Malibu Sunset — A fun, fruity, easy Malibu drink recipe!! Because there’s really no wrong way to do pineapple, orange juice, coconut rum, grenadine, and cherries. If you’ve never had this fruity alcoholic drink before, you should change that!!
Table of Contents
If you’ve never had this fruity Malibu drink, you really should change that. Someone will say they don’t like coconut, but I don’t think it tastes ridiculously coconutty. Coconut Malibu tastes like what a tropical vacation would taste like!
Technically this fruity drink is traditionally made with a splash of cranberry, but I didn’t have any and wasn’t going to buy any for a splash. Just use more grenadine. Scratch that. More Malibu.
Holy moly this sweet and fruity drink goes down way too easily in the heat and humidity. It’s perfect for spring and summer weather and summer holidays!
This Malibu drink is fruity and sweet without being over-the-top like some fruity alcoholic drinks can be, and it’s so refreshing. I love pineapple juice and it’s a perfect pairing with coconut rum. Cheers!
Malibu Sunset Ingredients
Wondering what to mix with Malibu? Here’s what I suggest for making this coconut rum drink:
- Ice cubes
- Pineapple-orange juice
- Malibu coconut rum
- Grenadine
- Maraschino cherries
- Pineapple and / or orange slices (for garnishing)
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make a Malibu Sunset
This sweet alcoholic drink couldn’t be simpler to make! Here are the basic steps to making my go-to Malibu sunset cocktail:
- Add ice to a glass, followed by the juice and Malibu.
- Then, give it a good stir.
- Drizzle in the grenadine (use however much you’d like!) and garnish with cherries, pineapple, and orange slices. Do NOT stir the cocktail at this point — you want the grenadine to sink to the bottom and form the layers.
Adjusting the Flavor of This Malibu Drink
For a sweeter Malibu drink, use more grenadine. For a less sweet beverage, use less.
Or, use some unsweetened cranberry juice and add a splash of that to brighten up the flavor of this rum mixed drink without adding any sweetness.
Cocktail FAQs
Yes. It’s a 1:2 ratio of pineapple-orange juice and Malibu rum, so you can easily scale up from there. If making a large batch Malibu sunset, you may want to omit the ice and instead pour the rum mixed drink over ice. This way, your cocktail doesn’t get watered down as it sits there.
If you can’t find a pineapple-orange juice blend at your local grocery store, you’re welcome to buy them separately and combine them in this Malibu drink. Equal parts orange and pineapple juice should work, but play around with the ratios to find a combination you love.
A few readers have asked about using either all pineapple or all orange juice due to allergies or because they simply ran out of one. You’re welcome to use just one kind of juice in this rum mixed drink, but I highly recommend using a blend of juices for the best, fruitiest tropical flavor.
No! Be careful not to stir the tropical drink after you’ve added the grenadine as it’s meant to settle on the bottom of the glass!
We randomly bought a Malibu from duty-free and made this at a small birthday get together. It was so simple to do and such a huge smashing hit!
Karishma K
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Malibu Sunset
Ingredients
- ice cubes
- 3 to 4 ounces pineapple-orange juice, I use a blend rather than purchasing separate juices
- 2 ounces Malibu Coconut Rum
- grenadine, drizzled
- maraschino cherries, for garnishing
- pineapple and/or orange slices, for garnishing
Instructions
- Add ice to glass.
- Add juice, Malibu, and stir.
- Drizzle in grenadine.
- Garnish with cherries, pineapple, and/or orange slices.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Drink is intended for those whom alcohol consumption is appropriate. Always drink responsibly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Fruity Alcoholic Drinks:
Rum Runner — A fruity and tropical cocktail, but not in a strawberry daiquiri doesn’t-do-much kind of way. This delicious Rum Runner recipe (complete with my secret ingredient!) packs a punch that can sneak up on you!
Mango Coconut Water Tropical Martini — A fresh and refreshing drink made with Mango Passion Fruit vodka, coconut water, and pineapple juice that’s not only tasty, but it’s also lighter in calories so you don’t have to sacrifice.
Tequila Sunrise — Not only is it pretty to look at, but a tequila sunrise is also refreshing, nostalgic, and the grenadine sweetens it up enough that you may not even notice it packs quite a punch!
