The Best Caribbean Cocktails

If there’s something the Caribbean, and especially Barbados, is known for, it is our rum. As Don Benn, master blender at the West Indies Rum Distillery, once noted: “Rum is Barbados and Barbados is rum”.

Notes of sweet toasted sugar, full-bodied flavours, and hints of spice—we have the rum’s world leaders right on our doorstep at Apes Hill Barbados. Coupled with the masses of fresh fruits grown under the beaming sun—sweet mangoes and pineapples, aromatic coconuts, tangy cherries and fragrant guavas—it will come as no surprise that the cocktails in Barbados are quite remarkable. 

We also take relaxing very seriously here at Apes Hill; whether you’re playing a round of golf, lounging by the pool, or simply enjoying some quality time with loved ones, what better way to do so than with a drink? And even when it’s time for you to bid farewell to us (for now), it doesn’t mean that your relaxation has to come entirely to an end. 

So we’ve created a list of our top eight cocktails with recipes to give you a taste of the Caribbean no matter where you are in the world. We won’t pretend that making these at home will be just as good as when you’re here, but perhaps these recipes will tide you over until the next time you come to visit.

As the story goes, William P Talboys, a Dutch traveller, visited Barbados in 1876 and ‘made the acquaintance of a bowl of Barbadian punch’ so good that he had ‘no words strong enough to describe entire respect for it.’ Two hundred years later and this drink is just as legendary and more delicious than ever. Next time you visit us in Barbados, be sure to pick up a bottle of Mount Gay rum, and your rum punch might taste just as good as if you were still here!

Recipe

• 1 ½ cups of Barbados dark rum

• ½ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 cup of simple syrup

• 2 cups of water or pineapple juice - take your pick!

• 8 dashes of orange bitters

• Freshly grated nutmeg

Combine:

In a large pitcher, stir together the dark rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and water or pineapple juice. Add the Angostura bitters to taste and stir again.

Pour:

Fill a glass with ice, then pour the rum punch mixture over the ice.

Serve:

Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg, serve immediately, and enjoy!

The earliest known origins of the Piña Colada dates back to the 19th century, when legend has it that the pirate Roberto Cofresí gave his crew a drink that contained coconut, pineapple and rum to boost morale. In the Caribbean today, the base ingredients remain the same and the creamy drink is blended from a combination of ingredients grown right here — honeyed pineapples, refreshing coconuts and white and golden rum. Sweet and refreshing, Piña Coladas are the pinnacle of the tropical, nautical lifestyle so don your pirate hat, hoist your sails and set to sea, Pirates of the Caribbean style!

Recipe

• ¾ cup of white rum

• ¾ cup of coconut cream

• ¾ cup of pineapple juice

• Pineapple chunks - optional 

• 4 cups of ice

• ½ cup of golden rum

• Pineapple wedges or glace cherries to garnish

Combine:

Place the white rum, coconut cream, pineapple juice and chunks, and ice in a blender and process until completely smooth.

Pour:

Pour into glasses and top with the golden rum.

Serve:

Garnish with pineapple leaves and cherries as desired.  One sip and you’ll be transported back, stretched out on a sun lounger, overlooking a breathtaking sunset.

A twist on the traditional Piña Colada, the Painkiller cocktail is a Caribbean creation, which you are unlikely to find elsewhere. According to legend, the magic of the drink is that it will cure what ails you. So, who are we to deny you from trying a medicinal drink?

Recipe

• ½ cup of rum 

• 1 cup of pineapple juice

• ¼ cup of orange juice

• ¼ cup of coconut cream

• 3 cups ice

• Grated nutmeg and/or pineapple wedges to garnish

Combine:

Add the rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, cream of coconut and ice to a cocktail shaker and shake to combine.

Pour:

Strain into glasses.

Serve:

Garnish with nutmeg and a pineapple wedge, and sip away to cure your ailments (maybe that’s what they called having too much to drink, but who are we to judge?).

Native to the Caribbean islands, bark from the Mauby tree is boiled with a host of spices to create a bittersweet drink unique to this part of the globe. A Mauby Mojito is a delicious combination of a classic rum mojito with Mauby syrup, creating a cocktail that is the epitome of Caribbean delight. Cool, tingling mint and refreshing lime mixes with the warm spices and bitter bark palate of Mauby syrup. 

