Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

9 Cocktails Recipes to Mix Up for National Rum Day

Sam Slaughter
By

Rum has a storied and fascinating history. Did you know, for example, that the first distillations of rum in the Caribbean date back to the 1600s, though there were other beverages made from sugar cane that have roots even older than that? No, you didn’t, did you? That’s great, because that means you learned something! And what’s more fun than learning? Making drinks!

Today, August 16, is National Rum Day, which means it’s time for everyone to get imbued with a little bit of sugarcane-based spirit. What was once primarily the domain of Caribbean-based distilleries, the rum category has exploded as distilleries from all around the world are getting in on the rum game (and for that, we are #blessed.)

Recommended Videos

Below, you’ll find some of our favorite rum-based cocktails from bars and brands across the country and the world. If you’re feeling parched, we suggest mixing up a few, all in the name of rum!

Related

If you don’t have any of the rums listed below, pick up a bottle or two. Want some other options? Check out these best buys.

Bright Lights Big City

Bright Lights Big City
Image used with permission by copyright holder

(Created by Gary Wallach, Arlo SoHo, New York City)

  • 1.5 oz Arlo Rum Blend
  • .75 oz toasted coconut syrup
  • .5 oz lime juice
  • 3 dashes bay leaf tincture
  • 1 dash angostura bitters

Method: Add all ingredients to a small tin. Add ice and shake for 10 seconds. Double strain into the glass. 

Kiwi Tiki

Kiwi Tiki
Image used with permission by copyright holder

(Created by Enrique Cervantes, Drink Bar at Mess Hall Market, Tustin, California)

  • 1.5 oz white rum
  • 1 oz spiced rum
  • 1 oz kiwi purée
  • 1 oz passionfruit syrup

Method: Add all ingredients to a Boston shaker, straight pour into Tiki glass and top with shaved iced

The Goblet

The Goblet
Image used with permission by copyright holder

(Created by ROCKsalt, Maui)

  • 2 oz Captain Morgan
  • 2 oz orange Curacao
  • 1.5 oz Kō Hana Kea Agricole Rum (or choose of your favorite rum)
  • .5 oz orgeat
  • 2 oz lime sour
  • 1 oz passionfruit syrup
  • Top off with pineapple juice
  • Fresh slices of pineapple, orange, and strawberries

Method: Add all ingredients except pineapple juice to a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a glass with ice, top with pineapple juice, and garnish with pineapple, orange, and strawberry. Serves two.

The Mariner

Mariner
Image used with permission by copyright holder

(Created by Spencer Elliott, Cleo, New York City)

Method: Combine in a shaker with crushed ice to serve on the rocks and top with a dehydrated lemon.

Porch Life

Sailor Jerry Porch Life
Ashley Thomas

(Created by Ashley Thomas, West Coast Sailor Jerry Ambassador)

  • 1.5 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
  • .5 part peach schnapps
  • 2 parts iced tea
  • .75 part lemon juice
  • .75 part simple syrup
  • .75 part passion fruit juice

Method: Add ingredients into mixing glass with ice. Shake. Strain into rocks-filled Collins/highball glass. Garnish with skewered orange wedge, cherry, lemon wedge.

Raspberry Ripple Snow

Raspberry Ripple Snow
Image used with permission by copyright holder

(Created by Sabrina Kudic, Banzarbar, New York City)

Method: Shake ingredients together with ice, and strain into a tea cup. Garnish with raspberries.

Haven and Hell

RumHaven Haven and Hell
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • 1.5 oz RumHaven
  • 5 oz pineapple juice
  • .5 oz fresh lime juice
  • .5 oz simple syrup
  • 2-3 slices of chili/jalapeño pepper

Method: Add ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, and shake vigorously. Double strain cocktail into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with chili or jalapeño pepper slices.

Make YOUR Banana Stand

make your banana stand
Image used with permission by copyright holder

(Created by Brian Miller, The Polynesian, New York City)

  • .75 oz banana infused Coruba Dark Rum
  • .75 oz Hamilton Jamaican Gold
  • .75 oz Santa Teresa Claro
  • .25 oz Hamilton Demerara 151
  • .5 oz house banana blend
  • .5 oz cane syrup
  • .5 oz lime juice
  • .5 oz lemon juice
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters

Method: Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin. Flash blend with crushed ice in a drink mixer for 3-5 seconds. Pour into a tall pilsner or hurricane glass. Top off with crushed ice. Garnish with a banana leaf, dehydrated banana chips and a toy monkey.

BK PK

bk pk cocktail
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • 2 oz Owney’s Rum
  • 2 oz Pineapple juice
  • 1 oz cream of coconut
  • 1 oz orange juice
  • Ground nutmeg for garnish

Method: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, double strain into a chilled highball glass. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg.

Article originally published August 16, 2017. Last updated August 16, 2019.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
End the day right with the 5 best nightcap cocktails
Want the perfect end to the day? Try one of these delicious nightcap cocktails
Two cups of hot toddies with cinnamon sticks on a piece of cloth.

A nightcap is not just a funny hat that people used to wear long ago to bed. It's a kind of cocktail, too, one that warms the soul and can send you right off to slumber town. Here, we break down the end-of-day drink and offer some quality recipes to boot.

These recipes involve all your favorite spirits, from rye whiskey and cognac to bourbon. You can make them individually or as big-batch cocktails to keep your evenings cozy all week long. So, before you slip into your favorite pajamas, visit the home bar and whip one of these great nightcap cocktails up.
What's a nightcap?
Simply put, a nightcap is a drink one has just before bedtime. The drink itself is meant to promote sleep and, arguably, some do this better than others. Most cite the hot toddy as the original nightcap drink, but there are actually quite a few that function in a similar fashion. These are not the tequila shots and coffee cocktails that start the party.

Read more
8 delicious drink recipes for Cinco de Mayo (that aren’t all margaritas)
Want something besides a Margarita this Cinco de Mayo? Whip up one of these essential drinks
Grapefruit Collins cocktail

Cinco de Mayo has become a global celebration. From Mexico City to Montreal, people embrace the holiday with a festive drink in hand. And to do it right, you'll need the appropriate cocktail.

While most Cinco de Mayo cocktails hover around tequila and other agave spirits, it doesn't mean you have to be sipping the usual suspects like Margaritas and Palomas. No, holidays require creativity and flair and these nine drinks offer that and more. And if tequila is not your thing, try something new, like Sotol. It's an age-old Mexican spirit that locals love and is just becoming popular north of the border.

Read more
The 17 gin cocktail recipes you can’t live without
Spring has sprung and it's time for a gin cocktail. Here are some of the best recipes to try.
tom collins cocktail

Spring is gin season. Yeah, the clear spirit is great year-round, but there's just something very right now about the stuff. Maybe it's the fragrance, maybe it's the many spring-like botanicals that go into the stuff. Maybe it's been a long winter, and we simply need a good cocktail.

If you're still mixing up whiskey cocktails or dreaming of a sunny beach and engineering tequila cocktails, more power to you. We simply encourage you to embrace gin and not just as the ball and chain to tonic. No, a good gin can do wonders in a number of cocktails, bringing fresh, herbal flavors to the mix and working great with high-toned additions like citrus and other fresh fruit.

Read more