How to Make a Bahama Mama Smoothie or Cocktail

Banana, Banana Hama… Are you singing with me? Bet you are! Maybe you’re also daydreaming of the endless white beaches and the turquoise waters of the Bahamas. Then there’s all these 50,000 aquamarine species, giant lizards, pink flamingos, and a myriad of bars from seaside to 10-star ones, all serving rum and most likely boasting their version of the all-star Bahama Mama. Not yet your vacation time? Take a break anyway! Here’s how to make a Bahama Mama Smoothie from the comforts of your home.

How to Make a Bahama Mama Smoothie?

First, get into the groove. Food is best made with love, and nothing inspires you to make some Bahama Mama than the very song itself, Boney M’s “Bahama Mama.” The Caribbean beat gets you groovin’, and you can easily feel yourself being soaked in the moonlight at the beach, listening to a reggae band, and dancing to some Junkanoo music.

Bahama Mama Cocktail

How to make a Bahama Mama Smoothie? Let’s see. Before the smoothie, there was the cocktail–The Bahama Mama Cocktail. That’s on top of the menu if you’re into rum.

The Bahama Mama Cocktail Recipe is pretty straightforward to any self-respecting barista, or anyone who likes to whip cocktails at home.

For one cocktail glass, you’ll need:

• ½ fluid ounce rum
• ½ fluid ounce coconut-flavored rum
• One fluid ounce orange juice
• One fluid ounce pineapple juice
• ½ fluid ounce grenadine syrup
• 1 cup crushed ice

Put together everything in a blender and blend until the consistency is slushy.

Regular Rum VS Coconut Rum

Tell me you’re in The Bahamas without telling me you’re in The Bahamas. One way to do it is rum, the official drink of the soulful Caribbean country. After all, most of the world’s rum is produced in the Caribbean and Latin America, and The Bahamas is no exception. 

In fact, rum has shaped The Bahamas just as much as The Bahamas has shaped rum. Sailors introduced the drink to colonial America. Then in the late 1600s, during “The Golden Age of Piracy,” The Bahamas became the hotbed of pirate activity, and pirates favored rum. Over time, pirates added lemon to watered-down rum.

Today, both rum and piracy are celebrated as part of The Bahamas’ rich history. Pirate Republic Brewing, a bar in Nassau, is a go-to place for rum and authentic pirate experience. Designed like a modern pirate ship, The Pirate Republic pays homage to the aspect of The Bahamas as a former pirate sanctuary of 30 years. You can try the Black Beer’d Stout (chocolate malt). Other favorites include the iconic Island Pirate Ale (flagship Bahamian India Pale Ale) and Gold & Haze of Piracy (wheat-based Belgian Ale).

Classic Rums

There are four classic rums to choose from. Each differs by consistency, hugely influenced by the number of years spent in the barrel.

Pale Rum

Smooth and light-bodied, this hard-blended rum is aged two years in Bourbon barrels, resulting in a woody character and dry finish.

Amber Rum

Gold Rum or Amber Rum is a favorite and a nighttime staple. They are medium-bodied and generally aged. The darker color is created from aging for three years in wooden casks, typically oak, giving the drink a hint of vanilla and toasted walnut. 

Spiced Rum

Any Rum that has spice flavors is called a spiced rum. It has a smooth, warm peppery finish from added spices.

Black Rum 

Black Rum has been in the barrel for at least four years, the longest of rums. The extended time in wooden casks gives it a dark, deep color and a smokey-sweet flavor. Black Rums are unique, full-bodied, and exceptionally smooth.

Coconut Rum

Pioneered by the brand Malibu, the Coconut Rum is a newer concoction described as sunshine in a bottle. It’s a favorite ingredient in popular Caribbean drinks, including Pina Colada, Spritz, and Mojito.

How to Make a Bahama Mama Smoothie

Making the Banana Hama Smoothie is a breeze. The flavors involved are the same as the ones in the Banana Hama Cocktail.

The main difference? Smoothies have a much thicker fill. While cocktails are more water-like and can be enjoyed with pizza squares, blue cheese tarts, or a grazing box, smoothies are meant to make you fuller and can be a meal in itself. If you want a smoothie rather than a cocktail, switching the pineapple and coconut juices for some purees and fruits is the key.

The beautiful cocktail smoothie combines two different types of rum, three types of fruits or purees, a splash of grenadine, a cup of ice, and some fun garnishes to make an irresistible drink.

The Bahama Mama is made unique by a sweet blend of three fruits, Strawberry, Coconut Shreds, and Chopped Pineapples.

Get the Ingredients

For one serving of smoothie, you’ll need:

• ½ fluid ounce Classic Rum, your choice between pale, amber, spiced, or dark rum
• ½ fluid ounce Coconut Rum
• 2 pumps Drinkfit Strawberry Puree
• 1 tablespoon Coconut shreds
• 1 tablespoon pineapple cubes
• ½ fluid ounce grenadine syrup
• 1 cup crushed ice
• Optional: Cherry for garnishing

Mix all the ingredients in a blender, spin for a minute or until you reach ideal consistency, put the cherry on top, and enjoy!

Bonus: Drinkfit Strawberry Puree

Among the three fruits in the Bahama Mama Smoothie, strawberries are the most seasonal. But let me tell you a little secret, you can enjoy fresh strawberry goodness all year round. Thanks to Drinkfit Strawberry Puree made from natural fruit with Stevia and almost zero sugar. This is the best way to enjoy Strawberry purees anytime — same great taste and health benefits, less hassle picking strawberries.

Two pumps of Strawberry puree is all you need to make a full-sized smoothie, whether you want a creamy strawberry smoothie or a Bahama Mama Smoothie.

Expert Tip: Play with Colors

Generally, when we make smoothies, we aim to make the mix homogenous. However, for the Bahama Mama Smoothie, some baristas love to play with colors, layering fruits in a certain way and blending delicately so that strawberries stay primarily at the bottom and the pineapples and coconut on top, creating a rainbow-like drink.

Fun Tip: Play Some Junkanoo Music

If there’s something I discovered while writing this blog, it’s how effective Caribbean music is in getting you to your groove. 

Bahamian music is one of the happiest in the world. The Junkanoo is a colorful street parade with dance and heavy drumming. The goatskin drum is Junkanoo’s bass beat and the driving force of its rhythm. It adds vibe, flavor, and swing to the very festive music.

So, if you plan on having a Banana Hama smoothie tonight, complete the experience with a Caribbean playlist from Spotify or Youtube and dance the night away. The “Baha Men” is among our most popular musical acts. They are best known for their Grammy Award-winning hit song, “Who Let the Dogs Out.”

Maybe this summer, you can finally visit the Bahamas to wake up to the soothing sounds of the waves, the gentle breeze, and the scenic ocean views. Fishing, boating, surfing, scuba diving, skiing, and swimming are common in the Bahamas. Underneath the blue water is an entirely new world to explore. The Bahamas has the most diverse marine life.