15 best Caribbean drinks to try

Piña Colada

Let's start with one of the best-known names on any bar menu: the Piña Colada. You can order one almost anywhere these days, but its story begins somewhere specific. It was created in 1954 at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where bartenders blended rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice into something that tastes like a hammock nap in liquid form. You'll find it wherever Caribbean cocktails are poured — from beachside bars to cruise ship lounges — always with that same creamy trio of pineapple, coconut and rum. It has been Puerto Rico's official drink since 1978, and there's real pleasure in ordering one within sight of the harbor where it started. Save yours for your next cruise from San Juan.

Bajan Rum Punch

Barbados has been making rum longer than almost anywhere in the world, and the Bajan Rum Punch is a fine introduction to it. The recipe is passed along as a rhyme: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak. Translation? Lime juice, sugar syrup, dark rum and water, with a dash of Angostura bitters and a whisper of grated nutmeg on top. The nutmeg is a Barbadian signature, and it makes all the difference. It’s smooth and balanced, with more strength than the flavor suggests. In Barbados it's a staple at celebrations, Sunday fish fries and unplanned beach gatherings, served cold and always with that little dusting of nutmeg.

When you cruise to Barbados, consider the St. Nicholas Abbey, Railway & Rum excursion for a chance to meet this punch's main ingredient on its home ground. It's a ride through sugarcane fields and Jacobean architecture, ending at an award-winning distillery where the Bajan spirit still flows freely.

Goombay Smash

The Goombay Smash is a Bahamian original, created at Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar on Green Turtle Cay, and it has been a beachside favorite ever since. Coconut rum, light rum, pineapple juice and orange juice layer sweetness with just enough spirit to remind you this isn't only fruit juice. It's tropical, bright and built for an afternoon with no particular schedule — which suits the name, since "Goombay" refers to a drum-centered style of Bahamian music.

Green Turtle Cay may not be on the itinerary, but the drink certainly is. Look for a Goombay Smash in Bahamian ports, including the private port of Princess Cays.

Mojito

The Mojito may be minty, but it has deep roots. This Cuban classic traces back to 16th-century Havana, when it was known as "El Draque," a nod to the privateer Sir Francis Drake. Today's version is far gentler: white rum, lime, sugar, mint leaves and soda water, combining into something light, zesty and endlessly refreshing. For the literary crowd, it was reportedly Hemingway's drink of choice during his years in the Cuban heat.

The Mojito travels well. It's poured at bars across the Caribbean and served aboard ship, so it's an easy one to order at the end of a warm day ashore.

Bahama Mama

Sweet, strong and not especially subtle, the Bahama Mama brings coconut and dark rum together with pineapple juice, orange juice and grenadine. Its name is usually traced to Dottie Lee Anderson, a calypso singer and dancer who performed under the stage name "Bahama Mama," though the drink's exact origins are debated. It has a flair for presentation, particularly when served in its natural habitat: a hollowed-out pineapple. Order one and your next decision needn't be more complicated than where to lay out the beach towel.

On your cruise to Nassau, consider the Best of Nassau excursion, a four-hour narrated drive through Nassau and Paradise Island that stops at the Nassau Rum Cake Factory for a sample and at John Watling's Rum Distillery for a tour and a complimentary welcome drink.

Pain-killer

The name sounds clinical, but the Painkiller is anything but. Created in the 1970s at the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands, it blends Pusser's Rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and coconut cream, finished with grated nutmeg. It's smooth, creamy and generous — the kind of drink that eases the shoulders down from around the ears.

To sip a Painkiller where it began, head to Jost Van Dyke on the White Bay Beach Break excursion, where the Soggy Dollar Bar serves this Caribbean classic just steps from the sea.

Ti’ Punch

Ti' Punch keeps things spare. This drink from Martinique skips the mixers entirely: rhum agricole, sugar cane syrup and a squeeze of lime. That's the whole recipe. In Creole, "Ti' Punch" means "small punch," though the flavor is anything but small — direct, aromatic and unmistakably French Caribbean. Traditionally, the host sets out the bottles and each guest mixes their own to taste.

On your next cruise to Martinique, explore the island's rum heritage on the Local Connections: Belfort Plantation House & Clement Rum Tasting with Cultural Expert excursion — ride a tram through a working banana plantation at L'Habitation Belfort, then tour the Clement Plantation House and its antique distillery, where Clement has been producing rum since 1887.

