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Mr. Bali Hai
Full-flavoured rum and pineapple with delicate coffee and a refreshing zing of lemon citrus
22nd March at 19:12
Afterthought : Rum coffee martini, but tiki style and way more complex >:D
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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/
https://www.balihairestaurant.com/history/
17th April 2023 at 11:21
Thanks, Chris, I've added your link to the restaurant's history above.
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.
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.
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.
5th March 2022 at 14:55
Quite coffee forward, which is an interesting deviation from your normal tiki cocktail!
9th December 2021 at 05:15
My Coffee Liqueur is rather one dimensional and produced a coffee forward flavor. A couple dashes Pimento Dram added complexity and balance.
12th January 2021 at 14:54
I think the history on this one might not be correct? The origin according to Jeff Berry’s books is the Bali Hai restaurant in San Diego, which it’s named after as their signature drink. A few differences in the ingredients too, but maybe Kevin Beary made a later tribute to the original?
12th January 2021 at 20:17
Many thanks for bringing this to my attention. I have researched and hopefully corrected the history, as well as adding my own adaptation of the recipe in Jeff's book.
Overall it's a very cool drink. The coffee and pineapple feels like it shouldn't go together yet really does. In a way it's refreshing like the espresso tonic.