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r/Tiki•
AdmiralAkbar1

I've compiled a list of allergy-safe spirits & mixers, as well as substitutions and unsafe products to avoid

Being a foodie with food allergies is like being a nightclubber with photosensitive epilepsy: whenever you're out for the evening, you find yourself thinking "This sounds really good, but will it kill me?" This is doubly true for fans of Tiki drinks, where it seems like every other recipe contains some form of almonds, coconut, or mango.

Literature on allergen-safe spirits and mixers is lacking. There's no site that's bothered to compile all this information, and the individual websites range from helpful (Torani's chart of allergens in their products) to distinctly unhelpful (Malibu FAQ's "Ackshually coconuts are fruits not tree nuts"). As a result, I took it upon myself to gather all the information in one place, as well as reach out to several companies myself. Not everything on here is relevant to Tiki (I originally compiled it for r/alcohol), but it's better to have this page as a one-stop shop in my opinion.

If you have any personal experience, research you've done, or other substitutes you'd like to recommend, let me know in the comments!

#Safe

##Almond

  • Amaretto liqueur: Disaronno,^[1] Lazzaroni,^[2][3] Luxardo,^[4] Di Amore^†

  • Amaretto syrup: Torani,^[6] Fee Brothers^†

  • Bitters: Fee Brothers Toasted Almond Bitters^†

  • Falernum liqueur: John D. Taylor velvet falernum,^† The Bitter Truth golden falernum,^[7] brovospirits lucky falernum,^[8] Maggie's Farm^†

  • Falernum syrup: Tippleman's,^[9] Fee Brothers^†

  • Gin: Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater^[12]‡

  • Mai Tai Mix: Trader Vic's,^[28] Monin^[34]

  • Orgeat syrup: Monin,^[5] Torani,^[6], Barsmith,^[25] Fee Brothers,^† Collins,^‡ Trader Vic's^‡

##Coconut

  • Coconut rum: Parrot Bay^[10]‡

  • Coconut syrup: Monin,^[5] Torani Puremade,^[6] Fee Brothers^†

  • Piña colada mix: Fee Brothers^†

##Dairy & Lactose

  • Irish cream liqueur: Bailey's Almande (obviously not almond safe)

  • Chocolate liqueur: Godiva dark chocolate^[11]

##Hazelnut

  • Hazelnut liqueurs: Frangelico ( though notes that "caution should be exercised")^[12]

  • Hazelnut syrup: Monin (normal + French + roasted + organic + concentrate + zero calorie),^[5] Torani puremade zero sugar,^[6] Fee Brothers^†

##Mango

  • Fassionola syrup: Jonathan English (red + gold + green),^[31] Monin Tiki Blend,^[32] Monin Hawaiian Islands Syrup^[33]

##Peanut

  • Peanut butter whiskey: Sqrrl^[35]

##Pecan

  • Praline syrup: Monin,^[5] Fee Brothers^†

  • Toffee syrup: Torani sugarfree,^[6] Fee Brothers^†

  • Other: Monin butter pecan syrup^[5]

#Substitutions

(All substitutions are 1:1)

##Cream of coconut

  • Sweetened condensed milk with imitation coconut extract

##Falernum liqueur or syrup

  • Orgeat syrup mixed with vanilla extract, allspice, clove, ginger, Angostura bitters, and lime juice

  • You could make your own falernum recipe (e.g., Paul Clarke's recipe as shared by Distinguished Spirits) with imitation almond extract, or by subbing in a safe nut or alternative

##Fassionola

  • Hawaiian Punch, heated in a saucepan until reduced by half (allegedly Beachbum Berry's preferred method)

  • There are several recipes out there that lack mango

##Orgeat syrup

  • Equal amounts nut or plant milk and sugar, mixed and heated on a stovetop, with several drops of orange flower water and imitation almond extract to taste

  • Simple syrup w/ imitation almond extract (1 tsp per cup of water), coconut extract (1/2 tsp per cup), and optionally orange flower water (1/2 tsp per cup)

#Unsafe

##Almond

  • Falernum liqueur: Geijer Spirits California falernum liqueur^†

  • Falernum syrup: BG Reynolds,^[16] Monin^[17]

