Royal Hawaiian

You might not think of gin as an essential tiki ingredient, but this tropical cocktail certainly makes a case for it. Named for one of Waikiki’s first popular resorts, the cocktail combines gin with fresh pineapple juice, lemon juice and orgeat into a frothy, fruity (but not too sweet) island drink. When it first debuted in the 1920s, the Royal Hawaiian was known as the Princess Kaiulani; it wasn’t until the 1950s that the Royal Hawaiian Hotel embraced it as the property’s namesake drink. Since then, the Mai Tai has taken the Royal Hawaiian’s place as the hotel’s signature cocktail, but that doesn’t make the gin-based tiki classic any less delicious.