Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Here’s how to make the Muerto Bali Hai, a tequila and mezcal remix of the classic tiki cocktail, Mr. Bali Hai.
This video is sponsored by Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur. Mr. Black is hosting their second annual Global Coffee Cocktail Challenge from September 29th to October 12th.
Submit your original cocktail to the Coffee Cocktail Challenge here: bit.ly/3tRc6za
Order some Mr. Black from their site (US & UK only) and use the promo code below for 10% off (expires 2022).
Order Mr. Black Here: bit.ly/3q8hp9G
Promo Code: DISTINGUISHED10
Mr Black Website: mrblack.co/us
Mr Black Youtube: youtube.com/c/MrBlackSpirits/videos
Mr Black Instagram: instagram.com/mrblackspirits
On paper, the combination of coffee and pineapple seems like it would clash, but tasting is believing. The 1960’s-era rum version, Mr. Bali Hai, pulls it off. And this mezcal version does too, but in a slightly different way.
Mr. Bali Hai being made with rums, pineapple, lemon, simple syrup and coffee liqueur, derives a lot of its exotic character from the coffee, as the other ingredients are pretty standard for a rum punch. Same with the Shark’s Tooth, where the unexpected punch of flavor comes from a dollop of cherry syrup.
The Muerto Bali Hai, however, is pushed and pulled in a lot of different directions, yet held together in a surprising harmony. The vegetal, umami, woodiness of the tequila and mezcal, the floral nuttiness of the Aztec Orgeat, the dark chocolate of the coffee liqueur and the deep, musky aroma of the sage, all come together to create an earthy, delicately balanced, and exciting tiki drink.
The original drink came from Bali Hai, a tiki bar in San Diego, in the 1960’s. It was unearthed by Beachbum Berry and retooled to use fresh juices in his book, Intoxica. The drink is still on the menu at Bali Hai, but the formula has changed. However, just 30 minutes south of San Diego, from the 1940’s through the 1960’s, the Tijuana bar scene rode the wave of tiki or Polynesian themed bars. They were built for all kinds of entertainment and since faux-Polynesian escapism was what the culture demanded, that’s what they got.
I originally built this drink as a curiosity. Would it work to rework a Mr. Bali Hai using tequila? Essentially, it did once you swapped out lemon for lime. But when I went about refining the drink by bumping up the coffee liqueur, swapping in the orgeat and garnishing it with sage, the images of Tijuana tiki and the Aloha Cafe from the late 1940’s was dancing around in my head. I wanted to capture those swirling images in a glass, or in this case a mug. See if it worked. Give it a try. Let me know what you think. ¡Salud!
Recipe:
1.5 oz (45 ml) Reposado Tequila
1 oz (30 ml) Mezcal (non-smoky preferred)
1 oz (30 ml) Lime Juice
0.5 oz (15 ml) Orgeat
1 oz (30 ml) Coffee Liqueur
1.5 oz (45 ml) Pineapple Juice
garnish Sage
garnish Marigold (optional)
Whip (shake with a little crushed ice). Pour unstrained over crushed ice in a tiki mug. Garnish with sage and marigold. Serve with straw.
Music:
Cherry on Top by Tiki Tiki
The Smoke Clears by Wendel Scherer
La Ciudad by El Equipo Del Norte
Desert Blues by Don Syke
via Epidemic Sound
Kiss Me Deadly by Foxy Basey
via JinglePunks
Support this channel here:
patreon.com/DistinguishedSpirits
Check out my movie podcast (this ep we talk about South Pacific and some other Tiki films):
spoti.fi/3intTte
Learn more about Mr. Bali Hai and Tiki here:
Beachbum Berry Remixed by Beachbum Berry
amzn.to/2sMKNL1
Ninety Years of Classic San Diego Tiki by Martin S. Lindsay
amzn.to/3utQjxx
Tiki Pop by Sven Kirsten
amzn.to/3D2DkGs
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
amzn.to/3D2dMsV
The Breaking Point
amzn.to/3okMCJG
South Pacific
amzn.to/3B2wYpL
Featured in this Episode:
Jaja Reposado Tequila
bit.ly/2Yf317Q
Banhez Mezcal
bit.ly/2SgoZ1T
Aztec Orgeat
youtu.be/JW1Bu7DPRwo
Sugar Skull Tiki Mug from David Lozeau
bit.ly/3m7IGJy
Bar Tools:
Can-Shaped Glass
amzn.to/3kVPTwQ
Leopold Jigger
amzn.to/2EOniBv
Koriko Weighted Shaker Set
amzn.to/2wv8jdw
Fine Mesh Strainer
amzn.to/2BWZKhl
Citrus Juicer (Lime)
amzn.to/1YKJ4u1
Breville Juicer
amzn.to/2srWJPZ
Cutting Board
amzn.to/1QgQTSW
Small Knife
amzn.to/2xD8XXz
Lewis Bag & Ice Mallet
amzn.to/2nz12CK
#Tiki #Tequila #DiaDeLosMuertos
Here’s how to make the Muerto Bali Hai, a tequila and mezcal remix of the classic tiki cocktail, Mr. Bali Hai.
