When you think tiki cocktail, you probably instinctively reach for the nearest bottle of rum. And in most cases you’d be right — but there are a few precious classic recipes that call for something a little different. The Saturn is one of those cocktails, using lighter and more citrus-y ingredients that elevate this drink and really make it something to remember.
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When I say that this drink is elevated beyond the tacky tiki bars, I really mean it — the first time I ever saw this on a menu was at the amazing and (a bit literally) out-of-this-world MOTHERSHIP bar in San Diego, California when I had the chance to visit in August 2023.
The first big difference is that, instead of the laundry list of ingredients, this cocktail really boils down to five things that are all added to a shaker and then strained into a glass.
Gin is the star of the show here, and we’ve actually reviewed the Saturnalia Gin that MOTHERSHIP uses in their cocktail recipe. Unfortunately that distillery has since closed, but you can read our full review here to get an idea of what it tasted like. This is an American style gin, meaning that the juniper content is minimal to nonexistent. If you’re looking for an analog that is readily available, I might recommend Aviation Gin as a good option.
Moving on to the other ingredients, we get fruity very quickly: lemon juice and passion fruit are core flavors that really make this cocktail work, and work beautifully in combination with the lemon juice that adds just enough acidity to keep the sweetness of the passion fruit from being overpowering. Combine that with some falernum and orgeat (core tiki flavors), and you’ve got the makings of a great party.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz. Gin
- 1/2 oz. Lemon juice
- 1/4 oz. Passion fruit syrup
- 1/2 oz. Orgeat
- 1/4 oz. Falernum
Add everything to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Pour into a tiki glass or a large rocks glass with crushed ice and serve.
Here’s the thing: this is definitely a sweet cocktail. There’s a lot of sugar in here from the passion fruit syrup and orgeat — and you can’t add enough lemon to balance it out completely without ruining the drink, so it will always lean on the sweet side. Also, when my wife tried the drink she felt there was something missing, and I’m slightly inclined to agree, so if you experiment and find out what it is let us know in the comments!
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