3 Rum Cocktail Recipes To Herald In A Caribbean Summer

by Carolee Chanona

In the Caribbean, rum reigns supreme. And when you live in the tropics, it easily feels like summer all year round. But for those of you still awaiting your return (or first time) trip to Belize, here are 4 rum cocktail recipes to get in the mood for a hot-as-ever summer in the Caribbean. We’re taking our spin on these recipes from Esquire and adapting them with Belize’s homegrown award-winning rums by Travellers Liquors.  From classics to fruity sips that’ll soon match your ambience, you pick the poison.

For the classic: Mojito

best rum cocktails

The classic mojito is bright, refreshing, and easy to make at home. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. white rum, like Travellers Liquors Classic White 
• 1/2 oz. lime juice (squeezed fresh)
• 1 tsp. superfine sugar
• 3 mint leaves
• seltzer

Directions

In a glass, muddle lime juice with 1/2 to 1 tsp. superfine sugar—to your sweetness. Add the mint leaves, mushing them against the side of the glass. Fill glass 2/3 with cracked ice and pour the rum over the top, followed by the squeezed-out lime shell. Top off with club soda or seltzer.

For the indulgent: Bushwacker

best rum cocktails

To give your pina colada rotation a break. Refreshingly rich, the Bushwacker is the lovechild of a pina colada and a chocolate milkshake. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. dark rum, like Travellers Liquors 5 Barrel Rum
• 1 oz. Kahlúa
• 1 oz. dark crème de cacao
• 2 oz. cream of coconut
• 2 oz. milk
• nutmeg, whipped cream, or cherry (optional)

Directions

Blend ingredients with ice—start with 1/2 c. and add from there—until the mix reaches a milkshake consistency. Pour into a hurricane-style glass, then garnish with grated nutmeg, whipped cream, or a maraschino cherry.

For the citrus fiend: Painkiller

best rum cocktails

Pineapple, orange, and coconut? This is a smooth, tropical sip fitting for Belize’s homegrown products. 

Ingredients

• 3 oz. dark or gold rum, like Travellers Liquors Belizean Rum 
• 2 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1 oz. coconut cream

Directions

Shake ingredients well with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a hurricane glass over fresh ice. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

All images and recipes courtesy Esquire. Header image by CCL. This article was originally published in June 2022.

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