Need Easy Beach Drinks? Caribbean Cocktails
Contributed by on Aug 15, 2014
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"Straight Outta the Caribbean.......Mon"
When I lived in the Caribbean for a couple of years I picked up some amazing easy beach drinks. Some I learned and some are my own recipes. These drinks are amazing for a day out in the sun, wherever that may be for you. Some of these will require a blender but even if you do not have one handy I got some awesome beach drinks on-the-rocks too. Break your bikinis out girls, lets go!
Miami Vice (It's almost patriotic) 
Frozen Drink
This is basically two drinks in one so the best way to make this is to make a full blender full of each and keep frozen until your ready to pour. Keep in mind these two recipes are for a full blenders worth.
- Pina Colada - This is what I use - Fill the blender to the top with ice, pour in 1/4 of a bottle of Malibu Rum, 1/4 bottle of Bacardi Light Rum (any light rum will do). 8 oz Coco Lopez, 8 oz orange juice, 16 oz pineapple juice. Then blend until smooth, use the highest setting on your blender.
- Strawberry Daiquiri - Fill the blender to the top with ice, pour 1/2 of a bottle of Bacardi Light Rum (again, any light rum will do). Around 25 oz strawberry puree. If you do not have puree then use store bought strawberry daiquiri mix. That is it, just blend this until it's smooth.
Now, there are three different ways to pour this to get whatever desired look you are looking for. Get a hurricane glass or a large tall glass.
These are the three ways to pour
- Fill half the glass with Pina Colada then fill the rest with Strawberry Daiquiri.
- Fill half the glass with Strawberry Daiquiri then fill the rest with Pina Colada.
- The expert way. Pour both the drinks in the glass at the same time, it will be red on one side and white on the other. Looks Badass!
The Pain Killer (Who needs pills?)
On-the-Rocks
I learned this highly addictive drink one day when I went to a little Caribbean island called Jost Van Dyke. If you have ever been there then you know how awesome this drink is in the sun. There are a lot of versions of this but the one I am going to give you I was taught by the guy bar tending at this little bar there. If you can use fresh squeezed juice like they do then you are in for a treat, but can juice will suffice as well (I guess). You can make these one at a time or in big batches. I'm going to give it to you one at a time.
- First you need around a 16 oz glass or cup. Fill your glass up with ice and add 4 oz Pussers Rum (It is a British Navy Rum). About 2 oz Coco Lopez, 2 oz orange juice, and 3 oz pineapple juice. This will put you right at the top of the glass.
- Now take the drink and pour it into a shaker tin and shake lightly until the drink appears to be a creamy orange color.
- Then pour back into the glass. The garnish is freshly grated nutmeg on the top of the drink, I highly recommend you do this.
That is it, now drink up. But be careful because these are very strong and can sneak up on you. I had about eight of them the first time and had to go back because I did not remember what was in them.
Lime in the Coconut (A Caribbean Classic)
Frozen Drink
A drink born and bred in the Caribbean. I learned this from some locals I worked with at a beach bar. It is very refreshing and chicks love it. I cant even tell you how many of these I made for soccer moms on vacation. Definitely a Caribbean original I think you will dig. This will be a by-the-drink recipe.
- Get your blender and fill half full with ice. Pour 2 oz Cruzan Coconut Rum (Cruzan is made in the Virgin Islands, they use it for everything), 2 oz Cruzan Dark Rum, about 2 oz Coco Lopez, and the juice of two limes. If you use a lime squeezer, aka "Mexican Elbow" it will work a lot easier for you.
- Blend away until smooth and pour into a hurricane glass or whatever you have around at the moment. Garnish with a lime wheel and get a straw. That is all there is to this one, it is easy and delicious.
Mango Tango (A mango snow-cone)
Frozen Drink
I want to say that this drink was born in Columbia but I learned it on St. Thomas. It is basically a frozen mango daiquiri that tastes like a snow-cone. If you are in the mood for something sweet and love the mango fruit, make this. This recipe will make one mango tango or you can double it and make two.
