Bahama Mama from The Bahamas

A Bahama Mama is a tropical drink popular in the Bahamas (duh). Made with two types of rum, orange juice, and pineapple juice, this drink is so tropical it’ll make you think you’re sunbathing on a beach!

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Why Make this Recipe? 

1. Fruity and Fun: This recipe masks the taste of alcohol splendidly, leaving you with a delicious drink that is easy to enjoy!
2. Simple to Throw Together: There is no blending or exact measurements needed for this recipe. Simply use a shot glass to measure out the ingredients, shake them up in a cocktail shaker, and pour into an ice cold glass.
3. “Visit” the Bahamas: This recipe is the perfect way to “experience” the Bahamas from your own home! This rum-filled drink is a great way to travel by flavor. 

What Goes in This Recipe? 

1. Dark Rum: You can use either dark or light rum in this recipe, but I prefer dark rum. Dark rum has a complex flavor and tends to be more distinctive in mixed drinks than light rum is. 
2. Coconut Rum: I used Malibu Coconut Rum, which, specifically speaking, is actually “Caribbean Rum with Coconut Liqueur.” If you are able to find Coconut Liqueur, this will work just as well. 
3. Grenadine: Grenadine is the non-alcoholic, bright red syrup most commonly known for its use in Shirley Temples. The use of grenadine in this drink cuts the alcohol and acts as a sweet and tart mixer. Grenadine will normally be found in the aisle with the cocktail mixes at your grocery store. This could be in the aisle with the wine and beer, but it could also be near the club sodas or seltzers.
4. Orange Liqueur: You can use Triple sec, an orange flavored liqueur, in this recipe. The drink should be colorless but taste of oranges. This will pair nicely with the orange juice and pineapple juice in the recipe. 

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How to Make this Recipe

Method 1: Shaker

The typical, easy way to make your Bahama Mama Recipe is to add all the ingredients to a shaker. 

Simply pour each ingredient into a cocktail shaker, put the lid on, and give it a quick shake. Then pour each drink into a glass filled with ice. 

Method 2: Layer

Many Bahama Mamas are famous for their ombre, sunset-y look. If you want to make sure that your drink has this beautiful color scheme, simply pour the ingredients directly into the glass without shaking or stirring.

This will create the beautiful color you’re used to! This method can lead to a strong drink in some spots. To rectify this, simply add a stir stick so that your guests can mix up their drinks to their preference.

Expert Tips

• Measuring an ounce can be tricky. If you don’t have a shot glass with measurements, you can use a typical shot glass. Keep in mind, there is no standard measurement for a shot glass, though it’s generally considered to be 1.5 ounces.
• To make this recipe easier, if I don’t have a shot glass with measurements on the side, I will instead just use a shot glass as my unit of measurement. When the recipe calls for 1 ounce of dark rum, I use one shot glass worth. When the recipe calls for ½ ounce of grenadine, I use ½ shot glass worth and so on. 
• If you’re interested in trying a Bahama Mama with its original coffee flavors, sub out the grenadine and orange liqueur for coffee liqueur instead! It definitely changes the flavor of the drink, but if you love coffee, you’ll love this variation.
• If you want a healthier alternative, try this Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie instead!

Recipe FAQs

How Much Alcohol is in this Recipe? 

The thing that makes this Bahama Mama recipe so good is that it has plenty of delicious mixers that drown out that alcohol taste. But there is quite a bit of alcohol in one serving! 

Of the 5 ounces of liquid in the Bahama Mama, 2 ounces are rum and there is even more alcohol in the liqueur.

For context, a standard drink in the US is considered 0.6 ounces of alcohol. Therefore, one of these mixed drinks contains about 3 “drinks” worth of alcohol. Make sure you drink responsibly 🙂

Can I Change the Amount of Alcohol in the Recipe?

One ounce of the drink is dark rum, and one ounce is coconut rum. If you want a stronger drink, you can always add more liquor. Conversely, if you want a weaker drink, you can add more non-alcoholic ingredients. 

Can this Recipe be Made with Coffee?

Bahama Mamas weren’t always made with the ingredients that you see above. In fact, they used to have a very different ingredient: Coffee or coffee liqueur.

Wine enthusiast describes the phenomena of tastes better than I ever could by saying, “Here’s why it works: Pineapple brings a rich sweetness and prickly acidity to play, while the bitter astringency of coffee adds depth, earthiness and and roasted notes to what would otherwise be a one-dimensional punch. Coconut is the great unifier that puts a flavorful bow on the entire package.”

Follow the instructions in “Expert Tips” to try this recipe with a coffee substitution. 

Does Rum Come from The Bahamas? 

This Bahama Mama recipe includes two different types of rum. Due to the popularity of rum in The Bahamas, this is no surprise!

Most of the world’s rum comes from the Caribbean, and has been since its invention. Rum was invented in the 1600s when it was discovered that molasses could be fermented into alcohol.

Pirates used rum to keep their drinking water from growing algae. Eventually, they began drinking the rum with lemon juice because they thought that it would prevent scurvy (untrue).

In 1923, rum was smuggled across the ocean from The Bahamas to provide alcohol to prohibition-era America. Rum smugglers could make hundreds of thousands of dollars by providing rum to America, which is quite a large sum in comparison to the $6000 a year average salary at the time.

If you like this recipe, you’re sure to love the other Drink Recipes from Around the World that I picked out just for you!: 

• Iced Coffee Recipe from Southeast Asia
• Pineapple Coconut Agua Fresca 
• Colombian Hot Chocolate with Cheese