Malibu Bay Breeze

Ever had a drink that tastes like a two-week Caribbean vacation? This is it. My Malibu Bay Breeze is a fruity and coconut-y rum cocktail you can enjoy year round. I’ve included one simple tropical addition to make mine a little more tart – plus a simple tip on how to make a lower sugar version. Only four ingredients needed!

Sometimes a flavor is evocative of a time or place. Even though I spend my days working in the kitchen and editing pictures, one sip of a Malibu bay breeze at happy hour and I can practically feel the sand between my toes and smell the warm salt air. (The same way a lemon sour transports me to Tokyo). And that’s what I find most exciting about this bright, tropical rum cocktail. No matter where I happen to be at the moment, I can introduce a beach holiday vibe on demand.

Why I Like This Cocktail

Easy to make. It’s a mixture of pineapple juice, cranberry juice and Malibu rum. Unmistakable fruitiness, sweet tropical flavor with mild vanilla undertones.
Versatile. While the Malibu breeze can be a fairly sweet cocktail, I’m adding a bit of lime juice for a cleaner and more tropical taste.
Colorful like a sunset. As the red from the cranberry mixes with the yellow from the pineapple, the finished drink has a striking color gradation (like an inverted tequila sunrise).

Ingredients
How to Make a Malibu Bay Breeze
Variations
Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients

Malibu Rum: I use about 2 ounces of this coconut flavored rum per cocktail.
Fresh Lime Juice: Lime juice actually isn’t in most Malibu Bay Breeze recipes. But I find that using about a teaspoon or so of lime juice ups the tropical flavor – and balances out some of the sweeter notes.
Pineapple Juice: This imparts the lion’s share of tropical sweetness.
Cranberry Juice: I prefer using pure, unsweetened cranberry juice. It’s much more tart and bracing than sweet. But that’s personal thing. If you prefer a sweeter drink, feel free to use the old school Ocean Spray cranberry juice cocktail. They both work well.
Lime Twist and/or Pineapple Wedge: These are actually optional, but I find they add a little visual flair and whimsey to the finished drink.
Ice: Now, any ice works here. However the larger and more solid the cubes, the slower the ice will melt and eventually water down your drink. Making larger cubes in silicone ice molds is a fairly simple solution. Or if you’re in to that 100% clear, perfect cocktail ice mixologists use, it’s doable at home with a little time and patience.

How to Make a Malibu Bay Breeze

Ice. Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. (Since there’s a striking color gradation with the cranberry juice added at the end, I wouldn’t recommend using a cocktail shaker for this).
Mix. Then pour your rum, lime juice and pineapple juice in. Gently stir with a straw or tall cocktail spoon.
Cranberry. Slowly pour the cranberry juice on top. The cranberry juice on top of the pineapple juice and rum should create the effect of a sunset.
Garnish and serve. Serve immediately with a pineapple garnish or lime wedge or twist.

Variations

I commonly tweak cocktails to match my own taste preferences. Just keep in mind that once you switch liquor and juices, you’re probably making a cocktail that already has a name. Because if you order a Malibu bay breeze with vodka and grapefruit juice at your local bar, the bartender will tell you, “Ummm, that’s a greyhound.”

Make a mocktail: When I’m steering clear of booze, but still want to partake, I mix everything – but leave the rum completely out of the equation. I add a little coconut water for the island vibes.
Make it with less sugar: Like I mentioned before, I like using pure cranberry juice for the tart factor. The added benefit is that there are less calories in low-sugar juices. Think of it as a Malibu bay breeze lite.
Use different garnishes: Popular options would be a maraschino cherry, orange slice, lemon twist or coconut meat. I’ve added fresh cranberries like in a Kentucky buck before – and it was great.
Use vodka and make a sea breeze cocktail: Completely different drink here – but the same vibe. A sea breeze is vodka, grapefruit juice and cranberry juice. A Hawaiian sea breeze is vodka, cranberry and pineapple juice. Same tropical island ballpark, but separate drinks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pre-mix this?

Since there’s a dramatic color gradation in this cocktail, I wouldn’t suggest pre-mixing this drink entirely. If you have guests coming over, you could always mix the Malibu rum, lime juice and pineapple juice in a pitcher and keep it in the refrigerator. But the cranberry juice should be added to each highball glass immediately prior to serving.

Wait, what’s the difference between a bay breeze and a Malibu bay breeze?

Just the liquor. A bay breeze is a combination of cranberry juice, pineapple juice and vodka. While the juices remain the same, a Malibu bay breeze calls for Malibu coconut rum instead of vodka.

What’s the deal with Malibu Rum?

Malibu is a sweet coconut flavored liquor made with Caribbean rum. Aside from the trademark coconut sweetness, the flavor profile also features notes of vanilla and crème brûlée. With an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 21%, Malibu has a lower proof (42) than many unflavored rum spirits.

Subscribe to my newsletter and receive the latest recipes and weekly favorites straight to your inbox. Join me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for more cooking tips and adventures!

Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!