Banana Drink Recipes - Results and Recs Requested

The last banana drink thread was very old, so I took the liberty.

My significant other asked for a banana drink this weekend, so I consulted the Beachbum and took a look through my ingredients. Here are my results and I hope others will offer suggestions for the future.

Banana Boat -- Intoxica!, page 16

The banana liqueur I used was 99 Bananas, and as Jed Clampett would say, whoo dawgies! That spirit took over the whole drink. I also had to fudge a little with the coconut ingredient -- had no coconut cream so I used coconut milk, doubled it and left out the half-and-half to compensate.

All we could taste was 99 Bananas, and very little sweetness.

Next time I'll try this with a creme de banana instead, and if I use the coconut milk I might add a little coconut syrup. I'm not fond of the waxiness of coconut cream.

Planet of the Apes -- Grog Log, page 62

This drink calls for a hefty slurp of dark Jamaican rum. I used Myers, and again, the 99 Bananas. This time 99 Bananas took a backseat and the Myers just creamed every other ingredient. All we tasted was perfumey Myers. You'd never know there was pineapple, orange and lime juice in there.

If I make this again, i might use a golden rum instead, then maybe I'd taste some of the other ingredients.

Here's a Trader Vic's drink with an actual banana rather than banana liqueur. I haven't tried it, but looks like it might be tasty:

BANANA COW
-1 dash Angostura bitters
-1 whole banana
-1 tsp bar sugar
-1 dash vanilla
-3 oz fresh milk
-1 oz light Puerto Rican rum
-1/2 scoop shaved ice

Blend in electric drink mixer. Serve in planter's punch glass.

Try Bols Creme de Banana next time. You might like it a little better. Also, without the coconut cream, you're missing out on a good deal of sweetness, as you found out. It's been quite a while since I've fixed a Planet of the Apes, but I remember that it was not too bad. Personally though, I like bananas just fine, but I'm not a big fan of banana drinks. The flavor just doesn't seem to work well to me in a cocktail. Guess you could say it just doesn't float my Banana Boat...

Here's a little drink I made up not too long ago, and it's one of my favorites.

Disclaimer: If you consider flavored rums blasphemy, then stop reading.

1 part coconut rum
1 part banana rum (WAY better than 99 Bananas. do yourself a favor and don't buy it)
2 parts orange juice
2 parts cranberry juice.

This drink is not overly sweet, and not very strong, so clearly it's a long drink. I prefer clear drinks as opposed to creamy ones, myself.

If you can't stand (to buy) flavored rums, then just forget about them, and instead switch it out for 1 part of a good dark rum and a sweet liquer (curacao, grand marnier, creme de banane, etc), then add 1 part coconut cream , 1 half banana(depending on the size of your "parts"), and some ice and blend the sucker.

All in all, the two juices provide a great backbone for extra flavors. Next time you wanna fly blind, use this as a base and then add your favorites. I think you'll be surprised.

On 2007-02-13 16:47, DJ HawaiianShirt wrote:
Here's a little drink I made up not too long ago, and it's one of my favorites.

Disclaimer: If you consider flavored rums blasphemy, then stop reading.

1 part coconut rum
1 part banana rum (WAY better than 99 Bananas. do yourself a favor and don't buy it)
2 parts orange juice
2 parts cranberry juice.

This drink is not overly sweet, and not very strong, so clearly it's a long drink. I prefer clear drinks as opposed to creamy ones, myself.

If you can't stand (to buy) flavored rums, then just forget about them, and instead switch it out for 1 part of a good dark rum and a sweet liquer (curacao, grand marnier, creme de banane, etc), then add 1 part coconut cream , 1 half banana(depending on the size of your "parts"), and some ice and blend the sucker.

All in all, the two juices provide a great backbone for extra flavors. Next time you wanna fly blind, use this as a base and then add your favorites. I think you'll be surprised.

Cool. What do you call your drink?

Here is a recipe that Johnny Dollar and myself created last year for a Baltimore tiki fundraiser. It is named for the Evil Hate Monkey, who will be performing with partner Trixie Little at Hukilau this year.

The Evil Hate Monkey

1.5 oz Creme de Banana
1 oz Meyers Dark Rum
1 oz Coconut Rum
1 oz Orange juice
.5 oz lemon juice

Vern

Arriano, to be honest, I don't have a name for it. I tried several times to make something up, but everything I came up with sounded way too corny or self-righteous. It's just an honest, comfort-drink to me, nothing special, just solid.

If you eventually try it, I hope you enjoy.

Aloha

Thanks, DJ! I have no objection to flavored rums -- I use Cruzan's coconut all the time and have enjoyed (hic!) their banana flavor.

But I think I've figured something out about them. They are lower proof and thicker and sweeter. I think if you take a flavored rum and use it the way you'd use a liqueur or a creme, you're probably using it right. Substitute it for your main rum, and I think you're hurting the drink.

Just my opinion, a'course.

As for the nice drink you described, it sounded a little familiar so I checked my notes. In the Shag/Rocke Tiki drink book, there is a drink almost exactly like it, except that it has pineapple instead of cranberry juice -- it's called the Pensacola Bushwacker, and it's the first Tiki drink I ever made! (simple ingredients, good for a beginner)

Thanks to everyone who responded; I've copied out all your suggestions for my notes.

Cool, Peg.

Yeah I can imagine the pineapple juice in it being very good.

Cruzan is the brand I use for banana. They're one of the only brands that makes it, but it's delicious.

For coconut rum, I've found no brand to be better than Parrot Bay. Having tried most brands, Parrot Bay is really the only one I can tolerate sipping straight, which I figure is a good measure of taste/smoothness/quality/etc.

Made this one yesterday:

The Big Banana

2 oz Rum
2 oz Amaretto
2 oz Coconut rum
2 oz Creme de Banane
8 oz Pineapple juice

Over Ice in a 20oz Glass Pour booze in first and top with Pineapple, giving it a two layered look with the brown amaretto on bottom,. Two straws, Two cherries.

From Banana's Bar and Grill, Portsmouth, NH.

One of the tastiest cocktails I've had lately.

That will definitely get the mouse to roar!

:lol:

The Big Banana sounds incredible, snackbar. :sheckymug: