Here are the best rum cocktails to make with white or dark rum! These essential rum drinks will please everyone, including classic daiquiris, piña coladas, Mojitos, and more.
On the lookout for great rum cocktails? This liquor made from sugar cane became popular in America centuries ago, and is the key to many classic cocktails like the daiquiri and the mojito. After years testing rum cocktails at home, I’ve learned that they’re most approachable and crowd-pleasing drinks you can make.
This spirit is perfect for mixing with fruit, citrus, or sweetness, and ideal for spiking frozen drinks like a frozen daiquiri or hot drinks like buttered rum. As a home cocktail experts, here are my top classic rum cocktails that everyone always loves!
21 classic rum cocktails
The most classic of all rum cocktails: the daiquiri! This balanced cocktail stars lime juice, rum, and simple syrup. A classic daiquiri is not frozen like the popular variation: it’s served straight up in a cocktail glass, likely invented in the 1800’s in Cuba.
Ingredients: White rum, lime, simple syrup
Another all-time classic rum cocktail is the Mojito. While origins of the drink go back centuries, this iconic Cuban cocktail solidified its place in history in the 1930’s when Ernest Hemingway helped to popularize it. It’s a refreshing balance of lime, rum and fresh mint that’s equally as popular today (if not more so).
Ingredients: White rum, simple syrup, lime, mint, soda water
Another all-time great in rum cocktails is the classic piña colada! Named for “strained pineapple” in Spanish, this drink of pineapple juice, rum, and coconut is served either blended or with crushed ice. The drink was invented in San Juan in 1954 by a bartender named Ramón “Monchito” Marrero: it became an instant favorite and 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
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 sweet tart, fruity, and tropical, made with a mix of fruit juices.
Ingredients: White rum, dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, grenadine
Just 3 ingredients make the classic Dark and Stormy cocktail! Each ingredient has personality: the rich, earthy dark rum, with vanilla and brown sugar notes, spicy ginger beer with effervescent bubbles, and a squeeze of tangy lime. It’s simple to build in the glass, making it ideal for entertaining.
Ingredients: Dark rum, ginger beer, lime wedge
The Mai Tai might sound like a fruity resort drink from the 1990’s, but it’s actually classic cocktail from the 1940’s. A true Mai Tai has a complex flavor, featuring rum, orange liqueur, and orgeat syrup. It’s just sweet enough, with nutty and vanilla notes against the sharp citrus.
Ingredients: Aged rum, dark rum, orange liqueur (curaçao, Cointreau or Grand Marnier), lime, orgeat syrup
It’s fruity and extra boozy: meet the Hurricane! This classic New Orleans cocktail is made with light and dark rum and passion fruit syrup, which gives it a tropical nuance. 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
Who doesn’t love a good strawberry daiquiri? My spin on this rum cocktail has a pure berry flavor and is just sweet enough, blended with real frozen strawberries and zingy fresh lime.
Also try: Frozen Daiquiri, Banana Daiquiri, Mango Daiquiri or Pineapple Daiquiri
Ingredients: White rum, frozen strawberries, maple syrup, lime juice, ice
Here’s my personal favorite rum cocktail: the Jungle Bird! It’s one of the few rum cocktails to feature an Italian liqueur: Campari. You might know Campari from the Negroni: a dry and bitter drink. But Campari perfectly balances this rum drink: it hits all the right notes of sweet, tart, fruity, and bitter.
Ingredients: Dark rum, pineapple juice, Campari, lime juice, simple syrup
The Old Cuban is 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.
Ingredients: Mint, aged rum, lime, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, champagne
This 1920’s slow sipper is begging to be part of your rum cocktail repertoire! This Cuban drink never soared quite as high as the daiquiri or the mojito, but it’s something special. It’s sleek and sophisticated, like a Cuban spin on a Manhattan: boozy, subtly bitter with a sweet and citrus nuance.
Ingredients: Aged rum, vermouth blanc, orange liqueur (Curaçao or Grand Marnier), and grenadine
This rum drink is ideal for sipping by the fire on a chilly evening: a historic cocktail 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.