This video is sponsored by Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur. Mr. Black is hosting their second annual Global Coffee Cocktail Challenge from September 29th to October 12th.
Submit your original cocktail to the Coffee Cocktail Challenge here: bit.ly/3tRc6za
Order some Mr. Black from their site (US & UK only) and use the promo code below for 10% off (expires 2022).
Order Mr. Black Here: bit.ly/3q8hp9G
Promo Code: DISTINGUISHED10
Mr Black Website: mrblack.co/us
Mr Black Youtube: youtube.com/c/MrBlackSpirits/videos
Mr Black Instagram: instagram.com/mrblackspirits
On paper, the combination of coffee and pineapple seems like it would clash, but tasting is believing. The 1960’s-era rum version, Mr. Bali Hai, pulls it off. And this mezcal version does too, but in a slightly different way.
Mr. Bali Hai being made with rums, pineapple, lemon, simple syrup and coffee liqueur, derives a lot of its exotic character from the coffee, as the other ingredients are pretty standard for a rum punch. Same with the Shark’s Tooth, where the unexpected punch of flavor comes from a dollop of cherry syrup.
The Muerto Bali Hai, however, is pushed and pulled in a lot of different directions, yet held together in a surprising harmony. The vegetal, umami, woodiness of the tequila and mezcal, the floral nuttiness of the Aztec Orgeat, the dark chocolate of the coffee liqueur and the deep, musky aroma of the sage, all come together to create an earthy, delicately balanced, and exciting tiki drink.
The original drink came from Bali Hai, a tiki bar in San Diego, in the 1960’s. It was unearthed by Beachbum Berry and retooled to use fresh juices in his book, Intoxica. The drink is still on the menu at Bali Hai, but the formula has changed. However, just 30 minutes south of San Diego, from the 1940’s through the 1960’s, the Tijuana bar scene rode the wave of tiki or Polynesian themed bars. They were built for all kinds of entertainment and since faux-Polynesian escapism was what the culture demanded, that’s what they got.
I originally built this drink as a curiosity. Would it work to rework a Mr. Bali Hai using tequila? Essentially, it did once you swapped out lemon for lime. But when I went about refining the drink by bumping up the coffee liqueur, swapping in the orgeat and garnishing it with sage, the images of Tijuana tiki and the Aloha Cafe from the late 1940’s was dancing around in my head. I wanted to capture those swirling images in a glass, or in this case a mug. See if it worked. Give it a try. Let me know what you think. ¡Salud!
Recipe:
1.5 oz (45 ml) Reposado Tequila
1 oz (30 ml) Mezcal (non-smoky preferred)
1 oz (30 ml) Lime Juice
0.5 oz (15 ml) Orgeat
1 oz (30 ml) Coffee Liqueur
1.5 oz (45 ml) Pineapple Juice
garnish Sage
garnish Marigold (optional)
Whip (shake with a little crushed ice). Pour unstrained over crushed ice in a tiki mug. Garnish with sage and marigold. Serve with straw.
Music:
Cherry on Top by Tiki Tiki
The Smoke Clears by Wendel Scherer
La Ciudad by El Equipo Del Norte
Desert Blues by Don Syke
via Epidemic Sound
Kiss Me Deadly by Foxy Basey
via JinglePunks
Support this channel here:
patreon.com/DistinguishedSpirits
Check out my movie podcast (this ep we talk about South Pacific and some other Tiki films):
spoti.fi/3intTte
Learn more about Mr. Bali Hai and Tiki here:
Beachbum Berry Remixed by Beachbum Berry
amzn.to/2sMKNL1
Ninety Years of Classic San Diego Tiki by Martin S. Lindsay
amzn.to/3utQjxx
Tiki Pop by Sven Kirsten
amzn.to/3D2DkGs
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
amzn.to/3D2dMsV
The Breaking Point
amzn.to/3okMCJG
South Pacific
amzn.to/3B2wYpL
Featured in this Episode:
Jaja Reposado Tequila
bit.ly/2Yf317Q
Banhez Mezcal
bit.ly/2SgoZ1T
Aztec Orgeat
youtu.be/JW1Bu7DPRwo
Sugar Skull Tiki Mug from David Lozeau
bit.ly/3m7IGJy
Bar Tools:
Can-Shaped Glass
amzn.to/3kVPTwQ
Leopold Jigger
amzn.to/2EOniBv
Koriko Weighted Shaker Set
amzn.to/2wv8jdw
Fine Mesh Strainer
amzn.to/2BWZKhl
Citrus Juicer (Lime)
amzn.to/1YKJ4u1
Breville Juicer
amzn.to/2srWJPZ
Cutting Board
amzn.to/1QgQTSW
Small Knife
amzn.to/2xD8XXz
Lewis Bag & Ice Mallet
amzn.to/2nz12CK
#Tiki #Tequila #DiaDeLosMuertos
