Read on to find out which 10 rum cocktails we chose, how you can make them yourself, and what Ernest Hemingway has to do with it all.
1. Cuba Libre
The Cuba Libre originated around 1900, after Cuba's liberation from Spanish colonial rule – hence the name. What was unimaginable on a political level after Fidel Castro's revolution has become a prime example of a harmonious relationship in the cocktail world: a Cuban-American collaboration in the form of rum and Coca-Cola with lime juice – a simply disarmingly good long drink.
Ingredients:
- ½ lime
- 5 cl white Cuban rum
- 10-15 cl cola to top up
Preparation:
Cut the lime and fill the long drink glass with ice. Squeeze the lime juice from the wedges into the glass, then add the wedges. Now pour the rum into the glass and top it up with cola. Stir briefly with a bar spoon and serve the Cuba Libre with a straw.
2. Zombie Cocktail
The strength of this cocktail is already hinted at in its name. The Zombie can indeed raise the undead, as legend has it that it was first mixed in 1930s Hollywood by a restaurant owner tasked with bringing a hungover friend back to life. In addition to the fruit juices typical of Tiki drinks, some bartenders add up to six types of rum to their Zombie creations. However, we opt for a slightly more "humane" approach with just two.
Ingredients:
- 4 cl dark rum
- 2 cl Overproof Rum
- 2 cl cherry liqueur
- 3 cl lemon juice
- 1 cl pomegranate syrup
- 4 cl orange juice
- 4 cl pineapple juice
- Mint for garnish
Perfect Glass:
Preparation:
Add both rums, cherry liqueur, orange juice, lemon juice, pomegranate syrup, and pineapple juice to the shaker. Fill it with ice and shake the aspiring Zombie well for 15 seconds.
Fill the Tiki glass halfway with crushed ice and strain the contents of the shaker into it through a bar sieve. Insert the mint sprig into the glass and the orange slice as a garnish on the rim. Serve with a straw.
3. Mojito
If you say rum, you have to say Cuba, and that's why we're introducing the second Cuban cocktail: the Mojito. This refreshing long drink with its characteristic mint first appeared under the name Mojito at the beginning of the 20th century. Later, Ernest Hemingway drank it in his favorite bar in Havana until every cocktail connoisseur eventually came to know and love it. Today, the Mojito is one of the most popular cocktails of all.
Ingredients:
- 6 cl Cuban Anejo Blanco rum
- 2.5 cl simple syrup
- 3 cl lime juice
- 2 drops Angostura bitters
- 3–4 sprigs of mint
Perfect Glass
Tumbler
Preparation:
Add the mint with the syrup to the shaker and muddle it. Add the rum, lime juice, and bitters along with crushed ice and shake everything well four to five times. Strain the mix through a bar strainer into the long drink glass filled with ice. Garnish with mint and serve with a straw.
4. Caipirinha
Another summery cocktail is the Caipirinha from Brazil, often abbreviated to "Caipi." Wait, does a Caipirinha contain rum? Strictly speaking, no, because the traditionally used cachaça is made from sugarcane juice and not, like rum, from sugarcane molasses. However, the Caipirinha is a close relative of rum cocktails and has always gotten every party going – so we simply had to include it in our list! Moreover, cachaça can easily be replaced by rum. Try the recipe and you will surely forgive us this slight imprecision.
Preparation:
Remove the ends of the limes and cut them into eighths. Place them in the tumbler and sprinkle the brown sugar over them. Muddle the lime wedges with a muddler. Then add the cachaça and fill the glass with ice. Stir everything well and serve the Caipi with a straw.
5. Mai Tai Cocktail
If you want to bring Caribbean flair to your home, the Mai Tai is an excellent choice. This Tiki cocktail was born precisely from this idea: to bring exotic island vibes to the continent (in this case, the USA). And it succeeded completely, as it's no coincidence that the legend says the first Mai Tai consumer's conclusion was "Mai Tai Roa Ae" – which translates from Tahitian as "not of this world"!
Ingredients:
- 3 cl Guyana Rum
- 3 cl Jamaica Rum
- 0.75 cl white rum
- 1.5 cl orange liqueur
- 3 cl lime juice
- 2.5 cl almond syrup
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- Orange peel (garnish)
Perfect Glass
Tumbler
Preparation:
First, squeeze the lime juice into the shaker. Add the other ingredients with three to four ice cubes and shake the shaker for about 12 seconds. Fill some ice into the Tiki mug and strain the mixture into it. Garnish the mug with orange zest and serve the Mai Tai with a straw.
6. Piña Colada
The 80s are back in vogue in the fashion and music world, and rum, pineapple, and coconut in the form of the Piña Colada make the perfect culinary accompaniment. Nothing goes better with Hawaiian shirts and oversized blazers than this sweet and creamy cocktail. A tip if you're in a hurry: Coladas can be made even easier as a Malibu cocktail with Malibu liqueur. Batida de Coco rum is also excellent.
Ingredients:
- 6 cl white rum
- 5 cl coconut cream
- 1 slice of pineapple
- 1 pineapple wedge (garnish)
Perfect Glass
Hurricane glass
Preparation:
Peel the pineapple slice and remove the hard core. Then cut the slice into pieces. Fill the cocktail glass halfway with crushed ice and put it in the blender. Then add the pineapple pieces, coconut cream, and rum and blend everything for at least 20 seconds on the highest setting. Pour the mix into the hurricane glass. Add the pineapple wedge and the cocktail cherry as garnish and serve the Piña Colada with a straw.
