Dirty Banana Cocktail

A Dirty Banana Cocktail is a popular drink at beach resorts, cruise ships, and beach bars. It’s cool, creamy, fruity, and goes down very smooth! Dangerous to say the least.

This classic cocktail combines rum, coffee liqueur, banana liqueur, a fresh banana, and half and half cream. Break out your hurricane glasses or Pina Colada glasses and take a tropical flavor vacation. Can’t you hear the waves already?

I originally had this cocktail during my first hour at the Sandals Resort in Jamaica. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that I had at least one (okay, many) each day for the two weeks that I vacationed at the resort. They were amazing and perfect for sipping at the pool during the day. You have to replenish your potassium, right?

HISTORY OF THE DIRTY BANANA COCKTAIL

Rumor has it that this drink was created by a crafty bartender at a dive bar in Jamaica to use up a bunch of bananas that he had on hand. The creamy banana flavor with the rum and coffee liqueur was an instant hit.

The addition of the coffee liqueur differentiates the Dirty Banana Cocktail from a banana daiquiri. 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED FOR THIS COCKTAIL?

This recipe makes one large and very filling drink. Consider splitting it into two smaller, dessert-size cocktails. It’s rich and sweet.

• Rum – I like using white rum
• Coffee flavor liqueur – I used Kamora because it’s rum-based and uses a medium roast coffee flavor that isn’t too bitter
• Banana rum cream – I used Blue Chair Bay Rum Cream. You could also use a banana liqueur, banana schnapps, or banana-flavored rum. Be careful with what product you use. Some are cloyingly sweet and others have an almost medicinal aftertaste. Bols makes a nice rum-based banana liqueur.
• Half and Half cream – you could also use heavy cream, vanilla ice cream, or whole milk
• Frozen banana slices – I like using frozen banana slices instead of ice cubes to keep the drink as potent as possible. However, you can use a fresh banana and 4-5 ice cubes, but the drink will be a bit more diluted.

VARIATIONS

• Instead of the Half and Half, add a scoop of caramel ice cream
• Cream of coconut instead of the Half and Half makes for a more tropical cocktail
• Enhance the flavor of the Kahlua by adding chocolate syrup to the glass as a garnish
• For a less sweet drink, swap out the rum for vodka
• You could also use a dark rum for a sophisticated flavor, coconut rum for a tropical flair, or a spiced rum for more of a kick
• An ounce of pineapple juice and an ounce of coconut cream makes a drink called a ‘Dirty Monkey’ that is out of this world as well
• You can also serve the drink ‘on the rocks’ by using a fresh banana and pouring the drink over a tall glass filled with ice cubes
• Make it ‘virgin’ by eliminating the alcohol, increasing the milk or half and half to ½ cup, adding a fresh banana in addition to the frozen banana, and a squirt of chocolate syrup

MORE TROPICAL DRINK RECIPES

• Salty Dog Cocktail
• Florida Hurricane Cocktail
• Blue Hawaii Cocktail
• Sex On The Beach
• Rum Runner

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