Ingredients: Dark rum, spiced butter, hot water
Here’s a bright and tangy rum cocktail that’s 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.
Ingredients: Cognac, rum, orange liqueur: Cointreau or triple sec, lemon juice
Here’s a tart and complex 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 uses 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
Take one sip of this 1920’s rum cocktail 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 flavor to this pretty pink drink than you’d expect.
Ingredients: White rum, pineapple juice, Maraschino liqueur, grenadine
Here’s a frozen rum cocktail full of creamy, chocolaty flavor! 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
Ingredients: Rum, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup
Need a quick and easy rum cocktail? 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 more subtle version of the Dark and Stormy, less spicy sweetness and more intriguing nuance.
Ingredients: Rum, tonic water, lime wedges
Here’s a unique sweet and sour rum cocktail: the Yellow Bird! This bright yellow 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.
Ingredients: Galliano, Triple Sec or Cointreau, white rum, lime juice
Lastly, here’s a rum cocktail that’s completely over the top and perfect for the adventurous home bartender. The Zombie packs a potent punch, with four types of rum, three fruit juices and two fruit syrups. This Tiki-style cocktail originated in 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
Making rum cocktails for a party
For the best party cocktails, pick drinks that can be prepped in batches or built in the glass. Rum Punch is a great party recipe (follow the party size note in the recipe). Mojitos work well if you make my Mojito Pitcher using a mint simple syrup. The Dark and Stormy is easy to build in the glass.
When batching cocktails, multiply the recipe by your number of servings and mix all non-carbonated ingredients together. Keep carbonated elements like soda water or champagne separate until the last minute. For frozen drinks like piña coladas, you can blend them in batches and keep them in the freezer for a few hours beforehand, giving them a quick re-blend when ready to serve.
You can also set up a garnish station with lime wedges, mint sprigs, pineapple chunks, and maraschino cherries. Letting your guests add the garnish to their drinks adds a fun, interactive element to a party.
Choosing the right rum (white, aged, or dark)
A few of the rum cocktails above use dark rum: something altogether different than the light rum you get for daiquiris and piña coladas! Here’s a breakdown of the differences:
- Aged rum Also referred to as golden rum, amber rum, or añejo rum (meaning “aged”). Aging gives it a complex flavor, more like a Cognac. It has undertones of vanilla, coconut, almond, citrus, or caramel.
- Dark rum is also aged; it has a dark color and a rich, developed flavor with caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla notes.
- Light rum or white rum is clear and has a smoother, more straightforward flavor than dark rum.
More rum drinks
Here are a few more ideas for whipping up rum cocktails and drinks:
Frequently asked questions
Rum pairs well with a variety of mixers, including fruit juices (lime, pineapple, orange), soda water, cola, ginger beer, tonic water, coconut cream, and various liqueurs.
While you can experiment with different rum styles in cocktails, certain types are traditionally used for specific drinks. For example, a Mojito typically calls for white rum, while a Mai Tai is made with both white and dark rum.
Use fresh ingredients, quality rum, and follow the recipes exactly. Shake cocktails with ice to chill and dilute them properly. Garnish your drinks to enhance their visual appeal and aroma.
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21 Classic Rum Cocktails!
No one can resist this Rum Punch recipe! Here are the classic ingredients that make a perfectly balanced tropical flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
- 1 ounce* (or 1 cup) white rum
- 1 ounce (or 1 cup) dark rum
- 2 ounces (or 2 cups) pineapple juice
- 1 ounce (or 1 cup) orange juice
- ½ ounce (or ½ cup) lime juice
- ½ ounce (or ½ cup) grenadine
- For the garnish: orange slice, cocktail cherry
- For the single serving: In a highball glass, stir together all ingredients (in ounces), except for the grenadine. Fill the glass with ice and top with the grenadine. Garnish with the orange slice and cherry.
- For party size (8 servings): Place all ingredients (in cups) in a punch bowl or pitcher, and add a few handfuls of ice. Add orange slices or wheels as a garnish.
Notes
*To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
More cocktails!
Outside of these rum cocktails, there are so many great cocktail recipes! Here are some of our best cocktail collections:
