Name: Rum Runner
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 30 ml Aged Jamaican rum; 30 ml Light gold rum 1-3yo; 30 ml Banana liqueur; 15 ml Blackberry liqueur; 60 ml Pineapple juice; 30 ml Lime juice; 10 ml Grenadine syrup

Ingredients

1 fl oz

Jamaican-style aged blended rum with funk

1 fl oz

Light gold rum (1-3 year old molasses column)

1 fl oz

Giffard Banane du Brésil liqueur

1/2 fl oz

Giffard Crème de Mûre liqueur

2 fl oz

Pineapple juice

1 fl oz

Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

1/3 fl oz

Monin Grenadine Syrup

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Rum Runner contains 325 calories

Alcohol content:

1.9 standard drinks
12.16% alc./vol. (24.32° proof)
26.7 grams of pure alcohol

History

The Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada, Florida Keys, USA, claims to be the "home of the Run Runner." Originally named The Hapi Hula Hut, the bar opened in 1969 and was renamed in 1971. As the Holiday Isle's own website says, "Legend has it [so evidence is perhaps sketchy] over 40 years ago the Tiki Bar manager John Elber (Tiki John) had to get rid of an excess of rum and other liqueurs before the arrival of new inventory. Tiki John was challenged to concoct a cocktail that would help use the surplus inventory. So he mixed banana liquor, Meyers rum, brandy and grenadine and named it the Rum Runner" after the liquor smugglers who used the Florida Keys as their base in the early 1900s.

Comments & Discussion

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Caspian Berggren Premium Member 51w

This is the kind of tiki cocktails I can get behind! It's tart enough, has certain bitterness from the Mûre, the banana and pineapple takes you to the tropics yet you still can taste the rum. That's an incredible feat, especially without using bitters whatsoever.

John Hinojos Premium Member 2y

I have had a Rum Runner in many of the existing tiki bars in California. I also have many vintage tiki cocktail books and this recipe is the same (or similar) to those recipes.
As with most tiki cocktails, I find them a bit sweet. We added a Demerara 151 float. Lessened the sweetness and added a bit more of the rum kick.

Alan Brown Premium Member 2y

Couldn’t really get on with the blackberry. Removed, and replaced with 15ml of a creamy banana liqueur I had on hand. A dusting of grated nutmeg works well.

G. M. Genovese Premium Member 2y

Nix the grenadine. Reduce the pineapple to 45 ml, the banana liqueur to 22.5 ml. Add two dashes of Peychaud's bitters. There it is! Enjoy.

G. M. Genovese Premium Member 2y

I honed this down to taste better and fit in a Collins glass. Crushed ice may dilute this to death. If so, then add a little sweetener to drive it.

Bob Cook 3y

I made this drink according to these directions, and it came out a little sweet but still very enjoyable. I think it made a difference that I used fresh pressed pineapple juice from a pineapple that I cut up immediately before I made the drink.

Caitlin 3y

A bit too sweet for me. I might skip the grenadine next time, and maybe swap the blackberry liqueur for unsweetened cranberry juice.

Eva S. 5y

Pretty good, but I felt like it was a bit of an in-betweener. Next time I will add more blackberry to see if that tips it in the direction that I was hoping for. Not a bad drink, just not my favorite.

Nicholas Fiennes 5y

I made it : 1oz Cargo Cult Banana Rum, 1oz dark rum, 1 oz pineapple juice, 1 oz creme de cassis, 1 oz orange juice, 0.5 oz grenadine and 0.5 oz 55% rum