If you love cocktails, you are going to love the latest cookbook in the series from Jennifer Newens, Thursday Night Tiki Lounge: 52 Drinks That Bring The Tropics Home, which is a stunning handbook that will have you shaking, stirring, and making cocktails with the ease of a professional. Tiki cocktails are more than just the combination of delicious ingredients; they are also about the art and styling that make them so memorable, as well as the Tiki cocktail culture. With 52 delectable Tiki cocktail recipes, as well as beautiful styling ideas, the book makes a perfect gift for your favorite mixologist or as a treat for yourself.
Whenever I have a Tiki cocktail, I feel like I am back on vacation somewhere fabulous, even if I am sitting at home in the middle of winter, and Jennifer Newens’ well-crafted book will easily transport you to your favorite vacation spot. In Thursday Night Tiki Lounge: 52 Drinks That Bring The Tropics Home, Jennifer provides an engaging look into the art and culture of the Tiki cocktail that begins with the ingredients, most are rum-based, with fresh fruit juices and spices, however it is also about the glassware, and the garnishes – fruit, edible flowers, and paper umbrellas! The visual appeal for Tiki cocktails is as important as the taste of the cocktail.
The 152-page book published by The Collective Book Studio has 52 mouthwatering recipes created by Jennifer as well as from Tiki cocktail professionals including New Orleans restauranteur Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, with gorgeous “eye candy” cocktail photographs by Alyson Brown. The book is divided into interesting chapters: Introduction, which explains the diverse types of rum used, and cocktails for Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, and Vacation. There is also a helpful Resources section on where to purchase some of the more exotic ingredients used. In addition to the cocktail recipes, Jennifer also includes recipes for a wide range of syrups that you can make at home to add variety to your cocktails.
Whether you are a seasoned professional mixologist looking for fabulous cocktail ideas or are new to the art of the cocktail and want to learn how to craft them at home, Thursday Night Tiki Lounge: 52 Drinks That Bring The Tropics Home is a wonderful handbook that will provide you with a year’s worth of recipes to tempt your palate.
One of the many wonderful recipes in the book is the Blue Hawaiian. Recipe and photo reprinted with permission from Thursday Night Tiki Lounge: 52 Drinks that Bring the Tropics Home by Jennifer Newens; photographs by Alyson Brown. The Collective Book Studio/May 19, 2026.
Blue Hawaiian
“This blue-hued drink evokes the color of a swimming pool, and on a hot day, what could be better? It has similar ingredients to a piña colada, but it is shaken instead of blended.”
Glass: Double old fashioned or hurricane
Garnish: Cocktail cherry and pineapple wedge
Ingredients:
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2.0 Ounces
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(60 ml)
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Light Rum
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1.5 Ounces
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(45 ml)
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Pineapple Juice
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0.75 Ounce
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(22 ml)
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Blue Curaçao
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0.75 Ounce
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(22 ml)
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Homemade Cream of Coconut (See Tip, page 29)
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0.50 Ounce
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(15 ml)
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Fresh Lime Juice
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Cocktail Cherry, for garnish
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Pineapple Wedge, for garnish
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In a cocktail shaker, add the rum, pineapple juice, Curaçao, cream of coconut, and lime juice. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass over ice. Garnish with a cocktail cherry and a pineapple wedge. Makes 1 cocktail.
About the Author
“Jennifer Newens is a cookbook author, cooking teacher, and literary agent from Oakland, California. She received her culinary training from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. She is the author of Monday Night Mocktails, Wednesday Night Wine-Down, and Friday Night Cocktails. Jennifer believes that everyone deserves to have a special drink in a fancy glass with a pretty garnish at the end of a long day!”
Thursday Night Tiki Lounge: 52 Drinks That Bring The Tropics Home by Jennifer Newens
Photographs by Alyson Brown
Published by The Collective Book Studio/May 19, 2026
Website: https://thecollectivebook.studio/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecollectivebookstudio/ @thecollectivebookstudio
Hardcover: $19.95 USD
ISBN: 9781685556020
While the cocktails are not dependent on having a wide variety of glassware to serve them in, it is fun to look for and purchase vintage glassware in shops or estate sales to make your cocktails unique. At the very least, buy some paper cocktail umbrellas, a few interesting stirrers, and some attractive cocktail napkins to take your palate on a trip to one of your favorite vacation spots with Jennifer’s recipes. Until next time, cheers, it’s cocktail time!
Thursday Night Tiki Lounge: 52 Drinks That Bring The Tropics Home by Jennifer Newens
is available for purchase online at Amazon, Simon & Schuster, The collective Book Studio, and also at in-store retailers.
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