The Chi Chi Is The Ultimate Tropical Drink For Those Who Don't Want Rum

Tropical drinks can mentally whisk you away to some dreamy beach destination. They scream all things fun and refreshing with their fruit flavors of coconut, pineapple, and mango. The one hitch: Rum is integral to nearly all tropical drink recipes. In fact, they get better when you use two types of rum. So, what if you don't actually love rum? Does that mean you don't get to sip a vacation in a glass? 

The chi chi has you covered. With this rare and utterly delicious non-rum-based tropical cocktail, even those who aren't big on rum can enjoy island-inspired flavors. The chi chi has plenty in common with better-known tropical tipples, but it's made with vodka instead. It's made with pineapple and coconut so is essentially a piña colada without rum — if you've ever longed for a carefree piña colada but couldn't stand the rum, this is about to become your ultimate warm-weather go-to.

Plus, it was invented by Donn the Beachcomber, who is considered the grandfather of tiki. He created or fine-tuned so many iconic tropical staples — like the mai tai and the zombie — at his bar, which was open in Hollywood from 1933 to 1985; subsequent locations survived longer. The chi chi calls for 4 ounces of pineapple juice, 1 ounce of cream of coconut, and 1½ ounces of vodka. Shake it all up with ice, strain into a goblet over fresh ice, pop on a pineapple slice, and enjoy your non-rum piña colada.

The chi chi is special because of how hard it is to find a tropical drink that doesn't necessitate rum. Rum goes hand-in-hand with tropical drinks because the spirit itself is Caribbean — Puerto Rico is actually considered the rum capital. It's made from molasses, a byproduct of the fermentation of sugar cane, which grows in places like Puerto Rico and does its fermenting well in tropical climates. Rum was incredibly popular in the United States in the 18th century but then fell out of favor when it was limited by trade restrictions. However, after the end of prohibition and especially after World War II, Americans craved all things vacation-like and tropical. The tiki movement was born and, with it, came drinks combining tropical fruits and the tropical spirit, rum. 

Today, we know that much of what tiki was involved the appropriation of Caribbean and South Pacific cultures, but the drinks remain classics in more of a general tropical framing. Currently, tiki is experiencing a less geographically, more pop-culturally centered revival. That means there's never been a better time to enjoy tropical drinks with a more open mind and more flexibility, which includes adding vodka-based piña colada riffs to your repertoire. You can follow the known chi chi recipe and even add 2½ ounces of macademia nut liqueur. Or you could simply swap in vodka for the rum in a classic piña colada recipe.