Our Top 10 Tropical Drinks to Escape the Winter Cold
Every year, after the warm embrace of the holiday season has passed, and the freezing cold from the darkest days of winter sets deep into your bones, it happens: you start daydreaming. You aren’t daydreaming of the slopes, with its crowded lift lines and hardpack conditions. No, you start daydreaming of the sun-toasted sand beneath your toes, the quiet tranquility of the ocean tides gently sweeping across an uncrowded beach, and the tropical flavors of a tasty beverage garnished with the cutest, most colorful umbrella.
Winters can be hard and long in the northern climates, so up here, tropical daydreams are as familiar as potholes on a heavily salted road. While you may not be able to travel south this winter for a much-needed break from the cold, you can always give yourself a warming taste of the tropics with a delicious vacation-inspired cocktail at home.
Certain cocktails, with their flavors of pineapple, coconut and orgeat, are almost synonymous with the word vacation. Rum is no different. When it comes to tropical drinks, rum reigns king as the most common base spirit. Though we call the great northern state of Vermont home, at Mad River Distillers, we produce a handful of different rums, including First Run Rum, Vanilla Rum, Maple Cask Rum, PX Rum and Rum 44. These rums all make a great base for a tropical cocktail, especially when combined with some requisite ingredients like fruit juices, sweeteners and coconut.
For juices, pineapple, orange, mango and fresh citrus are most common. While simple syrup is common for a sweetener, popular tropical sweeteners include grenadine (for its beautiful red color), Orgeat (which is an almond sweetener) and Falernum (a spiced syrup). Some tropical beverages incorporate the creamy texture of coconut cream or coconut milk, as well. Examples of tropical drinks include the Mai Tai (made with rum, orange curaçao, lime and water) and Rum Punch (made with a mix of rums and fruit juices).
Below are our Top 10 Tropical Drink recommendations to help you escape the cold this winter:
PAINKILLER
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-2 oz. of First Run Rum
-4 oz. of pineapple juice
-1 oz. of orange juice
-1 oz. of Coco Lopez
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake hard, then strain over fresh ice. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
MAD JUNGLE BIRD
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-1.5 oz. of First Run Rum
-3/4 oz. of Campari
-1.5 oz. of pineapple juice
-1/2 oz. of lime juice
-1/2 oz. of simple syrup
-2-3 dashes of Bittercube Blackstrap Bitters
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake for about 30 seconds, then strain into a tropical mug. Garnish with a cocktail umbrella, lime wheel and edible flowers.
MAI TAI
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail
- 2 oz. First Run Rum
- 1/4 oz. Orgeat
- 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
- 1 oz. Lime Juice
- 4 Dashes Angostura Bitters
- Mint Garnish
- Lemon Wheel
Instructions:
In a shaker, add all ingredients, except for bitters, with ice. Shake for about 8-15 seconds. Strain contents into a tropical mug. Dash bitters on top of the cocktail. Add a lemon wheel and mint sprig for garnish. Note: if preferred, you can shake the bitters with the rest of the ingredients.
COCONUT FIZZ
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-1.5 oz. of Vanilla Rum
-2 oz. of unsweetened coconut puree cream
-1 oz. of simple syrup
-1/2 oz. of lime juice
-1/2 oz. of pineapple juice
-4 drops of Fee Brothers Orange Flower Water
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, and do a dry shake. Next, add ice and shake again then strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Grate fresh lime zest over the top, and enjoy!
FAT-WASHED VANILLA TROPICS
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-1.5 oz. of Coconut Fat-Washed Mad River Vanilla Rum
-1 oz. of Coconut Water
-1/2 oz. of lime juice
-1/4 oz. of passionfruit syrup
Instructions:
To make a Coconut Oil Fat-Washed Vanilla Rum, first add 8 ounces of Vanilla Rum and 3 tablespoons of melted (liquid) unrefined coconut oil to a Mason jar. Shake the ingredients 2-3 times within 5 minutes. Then, let the rum mix sit for 30 minutes. The oil should start to separate. Place the jar in the freezer for 24 hours. The coconut oil will solidify on top. Remove the solidified coconut oil from the jar, and the rum will be ready to use. To make the cocktail, combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge.
CAIPIRINHA
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-2 oz. of Maple Cask Rum
-1/2 oz. of Demerara syrup
-half a lime (squeezed)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a Double Old Fashioned glass. Stir, then top with crushed ice.
THE EXPAT
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-2 oz. of Maple Cask Rum
-1/2 oz. of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
-1/4 oz. of lime juice
-1/4 oz. of lime oleo-saccharum
-3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel, and enjoy!
If you need to make the lime oleo-saccharum, first remove the zest from 4 lime skins (just the zest, and none of the white pith). In a bowl, combine the zest with 8 oz. of raw cane sugar. Muddle the sugar and lime zest together for several minutes to release oils from the zest, then place it in a closed container overnight. After infusing overnight, add 8 oz. of hot water and dissolve the sugar. Strain the liquid to remove all lime zests.
PX PINEAPPLE DAIQUIRI
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-2 oz. of PX Rum
-3/4 oz. of pineapple juice
-1/2 oz. of lime juice
-1/2 oz. of demerara syrup
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake for about 10 seconds, then strain into a coupe glass. Add a fresh flower for garnish.
BURLINGTON SWIZZLE
Ingredients - Yields 1 Cocktail:
-1.5 oz. of Rum 44
-3/4 oz. of cinnamon syrup
-1/2 oz. of lime juice
-1 oz. of pineapple juice
-2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
-4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
-pineapple prawn
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake dry for about 15 seconds. Pour the contents over crushed ice in a Collins glass. Top with Angostura and Peychaud’s Bitters. Garnish with a pineapple prawn.
RUM PUNCH
Ingredients - Yields 5 Cocktails:
-1 container Newman’s Own Orange Mango Tango juice
-3 oz. of Rum 44
-3 oz. of First Run Rum
-1 oz. of Vanilla Rum
-1 oz. of Maple Cask Rum
-1 oz. of PX Rum
-1 oz. of Angostura Bitters
-1 oz. of lime juice
-1.5 oz. of lemon juice
-12 dashes of Grapefruit Bitters
Instructions:
In a large glass jar or pitcher, combine all ingredients. Give the ingredients a gentle shake, then store in the refrigerator overnight. Serve in a tall glass filled with ice, and garnish with a lime wedge.
Bring more than tropical daydreams into your life. Give yourself a sip of the tropics from wherever you are hunkered down this winter! Visit the recipes section of our website for even more tropical cocktail recipes. If you need ingredients beyond fresh juices, be sure to stop by our Burlington Tasting Room where you can pick up bottles of our spirits, as well as the flavorful syrups and bitters you’ll need to mix up a taste of the tropics from the comfort of your warm home. Cheers!
Written and published by Brianne Lucas on January 6, 2026.
