21 Rum Cocktails Everyone Should Know

The most classic of all rum cocktails: the daiquiri! This perfectly balanced cocktail stars lime juice, rum, and simple syrup. A classic daiquiri is not frozen at all. It's served straight up in a cocktail glass and thought to have been invented in the 1800’s in Cuba.

Ingredients: White rum, lime, simple syrup

Tied for the other most classic of rum cocktails: the Mojito! The origins of this drink are murky: some say it was invented in the 1500s, others in the 1800's with the birth of the Bacardi rum company. In any case, its place as an iconic Cuban cocktail was solidified by the 1930's when Ernest Hemingway helped to popularize the drink. It's perfectly. balanced with lime, rum and fresh mint and equally as popular today (if not more so).

Ingredients: White rum, simple syrup, lime, mint, soda water

Another popular rum cocktail: the piña colada! This drink originated in Puerto Rico; the name means “strained pineapple” in Spanish. It’s a drink of pineapple juice, rum, and coconut, served either blended or with crushed ice. The original drink was invented in San Juan in 1954 by a bartender named Ramón “Monchito” Marrero. It became an instant favorite and was declared the official drink of Puerto Rico in 1978.

Ingredients: Aged rum, frozen pineapple, pineapple juice, lime juice, cream of coconut, ice

Also try: Frozen Piña Colada or Painkiller

Just 3 ingredients make up this classic cocktail: the Dark and Stormy! This refreshing highball drink has quite the reputation…because it’s just that good. Each ingredient has lots of personality: the rich, earthy dark rum, with vanilla and brown sugar notes. Add to that spicy ginger beer, fruity and filled with effervescent bubbles. Top it off with a squeeze of tangy lime, and there’s not much better for sipping...any time and any season.

Ingredients: Dark rum, ginger beer, lime wedge

Here’s a cocktail recipe that’s so pristine, it’s no wonder the concept is full of history. Try Rum Punch! The concept of rum punch goes back centuries, though this one is closest to a Planter’s Punch from the early 1900’s. The balance of the ingredients is ideal: it's perfectly sweet tart, fruity, and tropical. In fact, it’s so good you won’t be able to resist another sip. 

Ingredients: White rum, dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, grenadine

Here’s a Cuban cocktail that’s made all over the world…because it’s just that simple. Meet the Cuba Libre! This drink recipe has just 3 ingredients: lime, cola and rum. Perhaps it looks and sounds similar to a drink you know? This famous Cuban drink is essentially a Rum and Coke. It has 100 years of history and a refreshing, nuanced flavor. 

Ingredients: Aged rum, lime, cola

It’s fruity and extra boozy: meet the Hurricane! The Hurricane is a classic New Orleans cocktail made with light and dark rum and passion fruit syrup. The passion fruit gives it a tropical nuance, and a hint of grenadine gives it extra sweetness and a rosy-golden color. It’s a unique rum cocktail that’s festive and fun!

Ingredients: Light rum, dark rum, passion fruit syrup, orange juice, lime juice, grenadine

The Mai Tai might sound like a fruity resort drink from the 1990’s, but it’s anything but! No, this drink is a classic cocktail from the 1940’s that’s been (cough) ruined by saccharine sweet versions intended for tourists. A real Mai Tai is breathtakingly complex, featuring rum, orange liqueur, and fancy orgeat syrup. It’s just sweet enough, with nutty and vanilla notes against the sharp citrus. It’s sophisticated, nuanced, and extraordinarily special.

Ingredients: Aged rum, dark rum, orange liqueur (curaçao, Cointreau or Grand Marnier), lime, orgeat syrup

Love fruit drinks but want something more complex? Here’s the drink for you: the Jungle Bird! It’s one of the few rum cocktails to pair tropical flavors with an Italian bitter: Campari. You might know Campari from the ubiquitous Negroni: an ultra dry and bitter drink. But add it to a tropical drink and the effect is surprising. Campari perfectly balances the drink: it hits all the right notes: sweet, tart, fruity, and bitter.

Ingredients: Dark rum, pineapple juice, Campari, lime juice, simple syrup

Want a Mojito topped off with champagne? Enter the Old Cuban cocktail: one part Mojito, one part French 75. This mashup cocktail is a modern classic created by a famous bartender in the early 2000’s. It’s minty fresh, with complexity from the bitters and vanilla and coconut notes from the aged rum. Combine it with a splash of bubbles, and it’s a cocktail masterpiece.

