Falernum is a must have ingredient for any tiki enthusiast. It hails from Barbados and has been used in cocktails since at least the 1800s. Just by using a tiny bit, Falernum offers depth and just an almost imperceptible spice that really balances out the sometimes cloyingly sweet and overly boozy tiki cocktails. There is no real definitive recipe for Falernum, but each recipe I’ve seen calls for over proof rum, sugar, lime, almond and clove.

Orgeat is an almond syrup typically used in tiki style drinks, most notably in the Mai tai. You can buy this in the store, but it’s never as good as homemade, and the ones that are are quite expensive. It’s really simple to make and you only need 2 ingredients aside from water. There are several ways to go about making orgeat, but this is by far the easiest and least time-consuming way. I only use almonds, sugar and water to make my orgeat, you can add orange blossom water or rose water, as well as almond extract, but those ingredients are optional.

I’ve been making milk punch for quite some time now and have never ventured into vegan milk punch ... until recently. I knew that there had to be a way to make a vegan version of clarified milk punch. Coconut milk seemed like the optimal candidate, the most obvious choice, because it’s essentially the same make up: water, fat and protein, just like in cow’s milk.

When it comes to Milk Punch, there are two styles: the New Orleans style that’s made with rum, brandy and whole milk or cream, and the clarified version sometimes referred to as English Milk Punch that dates back a few centuries. Ben Franklin even had his own recipe.

Watermelon & Feta salad is one of my summertime obsessions. It’s so refreshing on a hot summer day, and the sweet and salty flavor profile is definitely my kind of salad. As I was enjoying one the other day, I thought to myself, how could I make this even more refreshing? The answer of course - is to turn it into a cocktail!