Rum Runner — This delicious Rum Runner recipe packs a punch that can sneak up on you! It’s made with three types of rum, a blend of fruit juices, and my secret ingredient.
Table of Contents
There’s nothing better than being on a sailboat, floating out on the ocean and looking at all the natural beauty…and everything looks much more beautiful with a Rum Runner in my hand!
A Rum Runner is a fruity rum cocktail that everyone loves, even people who don’t normally love rum! I created this easy rum runner recipe after a recent sailing adventure.
I made sure to ask the bartender what’s in his Rum Runner that makes his so good. He gave me the drink recipe and told me the secret ingredient that makes their version so special — it’s amaretto.
Plus, I have a thing for amaretto. An amaretto sour was the first drink I ever ordered in a bar — extra cherries, please!
Of course, there are a million versions and drink recipes for Rum Runners and really, any time you start combining rum and juice, you’re in for good times. But this is the version I adore!
Ingredients in a Rum Runner
Not sure what’s in a Rum Runner cocktail? The ingredients you’ll need for this rum and amaretto cocktail are:
- Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
- Bacardi Light Rum
- Malibu Rum
- Amaretto
- Pineapple juice
- Grenadine
- Maraschino cherries or orange wedges, 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 Rum Runner
This is one of the easiest rum cocktails you can make! Exact rum runner ingredient ratios depend on preference, but here’s how I like to make mine:
- Add 1 part of each of the rums and 1 part of the amaretto into a glass filled with ice.
- Add 4 parts pineapple juice to the glass, followed by the grenadine.
- Shake or stir the Rum Runner to combine the ingredients, then garnish with orange wedges and/or maraschino cherries. So simple, right?
Measuring Tip
If you were counting, that’s a four-shot drink. I recommend using a half-filled shot glass of each type liquor, so the final drink ends up being a two-shot drink. But feel free to play around with the ratios to suit your own tastes!
Cocktail FAQs
Yes! This Rum Runner cocktail recipe is for one drink, but you can easily turn this into a pitcher cocktail. If you want to serve this to a crowd, I recommend stirring the ingredients together in a large pitcher and pouring it over ice when guests are ready to enjoy their drink. If you make the pitcher cocktail with the ice in it, your Rum Runners will become diluted as the ice melts. So, add the ice to individual glasses instead!
I used a blend of three types of rum to make this Rum Runner drink recipe: Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Bacardi Light Rum, and Malibu Rum.
I’ve called for pineapple juice in this cocktail recipe, but mango or orange juice would also work nicely with the rum. Or you could do a combination of fruit juices! This is a flexible recipe, and rum pairs nicely with any tropical juice.
When adding the grenadine, drizzle in a little at a time and taste to see when it’s sweet enough for you. Grenadine can quickly overpower the rum, so I don’t like to add a lot. You want just enough to complement the rum and pineapple juice, and no more.
What to Serve with A Rum Runner
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Rum Runner
Ingredients
- 1 part Captain Morgan Spiced Rum*
- 1 part Bacardi Light Rum
- 1 part Malibu Rum
- 1 part Disaronno Amaretto
- 4 parts pineapple juice
- Grenadine, drizzled generously
- Maraschino cherries or orange wedges, for garnishing
Instructions
- In a glass over ice, add the three types of rum and the amaretto.
- Add juice to taste, and shake or stir to combine. At this stage you can add the grenadine as well. For a prettier look, stir in the grenadine (but I actually prefer the taste when the grenadine is shaken in).
- Garnish with maraschino cherries and orange wedges, as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Easy Rum Cocktails:
Tropical Strawberry Lemonade Party Punch — This Tropical Alcoholic Punchis one of my all-time favorite party drinks! Feel free to leave the alcohol out if desired, this punch tastes delicious with out without it!
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!
Kiss On The Lips Cocktail — Frozen mango, rum, vodka, peach schnapps, and a KISS of drizzled grenadine!! Fruity, tropical, and they go down way too easily!!
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!
Easy Piña Coladas – Learn how to make cool, creamy, refreshing, frozen piña coladas that will make you feel like you’re poolside on a fancy tropical vacation! Blender and hand-shaken options provided.
That looks wonderful, can’t wait to make this for my next get together with my neighbor. I live in Rancho Cucamonga and it has been chilly lately, this is just the thing to warm things up!
Posting these photos in January is just mean… :-)
In the Bahamas, we drink Goombays: light rum, dark rum, coconut rum, and apricot brandy, with a bit of pineapple juice. SO good. SO dangerous. :-)
apricot brandy must just send it into heaven! Wow..that sounds like a stellar drink. I want that! like now and all these drinks are yes, so dangerous. They go down so fast in the heat!
Ooh, I love the addition of amaretto!! So pretty, and I can definitely see how they go down too fast!
I need one of these asap! I’m dreaming of a warm beach in the tropics – one of these may just transport me there for a few blissful moments!
Thanks, Laura, and glad you like it and thanks as always for the pin!
i LOVE rum runners! I haven’t had one in ages. And I don’t think I’ve ever made one for myself. My kitchen “bar” (if you can call it that) consists of vodka, tequila, and margarita mix. Sometimes wine, but mostly margarita. I want to be on a yacht right now – far, far away. It’s dull, crappy, dark, and gloomy outside in Baltimore. Just “sad” looking. This would bring some pep in my step. And one too many would have me on the floor but I’m not complaining. I love fruity cocktails!! PS: I forgot about your pina colada dip. heavenly. amazing. must make.
The day that I made these, I realized that I didn’t have any of the alcohol on hand except the Captain. So I went to the corner liquor store at 11am and bought all these pint-ish size bottles. I was in line with some real characters in an urban corner liquor store at 11am. But I’m stocked up now and at the rate I drink at home, I probably will be well supplied for like 5 years. Lol These types of drinks are just so much better on a sailboat!
You’ve TOTALLY got me wanting to run back to Aruba. Those views are amazing. And yes, I could see how these rum runners would go down really fast! haha.
Glad you saw this post and hopefully you guys will get back there one day sooner rather than later!
A four-shot drink? Me likey!
PS. Gorgeous photos – they make me long for a beach and beautiful clear waters!
I went somewhere lovely in my head looking at the photos included in this post. I wish I could stay there and sip one of these cocktails. I’ve never actually had a Rum Runner but something tells me that’s about to change…
Wish we could have one together! On a beach somewhere!
I am DEFINITELY on board with this.
I am not much of drinker, but right now in Australia the beach is the place to be and this drink will be perfect. Spice, coconut and almond reminds me of Queensland coast. Could this combination work with a black raspberry liquor or other fruity liqour?
I’m sure it could. Black raspberry liquor or other fruity liqour sounds good to me!
Oh man, talk about a headache induce the next day ;-) My husband likes spiced rums. I like them more in a daiquiri. There was this one drink I loved (too much) called the krechma (sp?). Tasted like chocolate covered cherries. Let’s just say it’s a table-top inducing type of thing b/c it goes down way too easily.
Ohhhhhh. Amaretto! That does snazz things up. I really dig an amaretto sour… this Rum Runner makes me want BEACH. Your photos are so gorgeous, by the way. That is the bluest blue I have ever ever ever seen.
I love amaretto sours, too. And yes, the water there is stunning. It’s truly my happy place!
My favorite vacation drink is probably sangria or an amaretto sour. I’ve never had a rum runner but pineapple juice, amaretto and rum sounds good together..and it’s a fun vehicle for maraschino cherries! I’m a lightweight with alcohol, so I’ll have to do a little downsizing on the rum amounts. My husband teases me about my low tolerance and says I don’t “train enough”. I am loving those Aruba photos (and the brightly colored drinks and goodies) right now–I think have the winter blahs and its not even Feb. yet! I have only been able to run ouside twice since Christmas and am already feeling like a little hamster running on my treadmill or in circles on the indoor track.
The worst part of winter in the midwest (or anywhere) is that outdoor fitness is next to impossible or very challenging and me and the treadmill are not friends. Even in San Diego, it’s been very chilly the past few weeks. In the 30s at night which is really cold for here! I used to ‘train enough’ but that all changed after becoming a mom. There’s just no time for the downtown/recovery after all that ‘training’ :) I am a total lightweight these days too!
What a beautiful drink!!! I’ve never had a rum runner, but this sounds utterly divine. Love the amaretto! Now if I could just get a sunset cruise on the side… :)
I want to go on another one – like, right now :)
Four parts booze to four parts pineapple?! Either I won’t be doing any running after this (maybe it’d be a ‘Rum Sleeper’ for me!) or the second glass would take significantly longer than three minutes prep time! And uou should post more Ariba photos, it’s such a stunning location :).
Well everything is to taste. You know how it is when you’re mixing a drink. You pour the booze in, top off with a splash of this or that, to taste, and enjoy. It’s hard when writing drink recipes to put an actual value to it, since everyone is different and there’s the water-down effect with the ice. But yes, it is fruity, but strong :) Or water it down with more juice. No rules here!
Oooooooh, golly I want to use my fancy luxardo cherries and make this! Amaretto makes things amazing. I just need the spiced and malibu rum.
My favorite drink of the moment is probably still the Sazerac:
I looked up those luxardo cherries and they seemed to get mixed reviews. Some people said they weren’t worth the money but gosh, I sure want to believe they are :) They sound soooo good!