Sunny Bahama Mama Cocktail Recipe

When Friday rolls around and the sun starts to set, there's nothing more relaxing than raising a glass to the week behind you and celebrating with a tropical cocktail. But instead of reaching for your trusty margarita or mojito, it's time to whip up this sunny Bahama mama cocktail. "I personally love how this drink is balanced," says recipe developer Deniz Vergara. "It is slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and refreshing. I think this recipe is special because I use freshly squeezed orange juice instead of store-bought. It adds a lighter flavor that is really refreshing." 

And don't let the 4-hour prep time deter you — all that "work" is simply freezing cranberry juice into ice cubes. If you fill your ice cube tray with cranberry juice in the morning before heading to work, you'll be able to whip up this easy cocktail recipe in just 5 minutes flat. 

For this tasty cocktail, you'll need ingredients that are fairly typical for tropical drinks, so if you have a well-stocked bar, you might have everything you need. Check for cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and oranges (enough for at least 2 ounces of fresh-squeezed juice per drink, plus orange wedges for the garnish). You'll also need coconut rum, dark rum, agave syrup, and lemon-lime flavored club soda. 

As mentioned, the most prep work you'll need to do is make your cranberry ice cubes. Simply pour the cranberry juice into an ice tray and pop it in the freezer. It's best to let the cubes freeze for at least 4 hours, although you're welcome to leave the trays in the freezer for longer.

"A Bahama mama typically uses grenadine, so instead of the highly sweet and processed grenadine, I thought it would be fun to use something else to give the reddish hue," Vergara explains of reasoning for incorporating these cranberry ice cubes. "Also, when the ice cubes melt, they don't water down your drink." 

When the ice cubes are fully frozen, remove them from the freezer and fill a tall glass with the ice cubes. Add the coconut rum, dark rum, agave syrup, pineapple juice, and orange juice to the glass, and stir. Finally, top things off with the club soda. 

While this recipe is for a single cocktail, Vergara says it's easy to make a large batch in a pitcher by simply multiplying the recipe. What should you multiply it by? That depends on the size of your pitcher, but she says a decent batch could be multiplied by 8, giving you 8 separate cocktails. 

After pouring your drink, give it that extra tropical flair by garnishing the glass with an orange wedge. "I like to serve this in the summer when I'm having a barbecue or friends over. It is nice to pair with small bites or hors d'oeurves."