The rum runner is a multi-rum cocktail that was born a little over half a century ago in a famous tiki bar off the coast of Florida. "Tiki John" Ebert invented this sweet, tropical beverage and despite its unique mixture of liqueurs, fruit juices, and rums, there's a significant amount of room for amateur mixologists to experiment with adding new flavors and textures. Take a look at these varied rum runner recipes and see which one you want to test first.
Rum Runner
The classic rum runner brings together a mixture of citrus and tropical fruit juices, grenadine, and dark and light rums, with the unique additions of both blackberry and banana liqueur.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, optional sweet and sour mix, blackberry liqueur, banana liqueur, light rum, and dark rum.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a hurricane glass, or other tall glass, and garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry skewer.
Rum Runner Variations
There're numerous ways for someone to experiment with the classic rum runner recipe to create a unique cocktail tailor-made for their tastes. Swap out liqueurs, juices, fruits, and liquors from the original mixture to create any one of these delicious variations.
Frozen Blackberry Rum Runner
Although you can enjoy a rum runner on the rocks, a lot of people love drinking frozen versions of the sunset-hued cocktail. If you want the best of all the southern delights, try out this frozen blackberry rum runner recipe with its focus on highlighting the blackberry flavors in the drink.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup frozen blackberries
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ ounce pineapple juice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- Splash sweet and sour mix (optional)
- ½ ounce banana liqueur
- ½ ounce blackberry brandy
- 1 ounce light rum
- 1 ounce dark rum
- Crushed Ice
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the frozen blackberries, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, optional sweet and sour mix, banana liqueur, blackberry brandy, light rum, dark rum, and ice.
- Blend until smooth and pour the mixture into a tall glass.
Frozen Raspberry Rum Runner
Similar to the frozen blackberry rum runner, this cocktail makes a few key changes to its ingredient line-up to create a strong, but not overpowering, raspberry taste.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup frozen raspberries
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ ounce pineapple juice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- Splash sweet and sour mix (optional)
- ½ ounce crème de banana
- ½ ounce Chambord
- 1 ounce light rum
- 1 ounce dark rum
- Crushed Ice
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the frozen raspberries, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, optional sweet and sour mix, crème de banana, Chambord, light rum, dark rum, and ice.
- Blend until smooth and pour the mixture into a tall glass.
Frozen Tropical Rum Runner
For a cocktail that leans more towards a classical tropical palette give this frozen tropical rum runner recipe a try.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce orange juice
- ½ ounce pineapple juice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- ½ ounce crème de banana
- ½ ounce blackberry liqueur
- 2 ounces light rum
- Crushed Ice
- Pineapple wedge and cherry skewer for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, crème de banana, blackberry liqueur, and light rum.
- Add crushed ice and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a hurricane glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry skewer.
Sunrise Runner
This Frankenstein-esque amalgamation of a tequila sunrise and a rum runner results in a delicious, antioxidant boosting cocktail that you won't want to put down.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce orange juice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- ½ ounce banana liqueur
- ½ ounce blackberry liqueur
- 1 ounce gold tequila
- 1 ounce dark rum
- Ice
- Pineapple wedge and cherry skewer for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, orange juice, grenadine, banana liqueur, blackberry liqueur, gold tequila, and dark rum together.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a small glass filled with ice and garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry skewer.
Peach Rum Runner
A southern treat like the frozen blackberry rum runner, but taken from further up the American coastline, this peach rum runner recipe serves up a cocktail with a noticeable peach hint to the original rum runner flavors.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce peach juice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- ½ ounce banana liqueur
- ½ ounce peach liqueur
- 1 ounce light rum
- 1 ounce dark rum
- Ice
- 2 peach slices for garnish
- 1 mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, peach juice, grenadine, banana liqueur, peach liqueur, light rum, and dark rum.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a stemless wine glass and garnish with peach slices and a mint sprig.
Never Run Away From A Rum Runner
You're sure to impress your friends if you make a rum runner in front of them; its multiple ingredients make it look like a complicated drink to create, but the simple process that it takes to mix one together will give you a consistently delicious cocktail every time with minimum effort. So, next time you find yourself on vacation at the beach, indulge in ordering yourself one of these lesser-known, but delightful, tropical beverages.
