Rum Runner
Turn your home into a Tiki Bar getaway with a classic Rum Runner cocktail. It’s easy to make and brings all the chill island vibes you love!
Why We Love Rum Runner
- The classic Rum Runner cocktail has been a favorite since the 1950s and with its delicious fruit flavors and variety of liquor, it’s no wonder why as the drink will have you living the island dream in one sip!
- Adding or subtracting ingredients is not only easy but encouraged so that you create the perfect Rum Runner cocktail for yourself! There are only “right ways” to make this drink.
- This refreshingly chill drink has a great banana and fruity berry flavor so it’s really easy to drink a Rum Runner all day and well after the tiki torches have been lit.
- The Rum Runner is full of tropical beach bliss that is easily made for one or for a crowd- it’s a great make-ahead drink for the grill out with friends!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make a Rum Runner
SPIRITS: To make a Rum Runner you will need light and dark rum, banana liqueur, and blackberry liqueur or Chambord. The Chambord will likely be easier to find than the blackberry liqueur and its black raspberry flavor is close enough to not deviate from the correct flavor.
MIXERS: Pick up pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine to add to the drink. I like to fresh squeeze the lime juice, but you can get away with the bottled stuff. Start with 1/2 ounce of lime juice since the bottled juice is tarter and add more to taste.
GARNISH: Garnish the drinks with blackberries, pineapple wedges, maraschino cherries, and a cocktail umbrella!
How to Make Rum Runner
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 Fill a hurricane glass with fill. Then fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice.
STEP 2 Add the light rum, dark rum, banana liqueur, blackberry liqueur (or Chambord), pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine to the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously for 30 seconds until chilled.
STEP 3 Strain the cocktail into the prepared hurricane glass. Garnish the drink with your choice of blackberries, a pineapple wedge, cherries, and a cocktail umbrella.
Tips & Tricks
- This Rum Runner recipe is a great basic recipe that can be adjusted to your personal tastes. For example, add orange juice, or for a sweeter cocktail choose a coconut rum- the possibilities and combinations are endless.
- Locating blackberry liqueur can be difficult so substituting Chambord, Creme de Cassis or a blackberry brandy are all great ideas.
- Doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling this recipe is really easy! Figure out how many servings you’d like to make and then multiply each ingredient by that number and add everything to a pitcher. Store the pitcher in the fridge so that it stays cool and you’ll be ready to pour drinks for all of your friends!
- Feel like taking this drink in a frozen direction? Add the ingredients, without the garnish, to a blender along with ice and blend until it reaches the consistency you like. Then top with whatever garnishes you choose!
Rum Runner FAQ
What’s the difference between a Rum Runner and a Hurricane?
The Rum Runner and the Hurricane are both delicious fruity rum drinks and classic beach cocktails. Served in tall hurricane glasses with ice, the two drinks may share a few common elements but are different in tasty ways.
The Hurricane is a mix of light and dark rum, orange and lime juice, and grenadine, along with passion fruit juice, which gives it a different dimension of flavor.
The Rum Runner incorporates banana liqueur and blackberry liqueur along with dark and light rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine. While similar, the banana and blackberry make this drink distinctive so you’ll never confuse the two cocktails!
Why is it called a Rum Runner?
The Rum Runner got its name from the activity of bringing rum from the Caribbean and other islands to the U.S. illegally on boats in the 1920s, during prohibition. Rum Runner is what people were called when they smuggled booze by water, while bootleggers smuggled booze over land.
The drink itself was created in the 1950s by John Elber at The Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada, Florida. Rum has a long and fantastic history in Florida and is a common staple in many drinks there so it’s not much of a stretch to see how this drink got its name!
Other Recipes You May Like
- Frozen Raspberry Daiquiri
- Long Island Iced Tea
- Pina Colada Jello Shots
- Hurricane Party Punch
- Dark and Stormy
- Pina Colada Rum Punch
Rum Runner
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1 ounce white rum
- 1 ounce dark rum
- 1 ounce banana liqueur
- ½ ounce blackberry liqueur or Chambord
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce lime juice freshly squeezed
- ½ ounce grenadine
- Fresh blackberries for garnish
- Pineapple wedge for garnish
- Maraschino cherries for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice.
- Pour in the white rum, dark rum, banana liqueur, blackberry liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine. Cover and shake vigorously until chilled, about 30 seconds.
- Fill a hurricane glass with ice and strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with fruit if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- Blackberry liqueur can be hard to find sometimes. Chambord (black raspberry liqueur) has a close enough flavor that it can be substituted instead and your cocktail will still be delicious. Blackberry flavored brandy would also work.
- Do not use spiced rum in place of dark rum. They are two very different spirits.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.