Missing the smell of salty sea air, the sound of crashing waves, the feel of sand between your toes? You may not be able to get to a beach this summer, but you can certainly make a cocktail that makes you feel like you are! There's just something about the beach that makes my heart happy. And the only thing better than the wind, the waves, and the water, is a beachy cocktail.
What makes a cocktail "beachy" you say? Let me enlighten you. It needs two things. First, it needs to taste good. Refreshing, fruity combinations with the right amount of booze. Don't skimp on the booze...that just makes you feel like you're at a cheap bar. As far as this list is concerned, that means rum. I know there are plenty of beachy drinks made with other liquors, but for me rum is a must-have ingredient in order to achieve that island feel. Second, it needs to look pretty. This is essential in order to transport your mind and body to an island paradise. It needs to be colorful, and it needs accessories, or as they say in cocktail language, garnishes. Umbrellas, straws, fresh fruit...the more the better!
It's that simple, folks. You don't have to BE at a beach to FEEL like you're at the beach. Just stir, blend, or shake up one of these beachy boozy concoctions and kick back!
Piña Colada
Representing the beautiful island paradise of Puerto Rico, the Piña Colada may just be the best beach drink ever invented. With rum, pineapple and coconut coursing through your veins, how could you be anywhere else? At the beach, the pool, or on your front porch...once you have this drink in your hand, all you have to do is close your eyes and you'll find your own little piece of island paradise.
Ingredients:
2 oz White Rum
1 1/2 oz Crème de Coconut
1/2 oz Heavy Cream or Half & Half
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 Cup Frozen Pineapple Chunks
1 cup Ice
1/2 oz Dark Rum
Fresh Pineapple and Cherries
Directions:
Add first 6 ingredients to a blender or Ninja. Blend until smooth and pour in glass. Slowly pour dark rum over top and garnish with a pineapple wedge and Maraschino cherry.
Blue Hawaiian
The Blue Hawaiian cocktail is so perfectly beachy that it's almost cliché. I said almost. It's just too delicious to be cliché. The story says it was invented in Hawaii in the 1950's by a bartender in Waikiki, in order to feature Blue Curaçao liqueur. With a glorious combination of tropical flavors and a color that looks like the waters of the South Pacific itself, this drink is like paradise in a glass.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz White Rum
3/4 oz Crème de Coconut
3/4 oz Blue Curaçao
2 oz Pineapple juice
Pineapple or other fresh fruit
Directions:
Fill a glass about half full with ice. Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake for about 20 - 30 seconds to combine. Pour over ice and garnish with fresh fruit.
Island Rum Punch
This citrusy pineapple punch will have you dreaming of tropical breezes and palm trees in no time! The combination of flavors creates a fun cocktail that is light, fruity and refreshing without being too sweet. Also known as the Painkiller Cocktail, it is said to have originated in the British Virgin Islands as a hangover cure. It may not cure your hangover, but it will definitely quench your thirst! Perfect for beachside, poolside, or anywhere outside for that matter!
Ingredients:
2 oz Dark Rum
1 oz Crème de Coconut
1 oz Orange Juice
4 oz Pineapple Juice
Fresh Pineapple or Orange Slices
Nutmeg or Cinnamon
Directions:
Add all liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake a few times to combine. Pour over ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge or orange slice. Sprinkle a few dashes of nutmeg or cinnamon on top to kick it up a notch.
Key Lime Cocktail
Straight from the beaches of Key West comes a cocktail that doubles as a dessert! If you've ever wondered what a Key Lime Pie would taste like as a cocktail, look no further. As if the coconut rum, coconut creme and lime juice don't already make a delicious enough combination, the graham cracker "crust" around the rim completely sends this drink over the edge. Easy as pie!
Ingredients:
3 oz. Coconut Rum
3 oz. Crème de Coconut
2 oz. Fresh Lime juice
1 Crushed Graham Cracker
Lime slices
Directions:
Crush graham cracker onto a small plate. Run a piece of cut lime around the rim of a glass. Press or roll the rim of the glass into the graham cracker crumbs. Fill your glass about half full with ice. Add liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake about 20 times to combine. Pour over ice. Garnish with lime slice. Sprinkle leftover graham cracker crumbs on top of the drink.
Stawberry Daiquiri
The classic daiquiri cocktail is known to have originated in Cuba; however, there is some debate about where this frozen, fruity variation was first made. One thing not up for debate is how absolutely scrumptious it is. Using frozen strawberries make all the difference in taking this beachy cocktail to the next level. If you can't get to a beach, blend together one of these frosty beverages and you've got the next best thing!