Recipe

• 2 handfuls of mint leaves

• Juice of 1 lime

• 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar

• ½ cup of white rum

• ¼ cup of Mauby syrup

• ¼ cup of triple sec

• 2 pieces of cinnamon bark

• 1 cup of ice

• 1 cup of soda

• Wedges of lime and sprigs of mint to garnish

Combine:

Muddle together mint leaves, lime juice and sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add the rum, mauby, triple sec, cinnamon bark and ice, and shake until combined.

Pour:

Strain into a tall glass, over more ice.

Serve:

Top with club soda, garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of mint, sit back, take a sip and let the cool fizz refresh you.

Mama Juana began as a tonic and herb mixture, thought to aid everything from digestive issues and circulation problems, to healing the kidneys and liver and acting as a sleep-aid. When alcohol was added to the recipe in the 1950s, it became more widely known as an aphrodisiac. We’re not really sure how to class it now, but what we can confirm is that it’s delicious, and a drink you will not find outside of the Dominican Republic.The best comparison we can think of is it is a little like mulled wine, but one you enjoy cold, poured over ice. It’s hard to describe, better you come to the Caribbean and try for yourself!

Recipe

• 4 sticks of cinnamon

• 12 cloves

• 6 allspice berries

• 3 star anise

• 2 cups of golden rum

• 1 cup of honey

• 1 cup of red wine

• 2 cups of ice (optional)

Prepare:

One week prior, put the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and star anise in a jar, pour in the rum and cover with a tight-fitting lid and let it infuse for a week.

Combine:

Add in the honey and wine after one week and stir to mix. Leave in the fridge overnight.

Pour & Serve:

Either enjoy as an aperitif, in a shot glass, or in a tall glass over some ice.

During the Prohibition the Bahamas became used as a base for rum smuggling and the Bahama Mama became a national favourite, rumoured to be named after the famous dancer Dottie Lee Anderson. The warm orange and yellow hues of the cocktail will transport you right back to the spectacular sunsets of the Caribbean, so you almost feel like you’re back on holiday (but it’s not quite the same, is it?).

Recipe

• 1 cup of coconut rum

• 1 cup of dark rum

• ½ cup of coffee liquor

• 2 and ½ cups of pineapple juice

• ¾ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 cup of ice

• Brandied cherries and pineapple wedges to garnish

Combine:

Add the rums, liquor and juices into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled.

Pour:

Pour into a tall glass, over ice.

Serve:

Garnish with a cherry and pineapple wedge, sit back and enjoy!

Also hailing from the Bahamas, the Goombay Smash is a cocktail named after the island’s native Goombay music. Up and down the island, from opulent candlelit lounges to local beach huts, you can guarantee the presence of the Goombay Smash on their menu. ​​The recipe is still a top-secret family one, and is almost impossible to get perfectly right, so every place puts their own special twist on the drink. Here’s our favourite way to make it.

Recipe

• ¾ cup of blended rum

• ¾ cup of coconut rum

• ⅓ cup of brandy liqueur

• 1 and ¼ cups of pineapple juice

• ¾ cup of orange juice

• Juice of half a lime

• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

• 1 cup of ice

• Pineapple wedges and orange slices to garnish

Combine:

Shake all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Pour & Serve: 

Pour over more ice, into a tall glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and orange slice, and let the enchanting rhythms of the drink transport you back to an island paradise.

A tribute to the stunning azure waters of the Caribbean sea, the Blue Lagoon cocktail is tantalisingly refreshing, a delightful and fun tropical concoction. Top with a cocktail umbrella and your drink will remind you of a miniature version of your favourite island destination. 

Recipe

• ½ cup of vodka

• ½ cup of blue curaçao

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Juice of 1 orange

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1 cup of ice

• Soda water or lemonade to top

• Maraschino cherries to garnish

Combine:

Fill a cocktail shaker with some of the ice, vodka, curaçao, lemon juice, orange juice and lime juice, and shake to combine.

Pour:

Pour into tall glasses over ice, only filling the glass ¾ of the way full. Top up with soda water or lemonade. 

Serve:

Pop a maraschino cherry and a mini umbrella on top to garnish, take a sip and let the brilliant blue drink wash over your tastebuds.

Making these Caribbean thirst-quenchers at home aren’t quite the same as sipping them on the beach, sun beaming down from the sky. So why not make the Caribbean your next trip away? If you love golf as much as you like cocktails, Apes Hill may be your perfect next destination. We’d love to chat more, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.

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