28 Cocktails To Try If You Like Drinking Rum

Bourbon is often thought of as the great American spirit. However, it can't claim to have had a hand in fueling the American drive for independence. That honor is reserved for rum, a spirit made by distilling sugarcane and sugarcane products such as molasses. Long before the Boston Tea Party of 1773, New England colonists were already protesting their parent country's imposition of taxes and other regulations on molasses in an effort to protect their favored spirit. 

Although rum took a backseat to whiskey in the aftermath of the American Revolution, it came back into vogue briefly during the first half of the 20th century with the advent of tropical-themed tiki bars and their colorful, tropical-fruit-flavored Caribbean rum cocktails before fading from popularity once again. But rum is in the midst of a renaissance, according to multiple sources. YouGov ranked Bacardi rum as the most popular spirit in America in the final quarter of 2021, and Beverage Dynamics identified rum's "escapist" vibe as a major factor that drove the rum industry to record growth amid the pandemic.

In addition to being a tropical "vacation in a bottle," rum offers myriad choices in terms of sweetness, depth, and ABV. Whether you already like drinking rum or are merely rum-curious, these classic cocktails deliciously demonstrate just how extensive this sun-soaked spirit's range is.

The piña colada combines white rum with the flavors of coconut and pineapple, although the ingredients you select to represent those fruity flavors can make all the difference in the world in the way this cocktail is perceived, according to Whiteside. Puerto Rico's national cocktail, the piña colada was invented in San Juan sometime in the middle of the 20th century as a rather elegant mixture of white rum with coconut cream and a splash of pineapple juice shaken over ice. Over time, however, it has become increasingly synonymous with hen nights and all-inclusive tropical resorts, according to Whiteside, who tells Tasting Table he sees that as unfortunate. When properly made, the piña colada has little in common with the slushy sweet extrusion that issues from most frozen drink machines. 

By "properly made," Whiteside is referring to a cocktail made with real coconut cream (easy to find at supermarkets), fresh pineapple chunks along with your pineapple juice, and a splash of lime juice — to cut the sweetness. In fact, Whiteside offered us his recipe for a properly made piña colada, which goes like this: Blend together rum, coconut cream, pineapple juice, lime juice, pineapple chunks, and ice for 8-10 seconds. Pour into a hurricane or wine glass with ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and two pineapple leaves.

Although Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron gets most of the credit for creating the Mai Tai cocktail, it is believed by some that a man by the name of Raymond Beaumont Gantt was actually the OG of "tiki drink" culture. Tiki drinks, which include the Mai Tai, are drinks made with rum, tropical fruit juices, and fresh fruit garnishes. Starting in 1934, shortly after the end of Prohibition, Gantt was the original proprietor of Huntington Beach's Don's Beachcomber, which specialized in the fruity tropical rum-based cocktails that got the whole Tiki trend started. 

When Gantt, who ended up legally changing his name to "Donn Beach," came up with the zombie cocktail, it was intended as a hangover cure for one particular customer. However, as the story goes, the customer returned several days later to complain that the drink, which was basically "booze on booze on top of more booze" along with a dash of grenadine and an even smaller dash of bitters, didn't cure his hangover so much as turn him into a "zombie."

Our Zombie recipe packs a boozy punch with four — yes, four! — different rums, along with the flavors of citrus, cinnamon, and cloves. With four rums at its essence, it's too many ingredients to list here, but suffice it to say, it's the Beachcomber Classic. 

Before the dawn of tiki culture, the first European settlers in the New World had their own ways of enjoying rum, one of which was with punch. Punch, which traditionally consists of five elements (spirit, spice, citrus, sugar, and water) and may get its name from the Hindu word for five ("pancha"), isn't necessarily limited to five ingredients. In fact, this recipe for Gator Bite Rum Punch has six. 

Moreover, the rum punch recipe we have in mind for you, which we like to imagine George and Martha Washington enjoyed fireside at Mount Vernon, has 12 ingredients. To make this recipe, start by boiling water and mashing together a segmented orange, quartered lemons, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. To this mash, add simple syrup, lemon juice, and orange juice. Then add the boiling water. Allow to "steep" and then cool. Once cooled, add white rum, dark rum, and orange curacao. Strain into a pitcher or punchbowl and enjoy in icy goblets! 

The Bahama Mama might look like your average technicolor tiki drink, but it has a low-key sophistication that only those who know, know. If you didn't know already what distinguishes the Bahama Mama from those other fun, fruity frivolities that whiskey-shooters like Carrie Underwood tend to deride, it's coffee flavor, or, more precisely, coffee-flavored liqueur. The classic Bahama Mama, which is believed to have originated at the Bahamas' Nassau Beach Hotel, has always included coffee liqueur. However, it sometimes ends up getting omitted in the present day. We say, if you're going to go to the trouble of steeling yourself against the mockery that ordering a Bahama Mama might well produce, then you might as well confirm with the bartender that they have coffee liqueur on hand.

