The Bahama Mama recipe
for your table
Shake both rums, the coffee liqueur and the juices with ice.
Pour into a hurricane or tall tropical glass filled with fresh ice.
Let the grenadine run down the side for the sunset effect.
Garnish with orange and a cherry.
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The story
The Bahama Mama belongs to the generation of carefree resort cocktails that emerged on the Caribbean islands in the 1960s and 1970s, when mass tourism discovered the islands. The name refers to a famous calypso hit from the 1930s, and in the Bahamas the cocktail is proudly claimed, although its exact inventor has vanished into the rum haze of history. The touch of coffee liqueur sets it apart from all other tropical mixes: that little bitterness keeps all that fruit in balance.
The right glass
For the Bahama Mama, choose a generous glass that shows off the colour gradient from red to orange: a 44 cl hurricane glass or a tall tropical long drink glass. Gold-coloured or copper tiki glasses add an extra sunny glow to this already warm cocktail. Lots of ice and an exuberant garnish are a must. Would you like to serve it in a real tiki glass? Take a look at our tiki glasses.
Royal Leerdam Cocktail Hurricane Cocktail Glass 44 cl (4 pieces)
Tiki Long Drink Glass Gold 45 cl
Together € 37,90.
The right tools
For a Bahama Mama, besides the glass, you use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining and a citrus juicer. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 92,70.
What do you use to make a Bahama Mama?
For a Bahama Mama, you need the right base. Well-known bottles include Malibu. On each drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs well with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Every beach bar has its own version: blended with banana, it becomes a smoothie; with overproof rum as a float, it becomes a sunset with a lingering finish. You can replace the coffee liqueur with amaretto for a sweeter, nuttier twist. Lots of ice and lots of fruit are the only constants. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
That one centiliter of coffee liqueur may seem strange, but it is the secret. Don’t leave it out. For parties, you can easily prepare it in advance in a pitcher; just add the ice to each glass.
Good to know
Creating the sunset effect
The trick lies in the specific gravity. Grenadine contains a lot of sugar and is therefore heavier than the shaken mixture of rum and juice, so it naturally sinks to the bottom. First shake everything except the grenadine with ice and pour it over fresh ice in the glass. Then slowly pour that one centiliter of grenadine along the inside of the glass, or over the rounded side of a bar spoon. Do not stir. This creates a gradient from red at the bottom to orange at the top that lasts for about ten minutes, exactly long enough to serve it.
Which two rums do you combine
3 cl each, and that combination is the entire cocktail. The dark rum provides molasses, caramel, and a hint of smoke, and holds its own against 8 cl of pineapple juice; a Jamaican or Guyanese bottle works excellently here. The coconut rum brings tropical sweetness and a creamy note, and Malibu is the best-known of them, although at 21 percent it is fairly light. White rum disappears completely behind the fruit, so it is not an alternative. Want it stronger? Let 1 cl of overproof rum float on top as the final layer.
In a pitcher for six people
Multiply everything by six and you’ll have 18 cl dark rum, 18 cl coconut rum, 6 cl coffee liqueur, 48 cl pineapple juice, and 12 cl lemon juice. Mix that in a pitcher and chill it for at least an hour, without ice. Keep the grenadine separate. When serving, fill each glass with fresh ice, pour in the mixture, and let 1 cl of grenadine sink to the bottom of each glass so everyone gets the color gradient. Slice the orange beforehand and place the cherries in a small bowl, so serving takes hardly any time.
Non-alcoholic Bahama Mama
Without rum, you still get a surprisingly complete tropical drink, provided you restore its depth. Use 6 cl non-alcoholic rum or 4 cl coconut milk with half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, keep 8 cl pineapple juice and 2 cl lemon juice, and replace the coffee liqueur with 1 cl strong chilled espresso and half a bar spoon of sugar syrup. That bitter coffee note is more important than it may seem, as it keeps all that fruit in balance. The grenadine and garnish remain the same, so the drink looks no different from the original in the glass.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Bahama Mama?
A Bahama Mama contains 3 cl dark rum, 3 cl coconut rum, 1 cl coffee liqueur, 8 cl pineapple juice, 2 cl fresh lemon juice, and 1 cl grenadine, garnished with orange and a cherry. That one centiliter of coffee liqueur is the secret: it keeps all that fruit in balance.
How do you create the sunset effect in a Bahama Mama?
Pour the grenadine slowly along the inside rim of the glass last. Grenadine is heavier than the rest, so it sinks to the bottom, creating the color gradient from red to orange. Shake the other ingredients with ice first and pour them over fresh ice in the glass.
Which rum do you use for a Bahama Mama?
Two types, 3 cl each: dark rum for depth and coconut rum for tropical sweetness. That combination makes all the difference, because white rum alone disappears completely behind the pineapple juice. If you want it stronger, let a dash of overproof rum float on top.
Which glass do you use for a Bahama Mama?
A hurricane glass of approximately 44 cl or a tall tropical highball glass is the best choice. The tall, curved glass shows the color gradient from red to orange and provides room for plenty of ice and an abundant garnish. See our hurricane glasses.
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