When I imagine the perfect summer vacation I always picture myself lounging in a beach chair by a clear blue ocean, with the beach all to myself of course, with a good paperback book in one hand and a bright fruity cocktail in the other. The scent of coconut sunscreen, saltwater and sand surrounds me as I happily sip my drink, read my book and lose myself in the scents, sounds and heat of the beach.
Unfortunately the nearest beach to me is over five hours away but I have found that I can recreate portions of my beachy day dream right on my back deck in Western North Carolina with the right combination of sunscreen, a book, and the perfect beachy cocktail!
This amazing ocean water inspired cocktail is perfect for those summer afternoons by the sea or, if you’re like me, simply recreating a tableau of the real thing. The aroma of the coconut rum and pineapple juice along with the vibrant color of the blue curaçao will have you really feeling like you’re on a seaside vacation if you close your eyes. The flavors are an explosion of beach inspired goodness. So crank up your favorite Jimmy Buffett playlist and have a little dance party while you prepare these delicious beachy cocktails!
Some other great summer inspired drinks include our Raspberry Margarita and our Red, White and Blue drink which has no alcohol, although you could easily amp it up with a shot of your favorite liquor.
Creating A Fun and Festive Sugar Rimmed Glass
Part of the fun with this cocktail is the sugar rimmed glass but to be honest you don’t have to add it if you’re just wanting quick and simple! Sugar rimmed glasses are so simple though, and can really add to the experience of any cocktail. Honestly you don’t have to always use sugar either. I’ve mixed coconut shreds in with my sugar in the past and they add a fun chewy element to the drink! For this cocktail I used pineapple juice and a teal colored sugar that I made at home.
The key to a good rimmed glass cocktail is to ensure the rim has a bit of moisture on it. You can just about anything edible that you can think of to achieve this. I’ve used water, orange juice, lemon juice, grenadine, milk, pineapple juice, coconut milk, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, etc .etc. As long as its edible and wet it should work!
Colored sugar can be purchased just about anywhere. I usually just but the colored sugar you use to decorate cookies from the baking section. 99 cents a bottle and I’m good to go!
You can also make your own colored sugar at home. Simply add the food coloring of your choice to plain sugar in a Ziplock bag and shake vigorously. Spread on a plate and allow to dry for a few hours and voila! DIY colored sugar!
Below are the steps to sugar rim your cocktail:
- Place sugar on a plate or wide bowl. Make the sugar as deep as you want for the size of the sugar
- rim you would like. Sometimes I like a simple small rim of sugar and other times I like it wide and deep. It’s completely up top you! Have fun with it!
- Use the liquid of your choice juice to lightly moisten the glass. You can either use a small sponge to rim the glass with the juice – or you can use a small bowl and invert the top of the glass into it to get it wet.
- After the rim is moistened then you can dip it into the sugar.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup coconut water
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 2 oz Blue Curacao
- 1 oz coconut rum
- 1 cup Ice
Instructions:
- Add colored sugar to glass rim.
- Fill your glass with ice.
- In a bar shaker add your coconut rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice and coconut water.
- Shake to combine.
- Pour your liquor mix into your glass and enjoy!!
Ocean Water Cocktail Recipe
A beachy cocktail that tastes as delicious as it looks.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut water
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 2 oz Blue Curacao
- 1 oz coconut rum
- 1 cup Ice
Instructions
Add colored sugar to glass rim.
Fill your glass with ice.
In a bar shaker add your coconut rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice and coconut water.
Shake to combine.
Pour into your glass and enjoy!!
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Cashawn Ellis
Lovely looking drink, please instruct on how to rim glass in blue sugar
Jill
Hi Cashawn – you should place the sugar on a plate, moisten the rim of the glass and dip it into the sugar.