Name: Mr. Bali Hai
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Aged Jamaican rum; 30 ml Light white rum; 22.5 ml Coffee liqueur; 45 ml Pineapple juice; 30 ml Lemon juice; 10 ml Sugar syrup (2:1)

Mr. Bali Hai
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Photographed in a Libbey Tiki 13.5oz

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₂ oz	Jamaican aged blended rum with funk
1 oz	Light white rum (charcoal-filtered 1-4 years old)
³⁄₄ oz	Galliano Espresso Coffee liqueur
1 ¹⁄₂ oz	Pineapple juice
1 oz	Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₃ oz	Monin Pure Cane Syrup (65.0°brix, equivalent to 2:1 rich syrup)

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Tiki mug or collins glass.
Prepare garnish of pineapple wedge, mint sprigs and coffee beans.
SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into glass or tiki mug filled with crushed ice.
Garnish with pineapple wedge, mint sprigs bouquet and 3 coffee beans.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Full-flavoured rum and pineapple with delicate coffee and a refreshing zing of lemon citrus.

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History:

This cocktail takes its name from, and was originally served in a mug modelled after, the carved wooden statue that still stands (restored in 2010) proudly at the entrance to the Bali Hai Restaurant in Shelter Island, San Diego, USA.

Meaning "Your own special island" and perhaps named after the song titled Bali Ha'i from the 1949 musical, South Pacific, Bali Hai opened in 1955 after Tom Ham, an accountant, took on the task of saving the last outpost of The Hut restaurant franchise. This remains the restaurant's signature cocktail.

To quote Jeff "Beachbum" Berry's 2010 Remixed, "Since the Bali Hai opened in 1955, this drink has gone through several incarnations." The recipe above, like so many other adaptations, is based on one from Jeff's book.

A more recent tribute to the original is by Kevin Beary at Chicago's Three Dots and a Dash:

Mr. Bali Hai
Serve in: Tiki mug/Collins glass
Garnish: Pineapple wedge, mint sprigs bouquet & 3 coffee beans
Method: SHAKE all ingredients with ice and strain into glass/mug filled with crushed ice.
25 ml Black Strap rum
25 ml Madeira Malmsey
25 ml Coffee liqueur
7.5 ml Spiced rum
7.5 ml Dark Jamaican rum
7.5 ml Falernum
25 ml Pineapple juice
25 ml Lemon juice
2 dashes Tiki bitters

More cocktails by Kevin Beary

Nutrition:

One serving of Mr. Bali Hai contains 283 calories

Alcohol content:

1.9 standard drinks
14.81% alc./vol. (14.81° proof)
27 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 10 of 13 comments for Mr. Bali Hai.
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Jose Cruz

22nd March at 19:12

Afterthought : Rum coffee martini, but tiki style and way more complex >:D

Jose Cruz

22nd March at 19:06

Pretty unique with the coffee, complex profile, i skipped them white rum and used a demerara rum also instead. Experimented with some falernum and next remake id use 10 ml falernum rather then the Simple syrup. 10/10

Matt

7th October 2024 at 00:44

Interesting - very familiar tiki notes (rum, pineapple, lemon), but with the coffee setting this apart by adding a distinct earthy note. A bit strange at first sip, but once you realize what the taste is it makes sense. I used Mr. Black, so more of a bitter coffee note, but the basic drink is a fruity/rummy tiki cocktail.

Cole Hladun

11th September 2024 at 17:41

A bit much with 3/4oz Kaluah. will try 1/2 next time. Also did 3/4 Coruba, 3/4 Smith & Cross, and 1 Probitas. Will do more funk and proof next time.

Megan Trawinski

18th April 2024 at 22:14

I drop the lemon juice by 1/4 oz, and instead of rich simple I use both homemade orgeat— most recently a coconut sugar-cashew orgeat and coconut simple syrup. The coffee + pineapple + coconut is a really good combo

Chris Dimal

22nd January 2024 at 07:07

I used Appleton Estate Reserve Blend with a hint of Old Monk to make it a tiny bit closer to Myers's alongside Havana Club 3. Nice, with a somewhat surprising synergy of the coffee and pineapple, made moreishly tart by the lemon.

Chris Brislawn

17th April 2023 at 06:35

Had the pleasure of dining at Bali Hai when we were in San Diego last fall with our son. They make a good Mai Tai, and I like this signature drink too. Used Appleton Reserve 8-year-old, Cana Brava Carta Blanca, and Kahlua with a mix of lemon and lime juice. Classic tiki concoction, the coffee makes it a bit different; good excuse to get out the tiki mugs. You can see Mr. Bali Hai (the sculpture) at
https://www.balihairestaurant.com/history/

Simon Difford

17th April 2023 at 11:21

Thanks, Chris, I've added your link to the restaurant's history above.

Caitlin

31st December 2022 at 12:15

I used all of my rums to make this. Very tasty, and this comes from someone who does not enjoy coffee yet.

Smythe Richbourg

16th June 2022 at 04:12

Quite a pleasant libation! I"m a fan of all things tiki, but this one is less spirit-forward, while still being a strong drink. It's going just under the Mai Tai in my list of favorites.

John Hinojos

26th May 2022 at 01:48

Living in San Diego, Bali Hai is one of our favourite restaurants. This is a perfect rendition of their signature drink. Like all tiki drinks, this is deceiving in it strength, but not overly sweet. The hint of coffee is a plus (and I am not a coffee drinker). Would highly recommend on a warm afternoon when you do not have anything to do but relax.

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