Tropical Strawberry Lemonade Party Punch — This tropical alcoholic punch is one of my all-time favorite party drinks! Feel free to leave the alcohol out if desired. This punch tastes delicious even without it!
Kiss on the Lips Cocktail — This frozen drink is quick and easy, fruity, tropical-tasting, and the colors are so fun. It goes down way too easily and would be extra refreshing on hot summer days.
Homemade Margaritas— How to make a margarita with just three natural ingredients! Nothing fake, neon green, and no sugary chemicals. This is the best homemade margarita recipe I’ve tried and it’s the easiest!!
Grilled Pineapple Strawberry Lemonade Sangria — This is the perfect thirst quencher and it goes down very easily. Grilling brings out the natural sugars in the pineapple in a wonderfully sweet way that works so well in the sangria.
Cosmopolitan Cocktail — This classic Cosmopolitan recipe is made with vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and cranberry juice. It’s flirty and flavorful yet refined and simple.
Pomegranate Mojito – Everyone will love this fruity twist on a classic mojito recipe! The tart pomegranates and lime blend beautifully and are paired with simple syrup, mint, and white rum for a refreshing cocktail that’s perfect all year long!
Republished August 31, 2018 and May 22, 2020
So jealous! I would love to escape to a tropical island right about now. I guess I’ll just have to settle for the Cape in a couple weeks. I think this cocktail would go well down there too!
Yes it will & have fun!
Really like this post and will try these out for sure. Been a while since I had Malibu. Love the tropical angle. Thanks.
This is exactly what I needed to see on a Friday afternoon. Way to kick of my weekend sister!
:)
It’s so nice you have a special (and omg beeeeeautiful) spot that brings you peace and happiness! I know I’d get those feelings after a few sips of this drink!
First of all, you are in Aruba… I AM SO JEALOUS! YOU LUCKY GIRL! I would love to sip on this beautiful drink while laying out on that beautiful sand! ENJOY your vacay!
Lord but I want one of these – bathroom remodel almost over. Enjoy Paradise!
Oh wow, HANG in there. They’re the worst, but will be so worth it when it’s done! And if you ever do sell, it will make a huge difference and so just think of it as making you money in the long run :)
These are gorgeous! You’re so right, Malibu rum and pineapple are perfect together even if you don’t like coconut. Love all the colors!
I just got back from a beach vacation and I want more! Thanks for the reminder that a good cocktail can take you back!
malibu is my favorite, and I love that they have all the flavored ones now, my two favorite ways for using it are malibu mimosa and my friend got me hooked on alien orgasms this is the one we drink there’s so many recipes out there!https://www.barmeister.com/drinks/recipe/2574/
My favorite way to drink malibu is with mountain dew. Sounds gross, but oh, so good. I wonder what’s in my liquor cupboard now…
After a busy week one of these is just what I need! Love that coconut rum and gorgeous Aruba pics!
This is stunning! Make me a pretty virgin version?? :)
So jealous of your photos of Aruba!! What a gorgeous place, I have to travel there sometime. I love tropical places!
Oooh sweet and tropical! It looks perf! And Aruba is so beautiful :) Oh my gosh I’m jealous. So serene…Enjoy yourself! You deserve to relax.
Hi Averie! Aruba looks so beautiful and I just love that crystal blue water. Yes, drinks like this are the perfect thing to sip on at a beach on a hot day. We made up a batch of our minty limeade and took it down the beach today, so we were sort of one the same page :) I’m loving MN and the big blue skies and the warm lakes. It’s not Aruba, but it’s pretty nice! It’s also nice to get a break from the routine of life, as it makes you appreciate it all when you get back from vacation. xoxo, Jackie
Glad you guys are enjoying your trip and the skies there, and the warm lakes, I do know firsthand how summer and this time of year is magical there!
All I can say about this is YUM!!! I always love fruity cocktails, but I am horrible at coming up with drink recipes so I just go with wine :)
Can’t wait to try this drink! Enjoy Aruba! My husband and I went in May and absolutely loved the island! So jealous! We can’t wait to go back!
We love it here too, so much! Glad you and your hubs were able to come here in May!