Or, you could just avoid the whole issue by whipping up a Bahama Mama of your own. It's easy. Just combine coconut rum and dark (preferably overproof) rum, coffee liqueur, pineapple juice, and freshly-squeezed lemon juice. Shake together with ice, and strain into a Collins glass or hurricane glass over fresh ice. The classic garnish for a Painkiller, in true deceptively sweet Painkiller style, involves something fruity such as a pineapple wedge and/or a maraschino or brandied cherry. But you should always feel free to mix it up with an herbaceous sprig of rosemary. 

The Jungle Bird cocktail is another colorful rum drink that falls into the tiki category, but it's relatively new compared with some of the others we've been discussing on this list, such as the Mai Tai and the Hurricane. 

As the story goes, the Jungle Bird was created back in 1978 at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton, and it's been taking off in popularity over the last several years. One reason for that surge in interest may be that the beverage contains just five ingredients, all of which can be easily found either in your home or at a nearby store: rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, and simple syrup. Not surprisingly, given its five ingredients, the Jungle Bird is sometimes referred to as a "punch." In fact, that's how we refer to it here in our simple recipe for Jungle Bird punch.

The term "rum runners" refers to organized rum smugglers during the Prohibition era. Unlike "bootleggers," rum runners didn't distill their own; they were responsible for bringing it in from the Caribbean. The Rum Runner cocktail, which commemorates these intrepid scofflaws who kept Florida's Keys rich in rum throughout Prohibition, was created in the late 1950s on the Florida Key isle of Islamorada. Specifically, the Rum Runner cocktail traces its roots to the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar, which, as the story goes, came up with this brightly-colored, tropically-fruited, heavily-spirited concoction as a way of using up a surplus of rums and other liqueurs that weren't moving as quickly as, say, whiskey, at least at the time. 

To make your own Rum Runner, you'll need, light rum, dark rum, banana liqueur, blackberry liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine syrup. Shake it all up with ice, and strain it into an icy hurricane glass (although, as you can see, a rocks glass will do just fine). Garnish with a brandied cherry or, if it's the season, a pineapple wedge. 

When it comes to rum drinks, it doesn't get much more simple than rum and Coke. But that doesn't mean rum and Coke has to be basic — not when it's made with a premium rum. And when it is, some bartenders are willing to refer to it as a Cuba Libre. In truth, there really is no difference at all between a rum and Coke and a Cuba Libre, and the terms tend to be used interchangeably. 

Both iterations consist of rum and Coke (or other cola-flavored soda because, let's face it, Pepsi is out there too) over ice with a hint of lime. What makes any bartender's version different from others is usually a matter of proportion. For example, our favorite Cuba Libre recipe uses the 1-to-3 proportion (1 ounce of rum to every 3 ounces of Coca-Cola) and is poured over ice into a Collins glass and garnished with a lime wedge, which we encourage you to squeeze generously into your drink.

It's been said that author and well-known appreciator of rum, Ernest Hemingway, was a fan of mojitos, having enjoyed them at Havana's La Bodeguita del Medio. But Hemingway is even more closely associated with another drink, one that is a twist on a daiquiri, except with "less sugar and more rum" — which are the words Hemingway is believed to have used when ordering his second daiquiri the first time he stopped in at Havana's El Floridita, a cafe and bar.

The resulting no-nonsense version of the daiquiri has several different names associated with it, the first being "El Floridita," in honor of the place where it was born. Tthe drink has also been referred to as "Papa Doble," with "Papa" being a reference to Hemingway, an "Doble" being a reference to "a double," as in two ounces of booze — in this case, rum.

Nevertheless, some refer to this cocktail as the Hemingway daiquiri. To make one, mix Bacardi Gold rum (or substitute), pink grapefruit juice, maraschino liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup in an icy shaker. Strain into a coupe glass.

Behold, the paradox of the creamsicle-hued cocktail known as the Painkiller. Light, sweet, and creamy, it offers the casual flexibility of being enjoyed shaken, blended, or stirred. Yet its name sounds so terribly stark and serious. The name, of course, belies the fruity and sweet reality of the Painkiller cocktail, which is not stark or serious at all. In fact, this sweet and creamy tiki drink can be described as being kind of like a piña colada, but with a hint of orange and a dusting of nutmeg — and except for the fact that there's a slightly higher proportion of pineapple juice to coconut cream in the Painkiller than in the classic piña colada. In other words, the Painkiller sounds a lot more intimidating than it is. 

The ingredients for a Painkiller are rum, pineapple, orange juice, and cream of coconut. To make your own, shake all of the aforesaid ingredients, serve over ice, and sprinkle with ground nutmeg. Of course, if you want your orange-colada cocktail in the frostiest possible form, you'll need to check out our Painkiller Slushie recipe. 

