Ingredients
- 1 ounce coconut rum
- 1 ounce dark rum
- 1½ ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Orange slice and cherry for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, coconut rum, dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, grenadine, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into hurricane or highball glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange slice and cherry.
Variations and Substitutions
Most tropical cocktails have more than one recipe floating around the cocktail world, so any of these will work wonderfully for your own Bahama mama recipe. Any of these swaps will get you to island time in no time.
- Some recipes call for coffee liqueur for a more decadent, complex tropical cocktail. You can add up to a half-ounce of coffee liqueur, and you can even make your own instead of heading to the liquor store.
- Play around with the ratio between coconut rum and dark rum to find your ideal balance.
- Skip the orange juice and use only pineapple juice, or use only orange juice.
- If you don't want the sweetness of grenadine, you can also use tart cherry juice.
- Instead of lime juice, consider lime cordial.
- Add a splash or two of banana liqueur.
Garnishes
Whether you want a simple garnish or something screamingly over the top for your Bahama Mama drink recipe, these will get you started.
- Emphasize those tropical vibes by using chunks of pineapple or even mango slices for a garnish.
- A dehydrated citrus wheel will create an even more modern look for this tropical drink.
- Alternate cocktail cherries with a lemon or orange ribbon on a cocktail pick for a colorful look.
- Sprinkle shredded coconut over top of the drink, or use with other garnishes, too.
About the Bahama Mama
Most tropical cocktails have a murky history, and some, such as the piña colada, were crafted and lost throughout time. However, the Bahama mama (along with its cousin, the Bahama breeze) is a fairly new cocktail to the tropical drink scene. While no one knows who first invented the cocktail, history books credit Nassau Beach Hotel bartender Oswald Greenslade as the one to make this cocktail famous. He named the cocktail for a local Bahama singer. Greenslade would go on to own the Banana Boat Club until 1999, and then go on to publish a Bahamian cocktail book.
Finding a Vacation in a Glass
If you can't hop on a plane bound for a tropical beach, a Bahama Mama is the next best thing. Luckily, you'll likely have most of the Bahama Mama ingredients on hand. With those dewy citrus flavors and sunny rum, you can close your eyes and feel the sun on your face without ever leaving your home.
