8 White Lotus Inspired Thai cocktails

Stylish drinks with Southeast Asian ingredients are befitting of the fictional resort’s swanky open-air bar.

After more than two years, everyone’s favorite rich-people-on-vacation-problems series is back for a third season. The buzzy HBO drama has already transported viewers to the palm-tree lined, untouched Maui coastline and the sparkling Mediterranean as seen from seaside villas perched atop the cliffs of Sicily. Now it’s time to head to Koh Samui, a dreamy Thai island known for its luxurious properties and posh spas. We may not know yet how exactly this season is going to play out, but there are sure to be secrets, scandals, lies and vices. Immerse yourself in the gorgeously-filmed guilty pleasure while indulging in one of these cocktails. While you’re watching, raise a glass to the duality of feeling both envious and grateful that you’re not part of this dysfunctional upper echelon. And, when you’re ready to plan your own getaway to the Land of Smiles, the Tourism Authority of Thailand will inspire you with must-do’s in Phuket, Bangkok and Koh Samui.

Hibiscus Sunrise

Recipe courtesy of Adriana Ramos, Bar Manager, Employees Only, Los Angeles, CA

Ramos describes this drink as “a more indulgent version of a Lava Flow that hits the spot of sweet and tart with the added hibiscus gel rim.” For an easier adornment, substitute it with a hibiscus flower or pineapple fronds.

Hibiscus Sunrise photo credit David Jon Photography

1 ½ oz. Tequila

1 ½ oz. coconut cream

1 oz. orange juice or mandarin orange juice

¼ oz. Key lime juice

1 oz. charred pineapple puree (see Note)

Hibiscus flower or pineapple fronds, for garnish

Add the first five ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well chilled. Strain it into a Collins glass over one Collins ice spear, and garnish with the hibiscus flower or pineapple fronds.

For the charred pineapple puree:

Peel and core a pineapple and cut into rings. Sprinkle with dark brown sugar, then grill over medium heat until lightly charred. Cool, process in a blender until smooth, and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

This White Lotus Arrival Cocktail

Recipe courtesy of Weldon Owen, Author of The White Lotus: Official Cocktail Collection

Rabid White Lotus fans seeking ideas for the ultimate viewing party need look no further. Hot off the presses comes this book with 60 recipes for libations to transport you to Maui, Sicily and Thailand, including one similar to what might be waiting for you (along with an orchid-scented hot towel) as your butler assists you with check in. As the author describes it, “It’s been a long journey. You’re a bit sticky, perhaps a bit thirsty…take a long sip--paradise has arrived.

White Lotus Arrival Cocktail — Arrival Cocktail photo courtesy of White Lotus Cocktail Book

1 ½ oz. white tea-infused vodka (see Note)

2 oz. pineapple juice

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

½ oz. honey syrup (equal parts honey and warm water, stirred to combine)

Fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Add the first four ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake without ice. Add ice and shake for 30 seconds until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and garnish with the mint sprig.

For the white tea-infused vodka:

Add 8 oz. vodka to a clean glass jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Add 2-3 tbsp. loose leaf white tea, making sure the tea is completely submerged in the vodka. Seal the container tightly, shake to combine and place it in a cool, dark place for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours, depending on how strong of a tea flavor you prefer, shaking it occasionally to agitate the mixture. Use a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the tea leaves and transfer to a clean jar or bottle with a tightly-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator or a cool, dark place until ready to use, up to 2 months.

White Dream: A Sip of Serenity and Secrets

Recipe courtesy of Anatara Bophut Koh Samui, Koh Samui, Thailand

White Dream Cocktail photo courtesy of Anatara Bophut Koh Samui

The resort serves this drink at their signature South American restaurant Guilty. Pandan is the star, an ubiquitous ingredient in Southeast Asia prized for its unique flavor of vanilla mixed with coconut and freshly-cut grass. Staff uses a leaf from the centella asiatica plant, also called Asiatic pennywort, as a floating garnish; but feel free to substitute an edible flower or thin lime wheel.

1 oz. Gordon’s Gin

3 oz. pandan cream (find at Asian supermarkets)

⅔ oz. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. simple syrup

1 oz. egg white

Raspberry coulis or syrup, for rimming

Centella asiatica leaf, for garnish

Using a brush or the back of a spoon, lightly spread raspberry coulis or syrup on one side of the exterior of a chilled Martini glass and set aside. Add the first five ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake without ice for 10 seconds to emulsify the ingredients. Add ice and shake again for 15 seconds until well chilled. Using a fine mesh double strainer, pour the cocktail into the prepared glass and garnish with the centella asiatica leaf on the surface of the drink.

