Cocktail #13: Macadamia Chi-Chi

While visiting Palm Springs, Calif. in March of this year, we were lucky enough to visit the relatively new Tonga Hut location there, where we were treated to a lovely experience in their semi-private "back room" which must be accessed through a "secret" phone booth door.

Through the Tonga Hut's phone booth ...

Tonga Hut's back room booth and decor

They got everything right for a tiki bar - the ambiance, music, decor, drinks, menu, etc. were all fabulous. One of my companions' favorite drinks from that night was the "Nutty Chi-Chi" which, it seems, is Tonga Hut's version of the 1960s drink, the Macadamia Nut Chi-Chi, itself a variation of the Don the Beachcomber Chi-Chi. According to Jeff Berry's Intoxica! "chi-chi" is pidgin-English for "breast milk." The addition of the hard-to-find macadamia nut liqueur makes a regular chi-chi a macadamia nut, or nutty, chi-chi. Here's the recipe:

8.00 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
2.00 oz. Lopez coconut cream
4.00 oz. vodka
2.50 oz. macadamia nut liqueur

Put everything in a blender and fill blender to the top* with ice. Blend until slushy. Serves two to four.

* I used about 3 cups of ice, which did not get near the top of my large blender. Your mileage may vary.

I chose to serve mine in a "rum barrel" mug I bought at the Tonga Hut, along with a cocktail cherry skewered to a slice of pineapple with a cocktail sword, with a cocktail umbrella, of course.

Jen getting into the mood with her muumuu, flower, and mini-chi-chi

If you've never had macadamia nut liqueur or a drink with it in it, you're in for a treat. It adds a wonderful, nutty (obviously) sweetness to the cocktail but doesn't knock you over the head or overpower the other ingredients, namely the pineapple juice and coconut cream (the vodka is neutral and I barely registered any booze in this cocktail at all, taste-wise). I was a little conservative with the coconut cream, so next time I might add another 1/2 oz. (I halved the recipe). Both my better half and I truly enjoyed this cocktail - another blended slushy drink that fits in well with warm July afternoons.

Finding the macadamia nut liqueur can be tough. Here in the Chicagoland area we're blessed with the superstore of booze, Binny's Beverage Depot (32 locations) - they are basically the Walmart of booze and carry really difficult to find products that your corner store would never have. Trader Vic's makes the macadamia nut liqueur that I found, and you may be able to track it down online or a retailer near you by searching here. Unfortunately, depending on where you live, local/state laws may prohibit the shipment of spirits - so good luck.

While you're blending up this delightful drink, what better music to put on than some cha-cha to go with your chi-chi? Here's the wonderful compilation from the Ultra-Lounge series, Vol, 9: Cha-Cha De Amour:


Track 13 is my favorite! Enjoy!