Ingredients
- 6 ounces piña colada mix
- 1 ounce coffee liqueur
- 1 ounce vodka
- ¼ banana, peeled
- 1 cup ice
- Banana wheel for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a blender, add ice, piña colada mix, coffee liqueur, vodka, and banana.
- Blend until smooth or desired consistency.
- Pour into highball or cocktail glass.
- Garnish with banana wheel, if desired.
Banana Monkey Drink Variations
Blend or shake up your banana monkey in several different ways sure to please any palate.
- Easily omit your blender by using an ounce of banana liqueur instead of a whole banana. Shake all your ingredients to chill and mix, then serve over fresh ice in a cocktail glass.
- Instead of piña colada mix, use three ounces of cream of coconut, two ounces of pineapple juice, and one ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Use half to an entire banana for a more prominent banana flavor.
- Opt for equal parts vodka and banana liqueur or use banana-infused vodka. You can even easily make your infused vodka at home.
Garnishing the Banana Monkey Cocktail
The banana monkey skews quite tropical in flavor, so you can follow suit with your garnish.
- Drop a cherry atop the drink or pierce with a cocktail skewer to balance on the rim.
- Sprinkle grated nutmeg or cinnamon overtop of the drink. Shredded coconut is also an excellent choice.
- Keep it tropical with a pineapple wedge or pineapple leaf.
- For a sweeter experience, drizzle chocolate or caramel syrup down the inside of the glass before adding the cocktail or as a finishing touch.
About the Banana Monkey Mixed Drink
You may find yourself thinking the banana monkey cocktail looks familiar, and you'd be right! It shares a family tree with several famous frozen banana cocktails and other delicious banana cocktails, including the chunky monkey with rum and amaretto, and the dirty monkey with chocolate syrup and coffee liqueur. You could even go so far as to swing into the neighboring tree to discover it shares roots with the coconut and rum-forward piña colada and the modern riff, a fruity banana colada!
A Drink to Swing For
Allow yourself to fall in love with this decadent and creamy banana monkey cocktail. Whether blended or frozen, this is one mixed drink that'll change how you feel about the energy it takes to pull out your blender.
