Sandals Resorts' Most Popular Cocktails & How To Mix Them Right From Home

Sandals Resorts are known for their amazing Caribbean beaches, luxurious swimming pools, romantic honeymoon suites, great food and fantastic cocktails. The best part: it’s all unlimited and included in your stay!

If you haven’t been able to experience a Sandals all-inclusive vacation yet, or if you’re counting down to your next stay, we’ve got the perfect remedy to tide you over: seven of the most popular Sandals cocktail recipes that you can make right from your own home.

Although your own balcony or back garden might not be a match for sitting at one of Sandals swim-up bars or lounging on its palm fringed beaches, these signature cocktails will definitely get you in a more relaxed state of mind.

Enjoy these tropical drinks with a couple of friends on a warm summer evening!

Seven cocktails made in heaven...

Sandals asked their guests on World Cocktail Day what their favorite cocktail was at each of their resorts in the Caribbean.

By popular vote, the seven cocktails that have won everyone’s hearts were the famous Frozen Bob Marley, Hummingbird, Dirty Banana, BBC, Miami Vice, Jamaican Smile and Purple Rain.

Picture: Seven signature cocktails made in heaven... the best part: they're always unlimited, always included at Sandals Grande St. Lucian.

Each of these cocktails have their own standout flavors and can be whipped up expertly by Sandals bartenders with their seemingly magical mixing skills. Even with that said, with the right recipe and a little bit of practise, anyone can put together a remarkable cocktail.

Here’s how you can make these refreshing cocktails yourself to bring a little bit of ‘all-inclusive’ into your home...

1. Dirty Banana

Favorite cocktail of Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean, Sandals South Coast, Sandals Ochi, Sandals Negril, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Royal Barbados and Sandals Emerald Bay guests.

Smooth, delicious and totally tropical, a Dirty Banana is one of those cocktails that rarely, if ever, disappoints. It is definitely that drink you want at hand if you’re relaxing poolside, taking in a stunning island sunset, or even just relaxing at home.

What you’ll need:

• 1.0 oz. Dark Rum
• 1.0 oz. Crème de Cacao Dark
• 3.0 oz. Milk
• 0.5 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1 Banana
  

How to make it:

1. Get your blender ready, add some ice and toss in the other ingredients.
2. Blend until your mixture is smooth (about 30 seconds).
3. Pour into a cocktail glass, garnish with a pineapple wedge, and voila!
   
   
   

2. Hummingbird

If you like cocktails that are pleasantly surprising a Hummingbird cocktail may be worth your while. With rum cream, Appleton, and hints of banana and other tropical elements, this is one cocktail that’s worth mastering and recreating over, and over, and over again!

What you’ll need:

• 1.5 oz. Appleton Special
• 1.5 oz. Rum Cream
• 0.5 oz. Crème de Cacao Dark
• 0.5 oz. Grenadine
• 1 Banana
  

How to make it:

1. Set up your blender then add ice and other ingredients. The goal is a smooth consistency, so blend for about 30 seconds.
2. Pour your mixture into a tall cocktail glass, garnish with a cherry, and serve.
   
   
   

3. BBC

Favorite cocktail of Sandals Halcyon Beach, Sandals Grenada, Sandals Grande Antigua & Sandals Barbados guests.

Creamy and delicious, a BBC cocktail is the perfect drink to get addicted to while the time ticks on to your next vacation. This drink is great to throw together for a date night, or even for a pre- vacation celebratory cocktail!

What you’ll need:

• 1.0 oz. Irish Cream
• 1.0 oz. Appleton Estate Rum
• 1.0 oz. Banana Liqueur
• 1 Banana
• 3.0 oz. Piña Colada Mix
  

How to make it:

1. Use your blender to mix the ingredients and ice for a smooth consistency. This usually takes about 30 seconds.
2. When you’re done blending, pour your drink into a cocktail glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge.
3. Relax and enjoy!
   
   
   

4. Frozen Bob Marley

Favorite cocktail of Sandals Regency La Toc guests.

The Frozen Bob Marley is a household name in Jamaica and throughout the globe. If you’re planning a Caribbean vacation, then it’s a good idea to start with this cocktail with his namesake which will quickly have you falling into island rhythm and jammin’ to the beat.

What you’ll need:

• 2.0 oz. Strawberry Daiquiri Mix
• 2.0 oz. Mango Daiquiri Mix
• 2.0 oz. Appleton Gold Rum
• 1.0 oz. Blue Curaçao Liqueur
  

How to make it:

1. Set up your blender and gather all your ingredients along with some ice. Blend strawberry daiquiri and ice until mixture is slushy. Add to your cocktail glass to make the first layer of your cocktail.
2. Blend mango daiquiri with ice until slushy. Pour/scoop half of the mango mixture into your glass for the second layer. Do not stir.
3. Put Blue Curaçao into the other half of the mango mixture. This will cause your mixture to turn green. Place the mango mixture into your glass as the third cocktail layer. Do not stir.
4. You can add more rum to the top of your cocktail layers as a float, but this is optional. Add rum to taste.
5. Garnish with fresh fruit and serve.
   
   
   

5. Miami Vice

Favorite cocktail of Sandals Royal Bahamian guests.

Miami Vice cocktails are a sure way to spice things up on a Caribbean vacation. This cocktail is a top choice of Sandals guests and with a first taste, you’ll quickly see why. Ahead of your vacation or even after, perfect and enjoy this delectable drink.

