you live in the rest of the country, you may not know what this quirky tradition is all about. 

Tiki has many elements, but it typically features tropical plants and gardens, a “woodsy,” yet colorful look, tiki (Polynesian humanoid) carvings, tropical-style music (sometimes with live performers or a Polynesian theme), and of course, very elaborate tiki cocktails.

In truth, "tiki" isn’t fully authentic to any one country. While it has elements of Polynesian culture, it’s also kind of a romanticized American invention. The two (American) bars that started it all were Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s. Both these classic tiki bars eventually became large chains that spread all over the world.

Tiki Cocktails

So, what makes a cocktail “tiki”? Usually there are lots of ingredients, plenty of rum, spiced syrups, and tropical juices and fruits. Tiki drinks also almost always use citrus juices, like orange, lime, lemon, and grapefruit. They’re often served in fancy “tiki” mugs and include fun garnishes, like little umbrellas or flowers. Some drinks are big enough to share.

Popular Tiki Drinks

While the list of tiki drinks goes on and on, here are a few that are especially popular. Recipes are often “secret,” so opinions differ on what exactly to include. However, the main elements usually stay the same.

The Rum Runner has quite a long list of ingredients, including (of course) rum, orange juice, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, banana liqueur and blackberry liqueur.

The Navy Grog plays to the tradition of “drinking citrus in the navy to prevent scurvy.” It always includes rum, lime juice, and white grapefruit juice.

The Scorpion is a strong drink that includes gin, rum, brandy, wine, orange juice, lemon juice, and orgeat, an almond syrup.

The Zombie may feature rum, white grapefruit juice, cinnamon, lime juice, lemon juice, orange curacao, grenadine, falernum, and/or bitters. 

The Mai Tai calls for rum, lime juice, almond syrup, and mint.

The Magic of White Grapefruit

 Authentic tiki recipes typically date back to the 1950s or even earlier-- before today's very sweet pink and red grapefruit were introduced. What this means is that tiki drink recipes were written to match the tarter, fuller, brighter flavor profile of white grapefruit.  It's just the perfect choice for these classic recipes, and goes especially well with warm spices, like nutmeg and cinnamon.

Yet white grapefruit can be hard to find these days. So lovers of authentic tiki cocktails are often a little frustrated in their quest to to buy white grapefruit for tiki drinks. In fact, many web posts on tiki drink forums feature tiki lovers wondering where to find white grapefruit. We’re happy to help here at Florida Fruit!

Florida Tiki

Want to enjoy some tiki culture yourself? A search for tiki bars in Florida yields hundreds of enticing options, from Jacksonville to (of course) the Keys. If you live in or visit the state and have never visited one of these tropical getaways, you owe it to yourself to check one out. Choose one by the water, and go at sunset. As the palm fronds wave overhead and you enjoy a delicious beverage, alcoholic or not, you’ll likely enjoy some feelings of well-being and relaxation…perhaps even a slight sense of time travel. 

Of course, if you can’t get to a tiki bar, that’s okay! Pick up some of these ingredients and enjoy concocting one of these delicious beverages at home.

Citrus Myths and Facts

Oranges and other citrus fruit are so beautiful and delicious, it’s no wonder they’ve traveled the globe and become popular just about everywhere. As we’ve seen elsewhere on this blog, citrus is meaningful in religion and in art, and it is included in delicious dishes in cuisines worldwide. After all, we’ve been enjoying oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and other citrus since the 1500s! 

With all these uses, and such a long history, it’s no wonder that some myths have “grown up” around oranges and citrus over time. You might even believe a few yourself. Today, we’ll test your knowledge of citrus truths and myths. How many will surprise you?

Myth or fact: You can tell whether an orange is ripe by how orange it is.

Answer: 

Myth. The orange color of…oranges (and other citrus) is actually caused by cool temperatures, not by fruit becoming ripe. In fact, in warmer areas, citrus may become fully mature without turning orange at all!

Myth or fact: Grapefruit is better for you than other citrus.

Answer: 

Myth. Grapefruits do have this reputation, but they probably aren't better for you than other citrus. Though they have a few less calories, the difference really isn’t significant. They have a bit less vitamin C than other citrus, though they pack more vitamin A. Enjoy the citrus you prefer!

Myth or fact: Oranges are native to Florida.

Answer: 

Myth! As much as we Floridians might like to claim oranges as our own, they are believed to have originated in Asia (though, honestly, nobody is quite sure about this). Citrus was first brought to Florida by Spaniards in the 1500s, and, well, the rest is history.

Myth or fact: Citrus fights colds.

Answer: 

Mixture. Science tells us that vitamin C may be slightly helpful in fighting colds or decreasing their length a bit. The effect isn’t dramatic, but upping your citrus consumption can’t hurt!

Myth or fact: British sailors are called “limeys” because of all the limes they ate.

Answer: 

Fact. I didn’t know this until I researched the long and strange history of scurvy, otherwise known as vitamin C deficiency. Today, vitamin C deficiency is fortunately very rare (thanks to our relatively healthy diets). But back in the bad old days, millions of sailors died due to the very restricted diets they ate at sea. When the “cure” was finally discovered, bottled lime juice was kept on board to head off the illness. Hence, “limeys.”

Myth or fact: Citrus might help you live longer.

Answer: 

Fact!  Scientists have found that people who regularly include citrus like oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines in their diet are less likely to get cancer. This may be because of the vitamin C. Or it could be due to other compounds found in citrus, such as antioxidants.

Myth or fact: Grapefruit helps you lose weight.

Answer: 

Mixture. The so-called grapefruit diet dates back to the 1930s. Followers are supposed to eat half a grapefruit and/or drink a glass of grapefruit juice with every meal. Meanwhile, fat will “melt away.”

Scientists have yet to find any magical “fat burning” ingredient in these delicious citrus fruits. However, in a 12-week study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, people who ate grapefruit or drank grapefruit juice several times a day did lose an average of about 3 pounds, with some participants losing much more. It’s possible that grapefruit’s high water and fiber content may make people feel full, causing them to eat less at meals.

Myth or fact: The “navel” on a navel orange is another baby orange.

Answer: 

Fact! The sweet navel orange that we all enjoy has a tiny underdeveloped “twin” orange at the end of each fruit. That’s not on purpose; it’s just the way the variety, a spontaneous mutation, appeared in the wild. Because the navel is seedless, it has to be propagated through grafting.

We hope you learned something from our citrus facts and myths. There’s always something new to find out about these amazing fruits. Happy snacking!