White Lotus Gimlet

Recipe adapted from Chunyanuch “Ning” Yodsuwan, Head Bartender, BKK Social Club at The Four Seasons Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand

“The White Lotus Gimlet draws inspiration from Koh Samui, where 856 coconut trees have stood long before Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui was built, " Yodsuwan says. “Infused with Samui coconut and lotus syrup, this cocktail reflects the island’s natural beauty and tropical allure in every sip.” Mix equal parts of dried coconut flakes and superfine sugar to make the rimmer.

¾ oz. Ketel One Vodka

¾ oz. Tanqueray London Dry Gin

¼ oz. Cocchi Americano

¾ oz. Samui Coconut-Lotus Syrup (see Note)

½ oz. lemon juice

3 drops The Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters

Lemon wedge, coconut flakes and coconut sugar for rim

Edible flower and gold dust, for garnish

Rub half of the outside of a chilled rocks glass with a lemon wedge, dip in the coconut sugar mix to coat and set aside. Add the first six ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into the prepared rocks glass over one large cube, and garnish with the edible flower and gold dust.

For the Samui Coconut and Lotus Syrup:

Dissolve 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of coconut water over low heat. Add (1.25 c/2) dried coconut flakes and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Strain out solids and add 2-3 drops of lotus flower essence. Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Bua Cocktail

Recipe adapted from Anantara Mai Khao Phuket, Phuket, Thailand

This heady, floral Cosmopolitan-esque cocktail was created at an upscale Phuket resort known for its luxe pool villas and golden beach fringed by a lush national park. Beefeater Pink Gin both adds strawberry flavor, while a French liqueur infused with Siclian blood orange, mango and passion fruit give it tropical flair.

1 ½ oz. Beefeater Pink Gin

½ oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur

1 oz. cranberry juice

1 oz. lime juice

½ oz.l rose syrup

½ tsp. Fee Brothers Free Foam Cocktail Foamer

½ tsp. rosewater

Dried rose petal and lotus root slice

Add the first seven ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a long-stemmed cocktail glass or coupe, and garnish with the dried rose petal and lotus slice.

The White Lotus Punch

Recipe courtesy of Ketel One Vodka and Tanqueray London Dry Gin

As the official partners of The White Lotus, the iconic vodka and gin brands have several experiences to immerse fans, including a short film featuring series star Patrick Schwarzenegger and the chance to win your own luxury Thai vacation. They’ve also created two cocktails to mix at home; to make it even easier, home bartenders can buy kits from Cocktail Courier with all the ingredients you need.

The White Lotus Punch — White Lotus punch with bottles

¾ oz. Ketel One Vodka

¾ oz. Tanqueray London Dry Gin

1 oz. lime juice

¾ oz. mango syrup

2 oz. pineapple juice

Pineapple wedge, for garnish

Combine the first five ingredients in a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Stir to combine and garnish with the pineapple wedge.

The White Lotus Vesper Martini

Recipe courtesy of Kettle One Vodka and Tanqueray Gin

An elegant take on the classic Vesper, this variation is a refined and refreshing balance of dry and fruity notes; a French aperitif lends a crisp touch, and lychee liqueur gives it delicate floral sweetness. “This cocktail encapsulates the vibrant beauty and tropical essence of this season’s setting in Thailand, bringing its alluring flavors to life,” says Julie Yufe, senior vice president of vodka, gin and rum for Diageo North America. “The show’s perfect blend of luxury and focus on hospitality is what makes this collaboration between The White Lotus, Ketel One, and Tanqueray truly seamless.”

¾ oz. Ketel One Vodka

½ oz. oz. Tanqueray London Dry Gin

¼ oz. French white wine aperitif (like Dolin Dry Vermouth)

1 tsp. lychee liqueur

1 tsp. butterfly pea flower

Lychee, for garnish

Add the first five ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with the lychee.

Sunset Spritz

Recipe courtesy of Adriana Ramos, Bar Manager, Employees Only, Los Angeles, CA

This tropical tipple with pineapple and Key lime juices gets a sweet-tart complexity from a splash of syrup made with salak, the fruit of a palm tree that’s also referred to as snake fruit because of its reddish-brown scaly skin. Soda water adds enticing effervescence, and a sprig of Thai basil gives it heady aromatics.

1 ¼ oz. vodka

½ oz. salak syrup (Ramos uses the red version of Hale’s Flavored Syrup, which can be purchased at Asian supermarkets.

½ oz. condensed milk or non-dairy condensed milk

½ oz. pineapple juice

¼ oz. Key lime juice

1 oz. soda water

Thai basil, for garnish

Add the first five ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a Collins glass over ice, top with soda water, stir gently and garnish with the Thai basil.