Tiki glasses

Capacity here runs from 33 to 70 cl, and that is a bigger difference than it looks. Tiki recipes often contain three or four kinds of rum plus juice and syrup, and go over crushed ice, so you soon end up at 40 to 50 cl. The mugs of 33 to 45 cl, such as the Tiki Beker Maori and the Tiki Beker Samif, suit one recipe per glass. The larger models of 53 to 70 cl, such as the 70 cl Skull glass, are meant for heavy drinks like the zombie or for sharing.

Then choose between glass and the opaque mugs with relief. The latter do not show how full they are, which means you have to keep track of how much you pour yourself, but they keep the drink cold longer. The glass models from RCR and the coloured longdrink glasses do show the layers.

For a table full of guests, a set in one shape looks calmer than a row of different masks.

Tiki is all about crushed ice. Fill the mug right up, pour over it and stir with a long spoon until the outside frosts over. Then use another scoop of ice to top up, because it always settles back. Set the garnish, mint, a slice of pineapple or a strip of lime peel, on top of the ice rather than in the drink itself.

The mai tai is the starting point of almost every tiki menu. The zombie sits at the other end of the spectrum, with several rums in one glass, and the painkiller falls in between, with coconut and pineapple.

Serve with a straw, because the narrow opening on many mugs otherwise means you mostly drink ice instead of the drink underneath. A long, sturdy straw reaches the bottom and lets you taste the layers from below.

The mugs with relief have deep grooves where syrup and fruit residue settle. An ordinary dishwasher cycle does not always shift that; a soft bottle brush or an old toothbrush works better. Always rinse straight after use, because dried-on sugar is hard to get out.

Metallised versions in copper, gold and silver have a coating that cannot take dishwasher detergent. Wash those by hand in lukewarm water and dry them immediately, otherwise the layer turns dull and blotchy within a few cycles.

The glazed and glass pieces from RCR can go in the machine on a normal programme. Stand the mugs upright and not over a prong, because otherwise water is left standing in the hollow base many tiki models have.

For the tall curved bowl that belongs with the same tropical recipes, look at the hurricane glasses. Straight, tall glasses for simpler mixed drinks sit under longdrink glasses. The kit a tiki bar needs starts with the cocktail shakers and the long bar spoons you use to stir through crushed ice without breaking the layers. For the smaller bowls in which shaken cocktails are served without ice, have a look at the coupette glasses, a very different look but the same craft behind it.