Coconut rum is an essential spirit behind the bar—and great in drinks well beyond piña coladas. Though this style of flavored rum once had a questionable reputation for incorporating sickly-sweet, artificial ingredients, many brands have shifted to more natural options. As a result, in-the-know bartenders are today finding new and inventive ways to make this coconut-flavored spirit shine. Here’s everything to know about it, from the basics of how coconut rum is made to the bottles our reviewers are digging at the moment. What Is Coconut Rum? Coconut rum is a coconut-flavored liqueur made by blending rum with coconut-based ingredients like coconut water, milk, purée or other flavorings. The first bottled coconut rum was Malibu, which was created after the founder tasted a coconut-flavored, rum-based beverage brought to London from South Africa in the last 1970s. This drink, called the Coco Rico, inspired the creation of Malibu and more similar coconut-flavored rum bottlings. What Are Popular Coconut Rum Drinks? Although piña coladas are closely associated with coconut rum, it’s an asset to a broad range of cocktails. Consider the Scooby Snack Shot, an internet-famous marriage of coconut rum, banana liqueur, pineapple juice and electric green-hued Midori. There’s also the Making Love at Midnight, served at Crown Jewel on Great Diamond Island off the coast of Portland, Maine, which “is basically a piña colada reconstructed,” says beverage director and bar manager Jordan Knightley. The drink, a sort of clarified milk punch, melds coconut rum with “Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, cream of coconut, Combier Rose liqueur, pineapple juice and a touch of yuzu to build up the acidity.” Meanwhile, Ryan Andrews, beverage director at the San Diego-based GBOD Hospitality Group, enlists coconut rim in several cocktails at its two bar properties, Prohibition and Havana 1920. One is the Cuban Swizzle, a “derivative of a mojito [meant to] broaden people’s understanding of Cuban drinks beyond [the] daiquiri,” Andrews says. It features coconut rum, green Chartreuse, fresh lime, pineapple, demerara sugar and club soda, with a not-too-heavy mouthfeel akin to a Painkiller. Another cocktail, Prohibition’s Lime in the Coconut … And Don’t Call Me in the Morning, blends coconut rum, fresh lime, pineapple and vanilla. A final addition of house-made bitters delivers hits of allspice, cinnamon and clove. But while many of the cocktails that feature coconut rum are sweet, that’s not always the case. Richard Boccato, owner and bartender of Dutch Kills Bar in Long Island City, recently started using coconut rum in a not-as-sweet-as-you-might-think spin on the Old Fashioned. The drink uses aged coconut rum, along with chocolate bitters, cinnamon syrup and Cynar. “It’s very spirit-forward. It’s not like a piña colada or a daquiri,” he says. The lesson here? Coconut rum might surprise you. Here are some of Wine Enthusiast’s favorites. The Best Coconut Rum Bottles to Try FAQs What Mixes Well with Coconut Rum? In many cocktails, coconut rum is paired with fruity ingredients—and there’s a reason for that. Coconut rum can be quite heavy on the palate, and fruits (particularly tropical ones, like pineapple) are bold enough to stand up to it. Slightly spicy accents tend to round out the mouthfeel, too. What Kind of Alcohol Is Coconut Rum? Coconut rum has a base of dark or light rum. How Do You Make Coconut Rum? This is easier than you think. Soak fresh coconut chunks (either store-bought or from a cracked-open ripe coconut) in warm water for 30 minutes. Next, steep it in a sealed glass jar with 2.5 cups of rum for two to three weeks. You can also ingredients like ginger, cardamom, vanilla or chili toward the end of the steeping time. Strain, and you’ve got coconut rum. Why You Should Trust Us All products featured here are independently selected by our team, which is comprised of experienced writers and wine tasters and overseen by editorial professionals at Wine Enthusiast headquarters. All ratings and reviews are performed blind in a controlled setting and reflect the parameters of our 100-point scale. Wine Enthusiast does not accept payment to conduct any product review, though we may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this site. Prices were accurate at the time of publication.