  • Orgeat syrup: BG Reynolds,^[13] Liber & Co.,^[14] Giffard,^[15] Liquid Alchemist,^[26] Small Hand,^[27] Latitude 29^[29]

  • Other: Geijer spirits glögg liqueur, (possibly) Geijer spirits spiced liqueur^†

##Coconut

  • Coconut rum: Malibu,^[18], Bacardi Coco^†

  • Coconut syrup: Torani (normal + sugar free)^[6]

  • Coconut puree/cream: Monin,^[5] Coco Reál,^[23] Coco López^[24]

  • Piña colada mix: Monin^[5]

  • Bitters: Doctor Adam's Brazilian Bitters^[19]

  • Other: Torani almond roca syrup (normal + Puremade + sugarfree), Torani Irish cream syrup (normal + puremade + sugarfree)^[6]

##Hazelnut

  • Hazelnut syrup: Monin sugar-free^[5] Torani (normal + sugarfree, classic + sugarfree, puremade)^[6]

##Mango

  • Fassionola syrup: Cocktail & Sons,^[20] BG Reynolds,^[21] Prosyro^[30]

##Peanut

  • Peanut (butter) syrup: Torani (normal + sugarfree)^[6]

  • Peanut butter whiskey: PB&W,^[35] Skrewball^[36]

##Pecan

  • Toffee syrup: Monin^[5]

  • Other: Torani butter pecan syrup^[6]

##Walnut

  • Bitters: Fee Brothers black walnut bitters,^[22] The Bitter Truth Bogart's bitters^†

#More Research Required

  • Coconut: Captain Morgan's Coconut Rum, Loco-Nut

  • Mango: Hpnotiq liqueur

  • Walnuts: Nocello liqueur

† I have corresponded with the company via email to confirm.

‡ This is based on my or someone else's self-reported experience and may not be universally applicable.

##Sources

[1]: Disarrono Originale Wikipedia page
[2]: Amaretto Lazzaroni 1851
[3]: Amaretti Chiostro di Sarrono
[4]: Luxardo: Amaretto di Saschira
[5]: Monin FAQ: Do any Monin flavors contain nut allergens?
[6]: Torani Allergen Chart
[7]: The Bitter Truth Golden Falernum
[8]: brovospirits Lucky Falernum
[9]: Tippleman's Falernum Syrup
[10]: does parrot bay contain real coconut? - Web Hosting Talk
[11]: GODIVA® Introduces New Dark Chocolate Liqueur
[12]: AAAAI: Is it safe for people allergic to nuts to drink distilled liqueur which may contain flavoring from nuts?
[13]: BG Reynolds: Original Orgeat Cocktail Syrup
[14]: Liber & Co. Almond Orgeat Syrup, 17 oz
[15]: Brasserie Blanc: Allergens – Softs and Cordials
[16]: BG Reynolds: Falernum Tropical Cocktail Syrup
[17]: Monin Falernum Syrup
[18]: Mittie Hellmich, The Ultimate Bar Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,000 Cocktails (Yes, I'm citing a bar book. The Malibu website was that useless.)
[19]: Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Brazilian Bitters
[20]: Cocktail & Sons Fassionola (8oz)
[21]: BG Reynolds Red Fassionola Cocktail Syrup
[22]: Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
[23]: Coco Reál Cream of Coconut
[24]: Coco López Cream of Coconut
[25]: Barsmith Mai Tai Orgeat
[26]: Liquid Alchemist: Almond Orgeat Cocktail Syrup
[27]: Small Hand Orgeat Syrup
[28]: Trader Vic's Mai Tai Mix
[29]: Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29 Formula Orgeat
[30]: Prosyro Ruby Fassionola Syrup
[31]: Anyone here able to photograph their bottle of Jonathan English fassionola?
[32]: Monin Tiki Blend
[33]: Monin Hawaiian Island Syrup
[34]: Monin Housecrafted Mai Tai Cocktail Mixer
[35]: Can People Allergic to Peanuts Drink Peanut Butter Whiskey?
[36]: Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey Review

Posted Jul 20, 2021, 6:35 PM UTC · edited

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