Cocktail Recipes from Puerto Rico You Can Make at Home

Treat your taste buds to refreshing cocktails from some of the island’s top mixologists.

Nothing says vacation more than a refreshing cocktail in paradise, especially if paradise means warm weather, upbeat dances, and spectacular sunsets. Whether it is a piña colada with a twist or a unique version of a classic like the Old Fashioned, these drinks can take you on a virtual vacation to Puerto Rico: the rum capital of the world.

From fruity to boozy to fancy, here are a few cocktails you can recreate at home.

Puerto Rican Piña Colada by Jungle Bird

Just like the disputed story of its creation, there isn’t just one way to enjoy a piña colada. Whether you prefer it blended, shaken, stirred, or on the rocks, whenever you sip it, you’ll feel the tropical vibes. Jungle Bird, a laidback bar in La Placita de Santurce, shared their staple Puerto Rican Piña Colada recipe:

Ingredients:

2 ounces of Don Q Gold Rum

1 ½ ounce of coconut cream

2 ounces of pineapple juice

1 dash of lime juice

A dash of Angostura (aromatic bitters)

Pour all the liquid ingredients into a shaker or container with a lid and shake for 30 seconds. Strain the mix into a wine glass or a Collins glass. You can garnish your drink with a pineapple wedge or maraschino cherries and add “tropical vibes” by topping it off with a paper umbrella.

Discover the story behind the Piña Colada

Refreshing Mojito by La Factoría

If you want to keep the breezy tropical theme going, La Factoría has the perfect cocktail recipe for you. This mojito is a one-way ticket to the Caribbean. You’re following the recipe of spot named one of the Top 50 bars in the world.

Ingredients:

2 ounces of Bacardí Superior

¾ ounces of lime juice

¾ ounces of simple syrup (water and sugar mixture)

8 to 10 mint or peppermint leaves

A dash of Angostura (aromatic bitters)

Club Soda to taste

In a highball glass, combine the mint leaves and rum and gently macerate the mint. Continue to add the rest of the ingredients, except for the club soda. Add ice, the soda, and stir the ingredients, leaving the macerated mint leaves at the bottom of the glass. Garnish your cocktail with a mint leave and lime wedge.

Explore more cocktail bars in San Juan

Frozen Boozy Coconut-Limeade by Spoon

As one of the highest quality culinary and cultural tourism companies on the island, Spoon is all about immersing you into the island’s gastronomy scene. Take advantage of their expertise in your kitchen for an island twist on frozen lemonade:

Ingredients:

½ cup of lime juice

1 cup of coconut cream

½ cup of light rum

2 ½ cups of ice

Lime zest to taste

Pour all the ingredients into a blender and combine until smooth. Serve in your favorite glass, which you can garnish with mint, a dehydrated lime, or a lime twist.

This is what the Spoon Experience is all about

Strawberry and Champagne by Rums of Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, you know it is the highest quality of rum if it has the “Rums of Puerto Rico” seal. Even Peter Hernández (aka Bruno Mars) raves about this cocktail in his songs. Follow this master blender’s recipe, and you’ll be singing, “I’m talking trips to Puerto Rico…,” just like Bruno.

Ingredients:

1 sliced strawberry

1.5 ounces of Bacardí Carta Blanca

½ ounce of lime juice

½ ounce of simple syrup (combine equal parts of water and sugar in a pan, bring to a boil and let it cool)

In a glass, muddle all the ingredients together. Top with sparkling wine and stir until combined. Decorate your glass with a strawberry and enjoy!

Have you toured a distillery?

Caribbean Rum Old Fashioned by Rums of Puerto Rico

A unique take on a classic is brought to you by Rums of Puerto Rico. The Old Fashioned is one of the oldest mixed drinks in the cocktail canon, and this creative recipe gives the classic drink a Puerto Rican twist.

Ingredients:

2 ounces of Don Q Sherry Cask Rum

½ ounce of coconut water and brown sugar syrup

2 dashes of chocolate bitters or Angostura

Orange peel

Chocolate shaves

To make the syrup, combine 1 cup of coconut water and 1 cup of brown sugar in a small pan and bring to a boil. Let it cool before mixing it into the rest of the ingredients. In a glass, stir all the ingredients together and serve over ice.

Guide to Rum Tasting in Puerto Rico

Sexy Colada by Rums of Puerto Rico

There is not just one way to enjoy Puerto Rico’s staple drink, and Rums of Puerto Rico knows it. Elevate your drink game with this simple, yet seductive Sexy Colada recipe:

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces of Bacardí Gold Rum

2.5 ounces of coconut water

½ ounce of Coco Real (coconut cream)

½ ounce of Ginger Real (infused syrup)

1 ounce of pineapple juice

½ ounce of Pineapple real (infused syrup)

¾ ounces of lime juice

Pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker or container with lid and shake well. Pour over crushed iced in your preferred glass. You can garnish your drink with a pineapple leaf, or dehydrated pineapple wedge.

Find more Piña Colada recipes

Hoping for booze-free inspiration? Read up on the area's mocktail scene.

Couple of bartenders. — Best friends and fellow bartenders, Christian Neuman and Israel Bravo.

Classics with a Twist by Christian Neuman and Israel A. Bravo

Found at the recently inaugurated La Pecera in Santurce, the talented Boricua bartenders Christian Neuman and Israel A. Bravo, bring the island’s vibes right into your home with four incredible cocktail recipes. They've taken classic cocktails and infused them with a distinctive Puerto Rican flair, and the result is nothing short of spectacular. Grab your ingredients and prepare to add a splash of paradise to your glass with these standout recipes.

Q&A with Boricua Bartender Israel Bravo

Rum Paper Plane

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz of Ron del Barrilito
¾ oz of Cappelletti
¾ oz of Averna
¾ oz of lime juice
1 bar spoon of sugar

Directions: Shake all ingredients with ice, and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Rum Espresso Martini

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz Symphony No.3 rum
¾ oz Frangelico
¾ oz Kahlúa
1 ½ oz Puerto Rican coffee
Garnish: 3 coffee beans, sugar/cinnamon

Directions: In a shaker, combine all ingredients with ice, shake well, strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish with coffee beans, and top it with sugar or cinnamon.

A measured pour of dark rum from Ron del Barrilito — Try a locally made rum with your meal.

La Sirena

Ingredients:

2 oz Ron del Barrilito
2 ½ oz spicy watermelon infusion
½ oz lime juice
Garnish: lime peel

Directions: Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into an ice-filled glass, and garnish with a lime peel.

Rum Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

- 2 oz Symphony No.3 rum
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 3 dashes of angostura
- Garnish: dehydrated orange slice

Directions: Stir the rum, simple syrup, and angostura bitters with ice, strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube, and garnish with a dehydrated orange slice.