The Lost Lake is the signature cocktail of the Chicago tiki bar of the same name, which Paul McGee opened in 2015. It's one of the canonical modern tiki drinks — built around aged Jamaican rum and pineapple-infused rum, with lime, pineapple juice, orgeat, and curaçao providing structure. The drink is well-documented: McGee has discussed its creation in trade press interviews, it appears in the bar's published menus, and the recipe has been printed in PUNCH, Imbibe, and other modern cocktail publications.
A tiki drink that respects the lineage without trying to recreate it. Two rums, two sweeteners, two acids, one straw.
Lost Lake and the Modern Tiki Revival
Paul McGee opened Lost Lake at 3154 W. Diversey Avenue in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood in 2015. He had previously run Three Dots and a Dash (a separate Chicago tiki bar named after the Donn Beach drink) starting in 2013. Lost Lake's distinction was a quieter, more cocktail-bar-leaning sensibility — fewer flames, more attention to spirit selection, less theatrical garnish. The bar won Best American Cocktail Bar at the Spirited Awards in 2016, the year after opening.
The signature cocktail bears the bar's name. McGee designed it as a balanced introduction to the bar's house style — accessible enough that a tiki novice could order it, complex enough that a serious drinker recognizes the layered construction. The recipe has been consistently printed with McGee's attribution; the date and venue are well-attested.
The Spec
An ounce and a half of aged Jamaican rum, a half ounce of pineapple-infused rum (or a quality pineapple rum), three-quarter ounces each of lime juice and fresh pineapple juice, half ounce of orgeat, a quarter ounce of curaçao, and two dashes of Angostura. Shaken with ice, strained into a tall glass over fresh crushed ice.
Pineapple-Infused Rum
The original Lost Lake spec calls for Plantation Pineapple Rum (Stiggins' Fancy) — a commercial product. Plantation 3 Star or other light rum infused with a cup of chopped fresh pineapple (steeped for two days, strained) works as a homemade substitute. The pineapple rum is what differentiates this from any other modern tiki sour.
Aged Jamaican Rum
Appleton Estate Signature Blend (or Reserve), Plantation Xaymaca, Smith & Cross — any aged Jamaican rum with real funk character. The rum is the cocktail's lead flavor; substituting a lighter, less-funky rum (Bacardi 8) makes a different, less interesting drink.
Curaçao Choice
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao is the modern bar standard — clean, bittersweet, well-balanced. Cointreau works but is sweeter and less complex; Grand Marnier is too rich and brings cognac notes the cocktail doesn't need.
Bottom Line
If you want one modern tiki recipe in your home repertoire, the Lost Lake is a strong candidate. It uses no obscure ingredients (assuming you can find Plantation Pineapple Rum or are willing to do a 48-hour infusion), the math is balanced enough to forgive small variations, and the result is uniformly excellent. The cocktail is also a useful proof that tiki doesn't have to mean a Zombie's six-rum-and-mystery-syrup construction.