Ingredients: Mint, aged rum, lime, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, champagne

Here’s a 1920’s slow sipper that’s begging to be part of your cocktail repertoire: the El Presidente cocktail! This Cuban rum cocktail never soared quite as high as the daiquiri or the mojito, but it’s something special in its own right. It’s sleek and sophisticated, like a Cuban spin on a Manhattan but using rum instead. It tastes boozy, subtly bitter with a sweet and citrus nuance. 

Ingredients: Aged rum, vermouth blanc, orange liqueur (Curaçao or Grand Marnier), and grenadine

Here’s a rum drink that’s ideal for sipping by the fire on a chilly evening: Hot Buttered Rum! It's a historic drink made with dark rum that's been around for centuries. This version is subtly sweet, cozy-spiced with cinnamon and allspice, and spirit-forward with boozy dark rum. Oh: and there’s just enough butter to make it lightly creamy.

Ingredients: Dark rum, spiced butter, hot water

All hail the strawberry daiquiri! This rum cocktail also has a distinct 1990's resort vibe, but pleasantly so. Our version has pure berry flavor and is just sweet enough. One taste, and you’ll be singing its praises! If you'd like, whip up a little lime daiquiri as a festive topping: and it adds even more lime-y flavor as it mixes in.

Also try: Frozen Daiquiri, Banana Daiquiri, Mango Daiquiri or Pineapple Daiquiri

Ingredients: White rum, frozen strawberries, maple syrup, lime juice, ice

Here’s a bright and tangy rum cocktail that’s a little sassy: Between the Sheets! A spin on the classic Sidecar, it features rum and Cognac together: something that in Prohibition times was thought to be a little naughty. The rum adds nuance to this citrusy drink, and it’s a great sour cocktail that goes down easy.

Ingredients: Cognac, rum, orange liqueur: Cointreau or triple sec, lemon juice

Next up in our rum cocktails: a tart, complex and refreshing classic cocktail for the adventurous drinker: the Hemingway daiquiri! This spin on the Classic Daiquiri was invented in the 1920's in honor of the famous writer himself, Ernest Hemingway. It’s got tart, almost bitter grapefruit to balance the acidity of the lime, and maraschino liqueur, a cherry liqueur with notes of sour cherry and almond.

Ingredients: White rum, grapefruit juice, lime juice, Maraschino liqueur

Here’s a 1920’s cocktail that’s all about charm: the Mary Pickford cocktail! Take one sip and it’s intriguing: pleasantly sweet and sour from the pineapple juice with a slightly funky finish from the Maraschino. This one looks like it’s straightforward: but there’s more to this pretty pink drink than you’d expect.

Ingredients: White rum, pineapple juice, Maraschino liqueur, grenadine

Here’s a frozen cocktail that will blow your mind with its creamy, chocolaty flavor: the Bushwacker! Invented in the 1970’s, the Bushwacker is a mashup of a chocolate milkshake and piña colada. It’s lusciously smooth with notes of chocolate, coffee and vanilla.

Ingredients: Aged rum, Kahlua, creme de cacao. cream of coconut, milk, ice

Here’s a bright blue drink that’s as beautiful as the ocean: the Blue Hawaii! This one is as classic 1950’s as it gets, from the crushed ice to the drink umbrella. Both vodka and rum feature in this sweet tart drink, along with a secret ingredient that brings in its ocean-tinted color. 

Ingredients: Rum, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup

Got rum and need a quick and easy cocktail? Try the Rum and Tonic! This spin on the classic G&T is bubbly and refreshing, with a hint of fruity rum on the finish. It’s almost like a subtle version of the Dark and Stormy, less spicy sweetness and more intriguing nuance.

Ingredients: Rum, tonic water, lime wedges

Here’s a tasty sweet and sour rum cocktail that’s uniquely delicious: the Yellow Bird! This bright yellow sour cocktail has a little extra bling: a nuanced finish with notes of vanilla and licorice. The sophistication comes from Galliano, a bright yellow Italian liqueur that’s worth grabbing for this recipe.

Ingredients: Galliano, Triple Sec or Cointreau, white rum, lime juice

Here’s a rum cocktail that’s completely over the top…but worth it if you’re an adventurous home bartender. Meet the Zombie! This drink packs a potent punch, with four types of rum, three fruit juices and two fruit syrups. While it’s got a 1970’s vibe, this cocktail actually comes from the 1930’s and was one of the first of its kind.

Ingredients: white rum, spiced rum, dark rum, 151 rum (optional), lime juice, lemon juice, pineapple juice, passion fruit syrup, orange bitters,
grenadine