Ingredients:
1 cup Frozen Strawberries
2 oz White Rum
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 oz Dark Rum
1 Tbsp Sugar
Lime slices
Directions:
Run a lime slice along the rim of your glass, then dip or roll in sugar on a small plate. Add strawberries, white rum, lime juice and simple syrup to a blender or Ninja. Blend until smooth. Pour into glass. Slowly pour dark rum over the top. Garnish with a lime slice.
Mai Tai
Invented by the owner of the famed Trader Vic's restaurant and Tiki Bar chain in California, legend has it that the name of this iconic drink is a derivative of the Tahitian phrase meaning "the best!" It may not have been inspired by the beaches of the South Pacific, but the blend of flavored liqueurs in combination with light and dark rum in this drink will make you feel like you have a Polynesian Tiki Bar in your own back yard!
Ingredients:
1 oz White Rum
1 oz Dark or Spiced Rum
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/4 oz Amaretto
3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Lime shell and Mint sprigs
Directions:
Add all liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker, then fill it half way with ice. Shake it until your hand gets nice and cold. Pour everything into your glass. Toss in the shell of your lime and add a mint sprig.
Island Paradise
This sweet and fruity tropical cocktail is as delicious as it is beautiful. But the best part is how easy it is to make! A little prep, some ice, and a steady hand is all you need. The way the colored layers combine is like drinking a rum flavored rainbow! Where is it from? I'm not really sure. But when you're drinking a rainbow, does it really matter?
Ingredients:
Layer 1
1 oz Grenadine
1 cup of Crushed Ice
Layer 2
1 oz Coconut Rum
1 oz White Rum
3 oz Pineapple Juice
Layer 3
1/2 oz Blue Curaçao
1 oz Water
Directions:
The layering of this drink is the key to it's gorgeous appearance. Prepare all three layers in advance, then add each one as follows. In a tall glass, pour the grenadine into the bottom, then add the ice. The ice needs to be crushed in order to hold the layers. Slowly pour layer 2 over the ice, then very slowly pour layer 3 on top. If you just dump it in, it will sink down to the bottom! Garnish with an orange or pineapple slice.
Malibu Sunset
The beaches of Malibu are calling. Rocky coastlines that stretch for miles. Crashing waves that create a surfer's paradise. And stunning sunsets that take your breath away. This drink captures the magical colors of a California sky and puts them in your glass!
Ingredients:
2 oz Cocout Rum
4 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Grenadine
Maraschino Cherries or Pineapple wedges
Directions:
Add grenadine to the bottom of a glass. Fill glass with ice. Slowly pour the rum over the ice, then slowly pour pineapple juice over the top for final layer. Garnish with cherries or pineapple wedges. Stir before drinking.
Mojito
Traditionally made in Cuba, this cocktail evokes visions of white sand beaches, towering palm trees, and sparkling blue-green water. The combination of sweet, citrus and mint flavors delightfully complement the rum and make a deliciously refreshing cocktail. Hello summertime!
Ingredients:
2 oz White Rum
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
2 Mint Sprigs
1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
Additional Mint Sprigs
Lime Wedges
Seltzer Water
Directions:
Sprinkle the sugar on a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and roll or press it into the sugar. Fill the glass about three fourths full with ice. In a separate glass or cocktail shaker, gently muddle the simple syrup, rum, lime juice, and 2 mint sprigs. If you press too hard or smash it, the mint will break into tiny pieces and it will be hard to strain out. Add ice up to the level of the liquid. This will help make the drink cold without melting the ice in your glass! Shake it until your hand gets cold, then strain only the liquid mixture into your glass. There should be about 1 inch left in the glass for you to top with seltzer water. Garnish with lime wedge and mint sprigs.
Hurricane
Created in New Orleans during World War II, this deliciously dangerous cocktail may not have been invented at a beach, but it has certainly earned a spot on this list of beachy cocktails. The sweet, fruity flavor is surprisingly deceptive and if made correctly, this cocktail will look and taste like a party in a glass. But if you're not careful, it will hit you like the tropical storm it's named after!
Ingredients:
2 oz Dark Rum
2 oz Light Rum
2 oz Passion Fruit Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 oz Grenadine
Oranges, Pineapple, or Cherries
Directions:
Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake to combine. Pour over ice and garnish with fresh fruit. Find a seat and enjoy. You won't be standing long after you've had a few of these!
Hopefully we can all make it to our favorite beaches one day soon, But until then, I hope you enjoy making these deliciously beachy cocktails as much as I do! Please drop your comments below to let me know what you think.
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