Transport yourself to a tropical paradise with an Applebee’s Bahama Mama drink. Sip on a symphony of flavors as coconut rum, banana liqueur, and fruit juices blend into a refreshing and exotic delight. This easy copycat recipe captures the essence of the original, allowing you to enjoy the vacation vibes from the comfort of your home.
Shake up your slice of paradise and raise a glass to sunshine and good times. We have the secret restaurant recipes to help you on your virtual tropical getaway.Â
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What Makes the Applebee’s Bahama Mama Cocktail So Good?
Do you want to escape to the islands but can’t afford to take the time off from work? Then, break out your bar cart and start mixing. A few sips of Applebee’s Bahama Mama will make you feel like you are lounging on a white sand beach with a tropical cocktail.
But what does a Bahama Mama taste like? You are in for a special treat if you’ve never had one. Applebee’s Bahama Mama recipe combines oranges, bananas, coconuts, limes, lemons, pineapples, and pomegranate for the ultimate tropical fruit punch with a strong alcohol kick. This drink captures the tropical flavors of Applebee’s recipe.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
So, what flavor is a Bahama Mama? Well, with almost endless versions of this classic cocktail, each bar tends to put its spin on the recipe, so a definitive answer to the question is a bit hard to answer. But generally, all the recipes for Bahama Mamas include a mixture of various rums and fruit juices.
But what is a Bahama Mama at Applebee’s? Well, it’s pretty unique. The recipe eschews the often-used dark rum and coffee liqueur that appears in several odd recipes for a Bahama Mama.
Instead, this recipe adds banana liqueur to the mix, giving the drink much more of a Caribbean vibe. But that’s not the only tweak Applebee has made. The chain’s master mixologists cut back on the amount of fruit juice and replaced it with lemon-lime soda.
The result is a cocktail that is sweeter, less tart, and easier to drink than other Bahama Mamas you may have tried.
You don’t have to be a professional bartender to make this summer cocktail on one of those hot summer days.Â
Bahama Mama Ingredients
To make this copycat Applebee’s Bahama Mama recipe, you’ll need:
- Ice cubes
- White rum
- Coconut-flavored rum
- Banana-flavored liqueur
- Grenadine
- Pineapple juice
- Orange juice
- Lemon-lime soda, like Sprite or 7-Up
- Orange slice
- Maraschino cherries
Ingredient Notes
Believe it or not, good ice makes a better drink. Make sure to make the ice fresh and use filtered water. Old ice can pick up flavors from your freezer.
Grenadine is responsible for the deep reds of many cocktails, but it can also flavor the glass. Spring for all-natural grenadine syrup for the best-tasting Bahama Mama cocktails.
There are three types of spirits in this Bahama Mama drink recipe:
- White Rum. Also known as light or silver rum, white rum is clear and aged for a short time and has a milder flavor than dark rum. Bacardi Superior White Rum is a great, inexpensive brand perfect for this cocktail.
- Coconut-flavored Rum. You can find many flavored rums, but coconut is one of the most popular. Malibu Original, in its famous white bottle, should be your go-to here.
- Banana-flavored Liqueur. Banana-flavored liqueur runs the gamut from cheap, high-proof, but harsh-tasting bottles to high-priced sippable options. But your best bet here is the ever-popular Bols Creme de Banana, a very decent-tasting and well-priced choice.
How to Make a Bahama Mama Drink
To make a single Bahama Mama cocktail:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Pour in the white rum, coconut rum, banana liqueur, grenadine, and the two juices.
- Cover the shaker and shake for 15 to 20 seconds until the outside of the shaker is ice-cold.
- Strain the drink into a glass filled with fresh ice. Applebee’s prefers a standard pint glass, but a hurricane glass is a little more fancy and traditional.
- Top off the cocktail with lemon-lime soda.
- Garnish the drink with half of an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. Slide in a straw and a tiny cocktail umbrella if you want.
What to Serve With Applebee’s Bahama Mama
You can’t fully enjoy any cocktail without something to nibble on. Since this drink falls squarely into the beach drink category, any dish using seafood as a main ingredient will pair well. Here are three shareable dishes that you may want to serve with Bahama Mama cocktails:
- Joe’s Crab Shack Coconut Shrimp. These shredded coconut shrimp are just scrumptious when dipped in this to-die-for pineapple and plum sauce.
- Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops. The mild sweetness of the tender sea scallops contrasts nicely with the savory, crispy bacon.
- Oysters. Nothing’s fresher or tastier than an oyster on the half shell. Enjoy them au naturel, or add a little fresh lemon juice or hot sauce on top.Â
Love Applebee’s? Try these copycat recipes!
Favorite Fruity Cocktail Recipes
- Blue Hawaiian
- Captain Morgan Island Rum Punch
- Fuzzy Navel
- Kool Aid Drink
- Pineapple Sangria
- Key Lime Martini
- Sunset Drink
- Watermelon Sangria
Check out more of my tasty cocktail recipes and the best restaurant copycat recipes on CopyKat!
Applebee’s Bahama Mama
Ingredients
- 1 ounce rum
- 1/2 ounce Malibu coconut rum
- 1/2 ounce banana liqueur
- 1/2 ounce grenadine
- 3/4 ounce pineapple juice
- 3/4 ounce orange juice
- 1 ounce lemon-lime soda
- 1/2 orange slice to garnish
- 1 maraschino cherry to garnish
Instructions
- Shake the rum, coconut rum, banana liqueur, grenadine, pineapple juice, and orange juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour into a pint glass and top with lemon-lime soda.
- Garnish with half an orange slice and a cherry.
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