7. Daiquiri
Another classic from the world of white rum cocktails is the equally elegant and delicious Daiquiri. It originated in the Cuban town of the same name, but only later became widely known in Havana in the mid-20th century, where, of course, the inevitable happened – Ernest Hemingway drank it... and liked it. The Daiquiri, categorized as a sour, eventually gained worldwide popularity thanks to its refreshing taste and stylish appearance in a cocktail or martini glass. The Daiquiri is often also called a Bacardi Cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 6 cl white rum
- 3 cl lime juice
- 1.5 cl cane sugar syrup
- Lime zest (garnish)
Perfect Glass
Coupette
Preparation:
Add all ingredients with three to four ice cubes to the shaker and shake vigorously. Then strain the contents into the coupette and garnish the Daiquiri with the lime zest.
8. Planter's Punch
There are so many variations of Planter's Punch that some cocktailologists consider it more a generic term than a type of cocktail. This Caribbean rum cocktail was first mentioned in the mid-19th century, and its inherent balance of sweet (sugar), sour (lime), strong (Jamaican rum), and weak (soda) makes it a small masterpiece. There is no standard recipe; the Planter's Punch is therefore ideal for experimental bartenders. Here is our version:
Ingredients:
- 9 cl aged Jamaican rum
- 2–3 cl soda
- 1.5 cl grenadine
- 1 cl simple syrup
- 1.5 cl pomegranate syrup
- 3 cl lime juice
- 1.5 cl lemon juice
- 1 sprig of mint
Perfect Glass
Preparation:
Add all ingredients except the soda, along with some ice, to the shaker. Now shake for about 15 seconds. Fill crushed ice into the long drink glass and strain the contents from the shaker into it. Add the soda and garnish the Planter's Punch with the mint sprig.
9. Dark and Stormy
This long drink with aged dark rum and ginger beer became the favorite drink of British sailors on the Bermuda Islands in the 1920s. But the Dark and Stormy is not only suitable for summoning courage for trips into the mysterious Bermuda Triangle – it's also the perfect companion for more relaxed rubber raft rides in the swimming pool. Due to the few ingredients, it is especially important here to choose a well-aged and delicious rum that harmonizes well with the spiciness of the ginger beer.
Ingredients:
- 6 cl dark rum
- 3 cl lime juice
- 15 cl ginger beer
- Lime zest (garnish)
Preparation:
Add the rum with the lime juice and four to five ice cubes to the shaker and shake for about 15 seconds. Strain the mix into the long drink glass and top it up with ginger beer. Garnish with lime zest and serve.
10. Strohberryjito
We have rum cocktails from Cuba, Jamaica, Tahiti, and the Bahamas on our list ‒ one country, equally known for sunny cocktails with Caribbean flair, is still missing: Austria. With the domestic rum Stroh 80, truly delicious cocktails can be mixed: the Strohberryjito, with sweet strawberry and sour lime, is the perfect summer cocktail and can more than hold its own against its South Sea relatives. And one thing we are sure of: Hemingway would have loved it!
Ingredients:
- 2 cl Stroh 80
- 3 cl strawberry puree
- 2 cl lime juice
- Soda
- 1 lemon balm leaf
- 1 lime
- Strawberries
- Mint
Perfect Glass
Long drink glass
Preparation:
Add the Stroh rum, strawberry puree, and lime juice to the shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and double strain the mixture (through a bar strainer and tea strainer) into the glass. Slice the strawberries and lime and add them along with the mint and lemon balm leaves. Fill the glass with soda, stir briefly, and serve the Strohberryjito with a straw.
Which is the best rum for cocktails?
There's no single answer to this question – however, when choosing the right rum, you should always consider the other ingredients in a cocktail to create a harmonious drink.
A few tips can also help:
If the other ingredients are few and rather subtle (as in a Daiquiri, for example), and the rum is the main flavor component, longer-aged rums with a distinctive flavor, like Compañero PANAMA Extra Añejo Rum 54%, are suitable.
Thanks to its spicy taste with light sweet fruit aromas, Havana Club Añejo 3 Años Rum 40% makes a good Mojito rum. This rum is also an excellent choice for a Cuba Libre.
For cocktails with white rum, such as the Piña Colada, Bacardi Ron Carta Blanca Superior 37.5% is often used. For many cocktail lovers, this is also the best value-for-money option for other cocktails with Bacardi.
FAQ – Questions and Answers
Are there fruity rum cocktails that can also be made alcohol-free?
Yes, many classics can be adapted to be alcohol-free. A good example is the Virgin Colada, which is based on the Piña Colada. With pineapple, coconut cream, and alcohol-free alternatives, it creates a tropical drink that tastes great even without rum.
Which rum cocktails are particularly suitable for summer?
Fresh classics like Mojito, Daiquiri, or Rum & Cola bring a tropical flair to summer evenings. Variants with lime, mint, or fruits provide light, refreshing moments of enjoyment – ideal for sunny dinner parties.
Which rum cocktails are also suitable for beginners at the home bar?
For beginners, drinks with few ingredients are suitable, such as Rum Sour, Dark ’n’ Stormy, or Cuba Libre. These cocktails are quick to prepare and only require rum, lime, sugar, or ginger beer.
How do I find the best spirits for rum cocktails?
In the delicando online shop, you'll discover selected rums – from white to overproof rum – as well as suitable mixers and accessories. This makes mixing your favorite cocktails easy and stylish – delivered directly to you.
How much rum is needed per cocktail?
Most cocktail recipes contain between four and six centiliters of rum per glass. For a home bar or a dinner evening with guests, it's worth ordering rum in suitable bottle sizes from delicando. There you will find individual rums as well as sets that are ideal for multiple cocktails.