What you’ll need:

• 1.5 oz. Appleton White Rum
• 2.0 oz. Strawberry Daiquiri Mix
• 0.5 oz. Lime Juice
• 1.5 oz. Dark Rum
• 2.0 oz. Piña Colada Mix
• 0.5 oz. Pineapple Juice
  

How to make it:

1. Set up your blender and gather all your ingredients along with some ice. Blend the strawberry daiquiri mix with the Appleton white rum, lime juice and ice until mixture is slushy. Set mixture aside in a mixing glass.
2. Blend the Piña Colada mix with the dark rum, pineapple juice and ice until mixture is slushy.
3. Pour both mixtures in one cocktail glass. Do not stir.
4. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and serve.
   
   
   

6. Jamaican Smile

If you look hard enough, there are plenty of things in life worth smiling about, and the Jamaican Smile cocktail will definitely be one of those if you get the recipe right. This drink is a top choice for ‘rum therapy’ sessions — even better if you get to try it on warm Caribbean shores.

What you’ll need:

• 1.0 oz. Rum Cream
• 0.5 oz. Grenadine
• 1.0 oz. Coconut Cream
• 1.5 oz. Coconut Rum
• 1 Banana
  

How to make it:

1. Mix half of Appleton V/X Rum and Coconut Cream with ice in the blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Transfer your mixture into your desired cocktail glass.
3. Rinse blender. Add some more ice, Grenadine and the rest of the rum.
4. Put the blender on a high speed and mix until smooth. Pour into your cocktail glass.
5. You can add some rum cream on top of your cocktail (optional) as a float. Garnish with fruit (preferably a pineapple slice) and enjoy!
   
   
   

7. Purple Rain

There’s nothing dull or cold about this cocktail, but it will definitely cause the laughter to rain down as you sink into a more peaceful frame of mind with every sip. This is one of those cocktails that really will cause you to slow down for a minute and appreciate every little thing, every little song, and every moment spent in an island paradise if you’re lucky!

What you’ll need:

• 1.5 oz. Appleton Estate V/X
• 1 splash Blue Curaçao Liqueur
• 1 splash Sweet and Sour Mix
• 1 splash Soda Water
• 1 oz. Cranberry Juice
  

How to make it:

1. Take your Appleton Rum and put it into a highball glass with ice. Top with cranberry juice.
2. Add Blue Curaçao, sweet and sour mix and soda.
3. Shake your glass gently then add more Blue Curaçao. The goal is for your mixture to turn a neat royal purple colour. When this happens, garnish if desired, and serve.
   
   

Tools needed to take your cocktail mixing to the next level

You don’t need to be a professional bartender to create amazing cocktails. With the right bar tools everyone can make these amazing Sandals cocktails from their home. No idea what a jigger is? Here’s some of the bartending essentials worth investing in for the perfect cocktail at home:

Blender

Blenders are used often in the world of bartending. There are different grades of blenders depending on the use and these include high-end versions that are especially good for frozen drinks and smoothies. A regular blender works just as well for home made cocktails.

Jigger

Cocktail jiggers are used to measure shots of cocktails. You can pick these up at the store in a range of sizes from 0.5 - 2.5 oz. Jiggers are primarily associated with measuring in the bartending world, so much so that in some recipes the word jigger is used as a unit of measurement.

Cocktail shaker

A cocktail shaker is used to mix beverages in a way that creates the perfect blend of flavors. This tool makes a world of a difference in the cocktail preparation process especially considering ice can be added to the shaker to cool drinks fast.

Picture: Latitudes Over-The-Water Bar at Sandals South Coast in Jamaica. A similar bar can be found at Sandals Montego Bay.

Hand juicer

A hand juicer (or an electric one) is one of those things you probably don’t want to be without on a night of cocktail making. Especially if you will be making a few cocktails for a larger party. Hand juicers make it easy to quickly extract juice from citrus fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies like lime, lemon, orange, and tomato can easily be juiced with a hand juicer.

Mixing glass

The mixing glass is most often used with a bar spoon and strainer and you can use it to help stir, strain and even cool your cocktails without diluting them during the preparation process. This is a bartending essential that both professional and home bartenders need.

Bar spoon

Bar spoons will definitely come in handy at your home bar. You can use one of these to mix or layer your cocktails when the recipe calls for it. Bar spoons are usually long-handled and they can be used for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The length of this spoon makes it easy to get to the bottom of tall jugs and tumblers for mixing.

Chinois

There are a wide range of uses for chinois across the board even outside of the world of bartending. Some types are used by chefs and home cooks, and bartenders use this tool as well for straining. Chinois have a conical shape with fine mesh and they can be used to give cocktails a smoother texture.

Ice cube tray

An ice cube tray might be one of the easier things to find as you’re shopping around to fill your home bartending tool kit. It can be fun to try various types of ice trays as there are lots of different molds and sizes to choose from. Keeping it simple works as well.

Muddler

A muddler is a useful tool to mash or grind fruits, herbs and spices that are added to cocktails during preparation. This tool is similar to a pestle and it is great for getting to the bottom of the glass to crush ingredients in order to release flavors and enhance taste.

Highball glass

Many cocktail recipes call for drinks to be served in a tall glass and most of the time a highball glass, which is a tall tumbler, will work just fine. The average highball glass holds about 8 to 12 fl oz. and it is similar to the Collins glass with the Collins being slightly taller and slimmer.

Enjoy your summer with the perfect Sandals cocktail

Play your favorite reggae song in the background and get ready to mix Sandals legendary cocktails right from your own home.

Picture: the swim-up bar at Sandals Regency La Toc, set on a half-mile, crescent-shaped beach, cradling exotic coral bluffs, lush hillsides and rolling fairways.

Whether you’re counting the days until your next Sandals all-inclusive vacation in the Caribbean, you just returned home, or want to spice up your next pool day, we hope these amazing cocktails will help you unwind and enjoy the summer.