Caribbeans have acquired a particular liking towards rum, this can be easily deciphered by the fact that it’s their frequent spirit of choice for most of their drinks. This spirit is distilled from sugarcane molasses and the word rum itself conjures up images of tropical islands, tall ships and drunken pirates; a particular speciality of Caribbean islands, isn’t it?
Don’t suffer in despair if you cannot travel to the Caribbean island to enjoy tasty rum cocktails or all the other interesting drinks this island offers because you can still make the Caribbean drinks at your home.
To that end, we’ve recognized three tropical cocktails that you can easily imitate in the comfort of your home: The flavours bring remembrances of that replenishing Caribbean aura, while their ingredients are adequately modest enough to order it all online.
So, to the masses stuck inside in the pandemic: Whether you’re a fan of Saint Lucia, Grenada, Curacao or Antigua, we’ve got you covered.
By the end of this article, you’ll be able to bring the flavours of the Caribbean’s special drinks to your home. You can easily order the supplies from your local liquor store and make sure to just keep these recipes in mind.
1)Caribbean Rum Punch
The Rum punch which originated in Jamaica is the omnipresent party drink in the Caribbean region.
This Rum Punch Cocktail is what the Caribbean islands are all about. It is sweet, colourful, cool, citrus, full of flavours, tropical and tends to give a glassful of crazy good fun.
Apart from being a casual refreshing drink, it is certainly very ideal for celebrations, get-togethers, beach parties, movie nights, holidays and Christmas.
What makes it even handier is the fact that it is simply made up of 5 ingredients apart from optional garnishing and a regular pitcher to mix it all up.
There’s this simple rhyme you can learn for making rum punch, “One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, Four of Weak.”
The rhyme, when translated, described the preparation process:
- One portion of lime juice
- Two portions of sweetener
- Three portions of rum
- Four portions of water
This punch has a fruity, strong and sweet flavour. Also, this can be easily doubled and tripled when serving a crowd.
You can store this rum punch for 24 hours but avoid adding any fruit pieces as garnishing. Since this rum punch is made up of fresh citrus fruits, it can go bad if kept too long. But there are very low chances that you’ll have to store the leftover punch as this cocktail disappears very quickly.
- Preparation time -10 minutes
- Total time-10 minutes
- Yield-4 to 6
Ingredients~
- 1 cup of fresh orange juice
- 1 cup of fresh pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 1/4 cup rum
- ¼ cup coconut-flavoured rum
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup of grenadine
- Sliced fruits like orange, pineapple, lime and lemon for garnishing
Steps~
- In a large flask, combine the orange and pineapple juice, followed by rum, and then grenadine.
- Stir the mix.
- Now pour the punch into ice-filled glasses and top it with different fruits.
Nutritional value(per serving)
- Calories-149kcal
- Total fats-0g
- Carbs-29g
- Protein-0g
2) Cuba Libre
The Cuba Libre is more complex and enticing than its simple formula would imply. It is simply made up of rum, Coke, and lime, but there is a synergy within those three simple ingredients that has delighted many taste buds for over a century. It is also now one of the most popular Cuban cocktails.
Its origin, as far as the stories tell, can be traced back to the year 1900 and is linked with the Spanish-American war and the U.S. Army captain who was posted in Havana during the war. He simply mixed Coca-Cola and a bit of lime juice to his rum and toasted to his Cuban comrades by exclaiming, “Por Cuba Libre!” (“To a free Cuba!”). This cocktail and the name since then have continued to persist among the masses.
This cocktail is generally made with a light, Spanish-style rum-like Bacardí, but you can choose any rum you like or a rum that is rich and full-flavoured, particularly rum from Jamaica, Central or South America or elsewhere.
Rum and Coke jointly exist as a distinct combination that interweaves the grassy and tropical flavours of the rum with the spicy and effervescent flavours of the cola. Additionally, a squeeze of lime adds a tangy jolt of citrus that completes both ingredients while subduing some of the sweetness.
Cuba Libre is a preferred party drink, whether you’re celebrating with your friends in a club, at a beach or in your house.
It is also referred to as the world’s second most popular alcoholic drink because its ingredients are low cost and ubiquitous.
- Preparation time -5 minutes
- Total time-5 minutes
- Yield-1
Ingredients~
- 1 parts Bacardi Rum(or any other rum of your choice)
- ½ lime
- 2 parts cola
- Cubed ice
Steps~
- Take a long glass and fill it with a lot of ice cubes.
- Now, cut the lime into 4 wedges.
- Squeeze two wedges, and drop the remaining two Lime wedges into the glass.
- Finally pour in the rum and top it with cola and stir the mix gently.
Nutritional value(per serving)
- Calories-159kcal
- Total fats-0g
- Carbs-10g
- Protein-0g
3)Puerto Rican Piña Colada
Piña colada is the official drink of the Puerto Rican islands. In Puerto Rico this drink is dealt with the respect it rightly deserves, it is readily available as a casual drink in just about every pub, bar and restaurant on the island.
The Piña Colada(translated as strained pineapple juice) is a cocktail prepared with rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk, or coconut cream, typically served blended or shaken with ice. It can additionally be topped with a pineapple wedge, a maraschino cherry, or both. This drink comes in two varieties, both of which have originated in Puerto Rico itself.
The birth of this cocktail is highly debated, but the typically accepted version of the tale explains that it was formulated by Ramón “Monchito” Marrero, a bartender at a bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico on August 16, 1954. The hotel had asked him to come up with a new signature mixed drink and, after three serious months, this cocktail was born.
- Preparation time -5 minutes
- Total time-5 minutes
- Yield-1
Ingredients~
- 60ml white rum
- 60ml coconut cream
- 120ml pineapple juice
- Pineapple wedges or leaves, for garnishing (optional)
- Ice cubes
Steps-
- Blend all the ingredients along with the ice in a blender until all the ingredients are completely mixed.
- Pour it into a pitcher and garnish it with pineapple leaves or wedges.
- Nutritional value(per serving)
- Calories-314kcal
- Total fats-12.7g
- Carbs-14.3g
- Protein-1.1g
