Here’s hoping that normal travel resumes sooner rather than later. Until then, what better way to make it feel like you’re on a tropical trip than with an equally tropical cocktail?
We asked top resorts across the globe to share their most popular drinks patrons sip while lounging on the beach or by the pool. And the best part? These vacation-inspired cocktails can be easily recreated at home. Just add the teeny-tiny umbrella, put on some beach music, and sip your way to the ultimate staycation.
Also Read: 11 Of The Healthiest Alcoholic Drinks According To Nutritionists
*some of these Vacation-Inspired Cocktails have been adapted for editorial purposes.
Goombay Smash
Courtesy of Resorts World Bimini, Bahamas
Ingredients:
- .5 oz White Rum
- .5 oz Myers’s Dark Rum
- .5 oz Apricot Brandy
- 1 oz Orange Juice
- 1 oz Pineapple Juice
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake over ice. Pour into a large cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange wedge and a Maraschino cherry.
Aperol Fresca
Courtesy of Loews Miami Beach
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Aperol
- 1 oz guava juice
- 1 oz grapefruit juice
- Prosecco splash
Instructions:
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Pour over glass filled with crushed ice and top with splash of Prosecco. Garnish with an orange peel (and edible orchid, if you can find it).
Mango Sangria
Courtesy of Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda, BVI
Ingredients:
- 1 oz mango puree
- .6 oz gin of choice
- .6 oz Grand Marnier
- 4 oz white wine of choice
- Garnish: Mango and dry orange
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Pour into a glass with ice and garnish with a piece of mango.
Also Read: 12 Surprisingly Sugary Foods and Drinks
La Bonne Vie
Courtesy of Surf & Sand Resort, Laguna Beach, CA
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz vodka
- .5 oz St. Germaine
- 1 oz grapefruit juice
- Splash of champagne
Instructions:
Combine vodka, St. Germaine, and grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Top with a splash of champagne.
Island Banana Daquiri
Courtesy of The Shore Club, Turks & Caicos
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. of Rum
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 large banana, sliced
Instructions:
Add the banana, coconut milk, lime juice, sugar, 3 cups of ice, and rum into a blender. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, then pour into glass. The recipe makes two drinks.
Island Time Lower East Side
courtesy of the Condado Vanderbilt, Puerto Rico
Ingredients:
- 4 pineapple chunks, muddled
- 1 cilantro sprig
- 3 cucumber slices
- .75 oz lime juice
- .5 oz simple syrup
- 2 oz rum
Instructions:
Add the pineapple chunks, cucumber, and cilantro sprig into a shaker, along with the lime juice and simple syrup, and muddle together. Pour in the rum, add ice, and shake vigorously. Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass over a square ice block. Garnish with a pineapple slice and a cilantro sprig.
Strawberry Orchid
Courtesy of The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park, El Paso, TX
Ingredients:
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- .5 oz agave nectar
- 1 oz strawberry purée
- 2 dashes balsamic vinegar
- 10 mint leaves
Instructions: Muddle the mint. Combine tequila, lime juice, agave, and mint muddle in a shaker. Add strawberry purée and balsamic vinegar, shake with ice, then strain into a glass with ice.
Related: 5 Best Energy Drinks For Focus
Spicy Fig Margarita
Courtesy of Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- .5 oz agave syrup
- 4-5 Muddled Figs
Instructions:
Muddle figs and combine other ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and double strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with a fig skewer.
Pineapple Mezcalita
Courtesy of Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués, Acapulco, Mexico
Ingredients:
- 2 oz mezcal
- .5 oz Ancho Reyes
- .5 oz agave syrup
- .5 oz lemon juice
- 3 oz pineapple juice
Instructions:
Add all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice; shake well, then pour into a cocktail glass.
Espanto Wave
Courtesy of Cayo Espanto, Belize
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Captain Morgan Rum
- .5 oz Blue Curacao Liquor
- .3 oz Amaretto
- .5 oz Triple Sec
- 1 oz pineapple purée
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions:
Blend all the ingredients in a blender with ice until smooth and frozen. Pour into a large glass.
Vortex Therapy Cocktail
Courtesy of L’Auberge de Sedona, Sedona, AZ
Ingredients:
- 2 oz turmeric vodka
- 1.5 oz passion fruit pureé
- .75 oz lemon juice
- .5 oz agave nectar
Instructions:
Add ingredients to shaker. Shake and strain into a highball filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon slice dipped in paprika.
Related: 10 Worst Foods For The Lymphatic System
Ginger Lemonade Mocktail
Courtesy of Ocean Club, Turks & Caicos
Ingredients:
- 1 piece, about 10 cm, of ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup of lemon juice
- 1/3 cup of maple syrup
- 6 cup of water
- 2 lemons cut into slices for garnish
Instructions:
Craving vacation-inspired cocktails sans the alcohol? This refreshing ginger lemonade will hit the spot.
Place the ginger in a food processor or blender. Pour in fresh lemon juice and process until smooth. Add water and maple syrup. Mix well. Strain out the ginger pulp. Serve in glasses filled with ice; makes several drinks. (Add rum to taste if you prefer a cocktail.)
