Many of us would likely prefer to be lounging on the beach all summer, cocktail in hand, the rustle of palm trees above and crystal-clear water in front of us.
The next best thing to taking a season-long sabbatical in the Caribbean might be mixing one of those tropical refreshments at home. And one secret to developing a transportative cocktail is using coconut rum.
Coconut rum, as a category, is far more nuanced than its most familiar label, Malibu—a highly sweet liqueur that was first sold in the 1970s. This essential spirit, as Wine Enthusiast’s spirits reviewer Kara Newman calls it, is also more versatile than you’d think.
Made from rum blended with ingredients like coconut puree, coconut water, cane sugar and more, coconut rum is actually coconut rum liqueur. Its flavor can range from toasted and slightly salty with caramel notes, such as Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum, to something that has hints of vanilla and juicy red fruit, like Whistling Andy Hibiscus-Coconut Rum.
“Quite a few drink recipes call for rum and coconut in some form—coconut cream, coconut water, coconut milk—and coconut-flavored rums can provide a useful shortcut for building drinks with a tropical flavor profile,” Newman says. “That said, it’s worth noting that many of these rums are sweetened, so you may need to adjust a drink recipe accordingly.”
We rounded up eight of our favorite cocktail recipes made from (or could be adapted with) coconut rum, from a classic piña colada to a Scooby Snack shooter. Additionally, many cocktail recipes that feature coconut and rum separately, like the Painkiller, could benefit from a splash of coconut rum. While most of these recipes have a summery feel, coconut rum cocktails are delicious year round.
Read on for the recipes—and prepare to experiment.
The RumChata Piña Colada
RumChata—a liqueur made with rum, cream and cinnamon—can make a piña colada taste even more tropical, if you can believe it.
The Scooby Snack Shooter
Made with Midori, coconut rum and banana liqueur, this drink recently went TikTok viral thanks to its dramatic bright-green hue.
The Donna Reed
Inspired by actress Donna Reed in It’s a Wonderful Life, this Negroni-like cocktail has a complex profile courtesy of coconut rum.
The Summer Sunset
As the name suggests, this blush-toned cocktail made with pomegranate and mango vodka, along with pineapple and cranberry juice looks just like a summer evening.
The Piña Colada
A classic for a reason, the piña colada can be made many ways. We like this recipe, which calls for Malibu.
The Painkiller
If you like piña coladas, you should try its cousin, the Painkiller. It’s an endlessly riffable recipe that can be enhanced with coconut rum or different tropical fruit juices in lieu of pineapple.
The Rum Old Fashioned
This tropical twist on the classic cocktail is made with dark and navy-strength rum. But we’d wager a bit of coconut rum would push the recipe even further.
The Lava Flow
Essentially a piña colada with strawberry, the Lava Flow is perfect for experimenting with coconut rum to level up the tropical vibes.
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- In “How Black America Helped Define Cocktail Culture,” reporter Shayna Conde speaks with James Beard Award winning chef and author Toni Tipton-Martin about her book on the topic.
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Published: August 2, 2024