The El Presidente cocktail is to the classic gin or vodka martini, what the rum Old Fashioned is to the whiskey Old Fashioned. That is to say that it is a straightforward, gently stirred rum version of a classic cocktail that is best built using a really good rum that you're looking to experience without competition from sugary, brightly-colored juices. Like the daiquiri, the El Presidente hails from Cuba, but if this rum drink was named for President Mario García Menocal, then it likely came along a decade or two after Jennings Stockton Cox scribbled on a piece of paper what is believed to be the first recorded daiquiri recipe.

The El Presidente, like a classic martini, incorporates the boozy fortified wine, vermouth, and can be shaken or stirred, depending on your preference. However, it also contains orange curacao (presumably to bring out some of the rum's deeper flavor notes) and a couple of dashes of grenadine syrup (presumably to add a touch of sweetness and a bit of rosy color). To make a classic El Presidente cocktail, combine white rum, dry vermouth, orange curacao, and a few dashes of grenadine syrup. Stir with ice, and strain into coupe glasses, garnished with orange peel.

We love a great cocktail with an awesome backstory, and the Bushwacker offers just that. This oddly named drink can trace its origins back to the Ship's Store in St. Thomas. There, in 1975, Angie Conigliaro brought together a collection of spirits and milk to make something close to a boozy chocolate milkshake. The bar's manager Tom Brokamp called it "a tropical variation to the White Russian." The drink got its name when two flight attendants couldn't stop raving over it; Conigliaro named it after the dog they had brought along with them, whose name was Bushwack. 

A few years later, Linda Murphy fell in love with the drink herself and brought it back to her bar in Pensacola Beach, Florida, where the recipe was tweaked to include rum — which is how it's most commonly enjoyed today.

To create a Bushwacker alcoholic milkshake, combine ice, dark room, coffee liqueur, crème de cacao liqueur, cream of coconut, and milk in a blender. Blend it well and serve with a swizzle of chocolate in the glass before you pour.

El Floridita, a bar in Havana, claims to have been the birthplace of the frozen daiquiri in 1931, when owner Constantino Ribalaigua Vert experimented enough to invent it. The following year, author Ernest Hemingway would visit the bar for the first time. This would begin a long-standing relationship between Hemingway and El Floridita. In fact, it's suspected that Hemingway developed the idea for his classic novel, "For Whom the Bell Tolls," after several daiquiris. Today, the bar has an impressive collection of daiquiri offerings, with the strawberry daiquiri among them. 

You can find a strawberry daiquiri cocktail on beach resort and tiki restaurant menus around the world, but to make it at home, all you'll need are some basic ingredients and a blender. For two cocktails, you'll use half of a pound of frozen strawberries, ice, Grand Marnier, white rum, simple syrup, and lime. Combine all of that in your blender and blend until smooth, which will probably take a minute or two. Garnish it as elaborately as you'd like with fruit, mint leaves, and dried citrus.

If you love honey and rum, this one is for you. It's delightful and sophisticated, making it the perfect choice for a well-balanced drink with a delicious flavor combination. Aged rum brings depth and complexity, and the honey syrup elevates the drink with its natural sweetness. Lime juice provides a bright and tangy contrast that balances out the sweetness, making it a refreshing drink that is perfect for any occasion.

To create an aged rum and honey cocktail, you'll need (predictably) aged rum, honey syrup, fresh lime juice, and Prosecco for a little bubbly. We recommend garnishing this one with Angostura bitters and mint. You'll prepare the honey syrup by mixing equal parts honey and warm water until the honey is fully dissolved. You can also make this over the stove to help the honey melt into the water easily. You'll then combine everything in a cocktail shaker, shake until cold, and then strain it into a glass. Then, sit back, sip away, and enjoy the beautiful amber color.

Coquito is a delicious, creamy, popular holiday drink in Puerto Rico. This delightful drink is perfect for anyone who loves eggnog but can't stand the idea of raw eggs in their drink. While families traditionally enjoy it during the holidays, coquito is a delicious and comforting drink that can be enjoyed throughout the year

The ingredients for creamy coquito may vary, but the basic pieces include coconut, both condensed and evaporated milk, vanilla, cinnamon, rum, and nutmeg. To prepare this creamy beverage, you'll bring together all the non-alcoholic ingredients in a saucepan and let it come to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, you'll allow it to rest, remove it from heat, and give everything time to steep and infuse for about 30 minutes.

After this infusion time, stir in the rum, remove the cinnamon sticks, and pop your creamy mixture in the fridge to chill. Once cooled, it's ready to serve and enjoy. Coquito is a delicious and versatile drink, and its creamy texture and combination of flavors make it a universal crowd-pleaser.