If you love fruity, rum drinks, a rum runner cocktail is your perfect drink. This drink screams summertime beach vacation, without having to leave your house.
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The rum runner was invented in the 1950s at Holiday Isle Tiki Bar. The bar is located in Islamorada, Florida, which is in the Florida Keys. The tropical cocktail's base is fruit and rum. Over the years, the recipe has evolved, and it's difficult to find two recipes that are the same.
Fruit juices like pineapple juice, orange juice, and lime juice will always make an appearance in a rum runner. Some recipes will even include a combination of all three juices. There is no wrong way to make a rum runner, so feel free to riff on the recipe. You can add more of whichever liquor or juice that you prefer. You can also drink this on the rocks, or blended.
How To Make a Rum Runner
This rum runner recipe uses pineapple and lime juice as the main flavors. You'll need light rum or white rum, navy-strength rum, banana liqueur, blackberry liqueur, and grenadine.
In a cocktail shaker with ice combine both rums, 1/2 ounce blackberry liqueur, one-ounce banana liqueur, two ounces pineapple juice, lime juice, and a splash of grenadine.
Give it a good shake for about 20 seconds, or until the shaker is nice and cold.
Fill a hurricane glass with 2 cups ice and strain the cocktail into the glass.
Finally, add a garnish of your choice and sip away! We recommend a maraschino cherry, pineapple wedge, or an orange slice.
Get the full recipe here.
Variations On the Rum Runner
Unlike some cocktail recipes which require exact measurements and ingredients, the rum runner is all about customization. You can really tailor this to your preferences. Before you make a shopping list, check your liquor cabinet to see if you have any mixers or fruit juices you can use.
You can substitute the 2 oz pineapple juice for 2 oz orange juice if you prefer the orange flavor. If you like dark run-over white, substitute 1-ounce dark rum for the white rum.
Want to make the drink even more tropical? Use Bacardi Coconut Rum instead of plain white rum. If you prefer aged rum, throw some in there too. This drink is all about what you love.
Some people even add in a blackberry brandy floater for extra pizzaz. If you don't have blackberry liqueur, you could easily use blackberry brandy.
Another drink recipe that's a riff on the rum runner is the rum runner mojito. This drink combines dark and white rum, lime juice, mint, sugar, and club soda.
Get the full recipe here.
Rum runners are full of sweet fruit mixers, and the nutritional information reflects it. It's pretty high in carbohydrates but has no saturated fat. On the plus side, all the fruit juice gives this drink a high value of Vitamin C and potassium.
