Winter Sunshine Coconut Rum Cocktail

A sunny winter rum cocktail to brighten up the winter blahs!  Made with Malibu Rum, Coconut Milk and Orange Juice.  A refreshing twist on a Piña Colada.

Updated from 2017 to include more information and tips

Do you ever wish you could just make your own sunshine? Like on those drab dreary days and weeks during the winter?  With this delicious and lively coconut rum cocktail recipe, you will feel like you are being transported straight to a tropical beach!

I am not sure how you feel about winter but for me living in Canada and being a non-skier I can do without.  Don’t get me wrong I like a white Christmas like everyone else but then I fully expect the snow to melt the very next morning!  Scram!

I was driving home the other day … it was freezing outside but the sun had the most magnificent warm orange glow over the horizon.  For just a brief second I imagined that I was driving in the summer heat on my way home to get bikini ready and bask in the sun for the afternoon.

Well, that dream ended about the second I opened my car door and got blasted with below freezing temps… cold enough to make a polar bear feel right at home.  I would much rather be slurping a tropical beachside drink like this Skinny Strawberry Mojito.

People never really talk about Winter Cocktails but I think they should.  Hell for those of us living in cold climates a little cocktail to warm us up is just what we need!  That and to help us through cabin fever!

So I got to thinking about the warm looking but totally misleading sunshine I was blessed with today and turn it into this “Winter Cocktail” aptly named Winter Sunshine.

This coconut rum cocktail recipe is just as misleading as it sounds… It looks all snowy and cold but is brought to life with summer flavours of coconut and orange juice.  Kinda how I felt misled by that sunshine in my car that promised warmth.

This sunny Malibu rum drink is a little bit like a traditional Piña Colada.  A little lighter because it uses coconut milk instead of the heavy coconut cream and with orange juice which let’s face it is much easier to find!

The Winter Sunshine Rum Cocktail is a sinch to make.  Easily double or triple the recipe to share with friends.  All you need is a good blender that can crush ice well and in my opinion a fancy glass to make you feel like you are somewhere else away from the cold…. even if it is only while you enjoy this divine cocktail. 

Maybe just sit in the sun in front of the window and pretend.  What do they say to visualize what you want and it will manifest? Ha!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Coconut milk – look for the canned kind versus the milk substitute you find in the dairy section. Canned coconut milk has a higher fat content which you will find as a thick layer when you open up the can. Just mix it up with a spoon and then measure. This type of coconut milk has much more flavour and is creamier.

• Orange juice – pulp free orange juice is best.

• Coconut rum – give this cocktail a tasty topical flavour

• Shredded coconut – this is totally optional and is used to rim the glass with making the cup look like it has just freshly snowed on the edges of this rum cocktail recipe.

how To Make A winter sunshine Cocktail

Place about 1/2 a cup of shredded coconut flakes on a plate or shallow dish. Rim the edge of a martini or wide-rimmed cocktail glass with a slice of orange or water and then dip the glass rim side down into the coconut flakes to rim the glass. You may need to gently roll the edges in the coconut.

Add 1 cup of ice then 1 oz of Coconut Rum, 2 oz of coconut milk and 1 oz of orange juice to a blender and blend on high until the liquid is creamy and there are no large ice chunks. Should be the consistency of a smoothie. Pour into coconut rimmed glass and serve immediately.

What if you don’t have Coconut Rum?

If you don’t have coconut rum on hand you can easily replace this ingredient with any white rum.  The cocktail may have a little less coconut flavour but will still be delicious.

Can you make This cocktail ahead of time?

I wouldn’t recommend doing so.  Because this is a frozen cocktail the ice will melt and the drink will lose its creamy texture. 

As well, this drink will separate over time with the coconut milk rising to the top.  If this happens before you are finished with your cocktail simply use a cocktail mixer or straw to remix in the glass.  This does take quite some time to happen but just in case.

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For the step-by-step version of this recipe, check out the How To Make A Winter Sunshine Cocktail Story.