Nui Nui

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Cocktail History

The Nui Nui is a classic tiki cocktail that was created in the 1930s by Don the Beachcomber at his bar in Hollywood, California. A rather unknown concoction of Don’s for many years, it wasn’t until Jeff “Beachbum” Berry dug into the history of tiki when writing his book Sippin’ Safari that this recipe was revived. This version is as close to the original as possible with its Jamaican rum base, cinnamon and vanilla syrups that would’ve been considered exotic at the time, and combination of citrus juices typical for tiki.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with molasses or sugarcane juice, spices, and alcohol that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. I used J. Wray & Nephew Gold Jamaican Rum.

Orange Juice: This is the liquid juice of an orange. I used freshly squeezed orange juice.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cinnamon sticks, sugar, and water. I made mine using this sous vide recipe.

Vanilla Syrup: This is a sweetener made with vanilla pods, sugar, and water.

Allspice Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with allspice berries, spices, sugar, and rum. I used St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Cinnamon Stick: This is a dried spice that has been rolled into a stick. I used Simply Organic Cinnamon Sticks.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Orange-yellow color

• Aroma: Citrus, cinnamon, and funky rum

• Taste: Spicy and fruity flavor with a zing of tart orange and lime, baking spices, and noticeable rum

• Finish: Lingering cinnamon note

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “One word: Yum! Thanks to its baking spice flavor, this cocktail reminded me a lot of the Iron Ranger, just lighter and sweeter. If you’re not keen on a bourbon base for a tiki drink, maybe start with the Nui Nui. It’s quite unique and very delicious, and its whiskey flavor is masked well enough by the other ingredients so it’s not overpowering.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2025-03-24.