Tiki Time is the Best Time

Your detailed plan for the ultimate tiki party with recipes and checklist!

How it started…Gavin and I love rum drinks. We went to Puerto Rico a couple years ago and attended a cocktail mixology class at the Bacardi distillery (highly recommend!) and learned how to make a Piña Colada, Rum Punch, and Mojitos. After that, we decided we would start hosting an annual summer tiki party. -C

It’s casual…we make great island cocktails for everyone as they snack on delicious appetizers and then we end the night serving my mom’s homemade Key Lime Pie. Read below for party planning details including recipes, supplies, tips, and the ultimate Tiki Party playlist. Party starts at 7pm and we plan for 20 guests.

LOOK AND FEEL

Vibe: Casual, Jimmy Buffet, island cocktails, moon and torch lit patio

Design Notes: custom cocktail menu, tropical florals and greenery, torch lights, floating candles, cocktail tables, heavy hors d'oeuvres and finish the evening off serving key lime pie with Jimmy on the turntable.

Text invite through HiNote app

ULTIMATE TIKI PARTY PLAYLIST IS HERE

DRINK MENU

Rum Punch - Pro-Tip: have a batch-drink made that guests can serve themselves.
Mojitos
Piña Coladas
Mai Tai
Recipes for these here.

FOOD MENU

Betty Crocker Fajita Chicken Wings - double this to make 24 wings!
Maria’s Amazing Corn Dip
Guacamole - double it!
Texas Caviar
Kristy’s Easy and Delicious Taco Tartlets
Charcuterie board to include Manchego, dried chorizo, Serrano ham, plantain chips, dried pineapple or mango,
Mimi’s Nearly Famous Key Lime Pie - At the end of the evening, I take the key lime pies out of the fridge and slice them. Some guests choose to eat it immediately, but others want to take a slice home for the next day. It’s nice waking up in the morning knowing you have a slice of key lime pie waiting in your fridge. I pack the pie slices in these to-go containers and hand out to guests as they leave.

DECOR & SUPPLIES

We love this for a table runner and these paper flowers on top with these florals.
This beverage dispenser is perfect for the rum punch on this stand.
Pro-tip: To prevent the rum punch from getting watered down, use large ice cubes. We like these ice trays to keep it cold.
Festive cocktail glasses for the Mai Tais, Mojitos, Rum Punch and Piña Coladas and served with these napkins.
Giving the atmosphere a beautiful gold glow with these hurricane glasses and tiki torches.
Theselinen napkins give a natural easy feel and the olive green color functions as a neutral.
Set your utensils out in this caddy.
We add 3 of these cocktail tables with these stretchy linens on our outside patio. It is a great way to encourage guests to circulate.
Gavin, the bartender, will make the best cocktails on this bar mat.
Necessary for the mojitos is this stirrer and muddler.
Drink decor is key with these straws and umbrellas.
Can a tiki party happen without beautiful leis?
For plates, Angelena picked theseand Christine picked these

PREP CHECKLIST

6 WEEKS BEFORE
-send guests an invitation via text in the HiNote app.

2 WEEKS BEFORE
-finalize guest count
-design and print cocktail menus
-make key lime pies if freezing them

1 WEEK BEFORE
-order table decor, candles, and all supplies
-finalize grocery list

3 DAYS BEFORE
-order/shop groceries
-begin making oversized ice cubes,

2 DAYS BEFORE
-make key lime pies if refrigerating them

1 DAY BEFORE
-make Texas caviar
-marinate chicken wings
-juice limes for cocktails

DAY OF
MORNING
-make guacamole, press plastic wrap flush to the guac so it doesn’t brown and
refrigerate
-make stabilized whipped cream for pies and store in fridge
-assemble taco tartlets and store in fridge

AFTERNOON
-make corn dip in crock pot
-prep mojitos by adding muddled mint, sugar, and rum to highball glass (have around 7 of these prepped)

5 PM GET READY

6 PM
-set out plates, napkins, silverware
-assemble charcuterie if making

6:30 PM
-bake chicken wings (to be ready by 7:30pm)
-make rum punch

7 PM PARTY STARTS

7:15 PM
-bake taco tartlets

GROCERY LIST

FOOD

FAJITA CHICKEN WINGS
24 chicken wings
4 limes
Vegetable oil
Ground Cumin
Dried oregano leaves
Crushed red pepper flakes
Garlic cloves

CORN DIP
1 32-oz bag of frozen corn
1 stick butter
2 8oz blocks of cream cheese
1 jar of mild sliced jalapenos
Garlic salt

GUACAMOLE
6 large ripe avocados
2 limes
2 lemons
1 bunch of cilantro
2 red onion
2 Jalapeno

TEXAS CAVIAR
2 cans of black eye peas
1 can of black beans
2 15oz cans of yellow corn
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
Celery
2 roma tomatoes
Red wine vinegar
Sugar
Jalapeno
Cilantro

TACO TARTLETS
1 lb ground beef (lean)
Taco seasoning
Taco sauce
Sour cream
1 bag of yellow round tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar salsa

CHARCUTERIE
Manchego cheese
Dried Chorizo
Serrano ham
plantain chips
dried pineapple or mango
Jalapeno cheese
Crackers

KEY LIME PIES
Cinnamon graham crackers
Raw almonds
1 stick butter
Dozen eggs
2 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk
16 and maybe more key limes depending on size of key limes

STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM
1 pint whipping cream
powdered sugar
Unflavored gelatin
Vanilla extract

COCKTAIL GROCERY LIST- (for all 4 types of cocktails for a crowd who likes to drink alot)
3 750 ml of white rum
2 750 ml gold rum
2 750 ml dark rum
4 bunches of mint
Club soda
2 46oz cans of pineapple juice
1 15oz can Cream of coconut
3 bags of limes
Orgeat syrup
Orange curcao
52 oz orange juice
1 16 oz Pomegranate juice
Grenadine syrup

OTHER GROCERIES
2 bag of yellow round tortilla chips
4 bags of tortilla scoops
Beer, other beverages besides rum drinks

When asked, what can I bring?

For friends who don’t cook: Bags of Tortilla chips or Citronella candles for the mosquitos

For friends who like to cook: guacamole (instead of making it yourself), the charcuterie board (can they make it tropical and/or spicy?), side of rice and beans (if you have a friend like Nancy who makes the BEST).

Need more hosting ideas? Check out our Most Charming Fete en Blanc and Mid-Week, Mid-Day Cake and Catch-Up. We make it easy for you to host!

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