- Fill your blender half way with ice. Pour in 3 oz Cruzan Dark Rum and about 5 oz mango puree (you can buy it or blend up some mangos with some simple syrup).
- At the bottom of a hurricane glass pour in some raspberry puree (or use chambord, but it will be a different taste).
- Pour the mango drink in the glass, and pour it pretty fast so it will swirl with the raspberry, it looks cool. Do not fill it up all the way, leave about an inch at the top.
- Pour a floater of Myers Dark Rum over the top of the drink. Put a straw in it and there you go. Pineapple garnish, maybe an umbrella if you are into that.
Cruzan Confusion (Good luck with this)
On-the-Rocks
This drink is probably on the advanced drinks list but it is damn tasty and if you are feeling adventurous and want to make something wild then get on this. Again, there are a lot of different versions of this drink, but this is mine. I put it on my drink menu list and it was a hit because once you see what is in it you will want to try it. I am not going to write out Cruzan every time, but just know that all the rums I use are Cruzan.
- Ok, in a hurricane glass fill it with ice and pour in 1/2 oz pineapple rum, 1/2 oz guava rum, 1/2 oz orange rum, 1/2 oz banana rum, 1/2 oz mango rum, 1/2 oz passion fruit rum, 1/2 oz coconut rum, 1/2 oz key lime rum. You still with me?
- Pour in 4 oz orange juice, a touch of mango puree, 1 oz grenadine. Pour this into a shaker tin and shake a little then pour back in the glass leaving an inch from the top.
- Now pour a floater of Cruzan 151 rum on the top. Garnish with whatever you think will go with nine different rums. I used a piece pineapple and an umbrella.
This is a great drink if you have all the ingredients and fun to drink because you taste something new each time.
The Bushwacker (This could be a dessert)
Frozen Drink
A very popular drink in the islands. This drink was invented at the very place I lived, Saphirre Beach Resort in St. Thomas by a guy from Florida. It has been called a chocolate pina colada and there are no formal recipes so bar tenders all over have come up with their own variations. This can be made in large batches or one at a time, this will be a one at a time recipe for you.
- Fill blender 1/3 full of ice, pour in 1 oz Dark Rum,1/2 oz Amaretto, 1/2 oz Kahlua, 1/2 oz Baileys Irish Cream, 1/2 oz Frangelico, 1 oz Vodka (I use Kettle One whenever I can), and pour in about 3 oz Coco Lopez.
- Blend until smooth and you have the Bushwacker. I used to garnish it with whipped cream and a cherry but I do not think that is that important, it is very rich on its own.
Rum Runner (A Classic)
Frozen or on-the-rocks
This is a drink that was born in Florida Keys. This has been a popular drink among anyone that is on a boat that has some basic ingredients and fruit juice. I used to make about 30 of these a day, the resort I worked at would greet guests with them as soon as they stepped out of their car. This can be a frozen drink or on-the-rock, I will be giving it to you on-the-rocks. If you make it frozen just use 1/3 of the blender for ice.
- Get a hurricane glass or a tall glass, pour 1 1/2 oz Light Rum, 1 1/2 oz Dark Rum, 1/2 oz Chambord (blackberry liqueur), 1/2 oz Banana liqueur, 4 oz orange juice, and a dash of grenadine.
- Take all of the ingredients and dump them in a shaker tin, shake to mix it up and pour back into the glass. If you still need more rum for yours, you can float a shot of 151 rum over the top. Then you can set it on fire if you are ready for that. An orange wedge and a cherry make a good garnish.
The Creamsicle (Remember the popsicle?)
Fozen Drink
This drink should bring you back to when you were a kid and ate that orange and cream popsicle on a hot day. I was taught how to make this at a bar somewhere in the Caribbean, I am not sure exactly where. This is definitely a delicious adult version of a classic treat. This will be a by-the-glass recipe for you.
- Fill blender 1/3 full of ice, pour in 2 oz Cruzan Vanilla Rum (or vanilla vodka will work), 1 oz Triple Sec, 4 oz orange juice, and a touch of half and half.
- Blend this smooth and pour into a hurricane glass. You can put whip cream on top of this too if you like.