Dark 'n Stormy

Originating in Bermuda, the Dark 'n Stormy has become a popular cocktail enjoyed throughout the Caribbean. Its history is tied to sailing, shipyards and long days on the water. Made with Gosling's Black Seal Rum and ginger beer, plus a lime wedge, it's spicy, bold and easy to recognize. One piece of trivia worth knowing: the name is trademarked by Gosling Brothers Ltd., so only versions made with their rum carry the official title.

You'll find it poured at bars across the islands and aboard ship, where the ginger beer makes it especially welcome on a warm afternoon at sea.

Planter's Punch

Planter's Punch is tropical comfort in a glass, layering dark rum, citrus juices, grenadine and a few dashes of Angostura bitters into juicy harmony. While its exact origins are debated, Planter's Punch is closely associated with Jamaica, where it remains a popular island favorite. Rich, tangy and a little spicy, it tastes like fruit punch that grew up and traveled.

Stop off in Jamaica on a Western Caribbean cruise and try one for yourself.

El Presidente

El Presidente rose to prominence in 1920s Cuba, when American travelers were heading south during Prohibition in search of a proper cocktail. Made with rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao and a splash of grenadine, it's smooth, lightly sweet and quietly elegant — a drink for an unhurried evening rather than a beach chair. Named for then-President Gerardo Machado, the cocktail has long outlasted his time in office, and it remains a favorite among those who like a little history with their glass. It's a fine one to order on your next cruise to Curaçao.

Coquito

If the holidays in Puerto Rico had a flavor, it would be Coquito. This creamy drink combines rum, coconut milk, condensed milk, cinnamon and vanilla into something rich, sweet and deeply nostalgic. That's the base recipe — many families keep their own variation. Some swear by cinnamon sticks, others add a pinch of nutmeg or an extra splash of vanilla. It's all part of a wider Caribbean food tradition where the best dishes and drinks leave room for interpretation. Often called "Puerto Rican eggnog," Coquito is a festive favorite passed around at gatherings along with stories and a little friendly gossip. Best enjoyed chilled and shared, especially on one of our cruises to Puerto Rico.

Queens Park Swizzle

Think of the Queen's Park Swizzle as Trinidad's contribution to cocktail architecture. Created at the Queen's Park Hotel in Port of Spain, it stacks rum, lime, mint, sugar and a float of Angostura bitters into a drink that's as striking to look at as it is to taste. The flavors settle into something cool, citrusy and lightly spiced — a close relation to the Mojito, with more depth. It's often described as one of the Caribbean's oldest cocktails, which has given it plenty of time to be refined. Ready for a taste? Cruise to Trinidad and explore its cocktail heritage.

Cuba Libre

At first glance, the Cuba Libre looks simple: rum, cola, lime. Behind the bubbles, though, is a toast to history. Created in the early 1900s to mark Cuba's independence from Spain, it became a symbol of freedom poured over ice. Don't let the short recipe fool you — this fizzy classic is one of the most popular cocktails in the world, ordered in bars as far away as Hong Kong. It's easy to make, easy to drink and satisfying after a long day of doing everything, or nothing at all.

Aruba Ariba

The Aruba Ariba arrives with color and confidence. This cocktail was created in the 1960s at the Aruba Caribbean Hotel, where a young bartender named Juan "Jocky" Tromp won a mixing competition with it. The recipe combines vodka, rum, crème de banana and a bright mix of fruit juices, along with coecoei — an Aruban liqueur made from agave and the sap of the native watapana tree. Coecoei isn't exported, which is why the version poured on the island tastes different from the one you'll find anywhere else. The Aruba Ariba still holds up as a champion of island flavor. Ask for one at a local bar when you're in port at Aruba and you may get a bartender's own twist, depending on what's in season.

Bushwacker

The Bushwacker is what happens when dessert finds its way into a cocktail. Created in the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Ship's Store and Sapphire Pub in St. Thomas, it blends rum, coffee liqueur, coconut cream and chocolate syrup into something that drinks like a milkshake. Topped with whipped cream and a cherry, it's rich and indulgent, and it's meant to be enjoyed slowly. In some places it arrives with chocolate sauce drizzled down the inside of the cup, which does nothing to reduce its charm.

Non-alcoholic Caribbean drinks to try

Not every Caribbean favorite contains alcohol. Across the islands, locals enjoy refreshing traditional drinks made from fruits, spices and regional plants. Popular options include fresh coconut water served straight from the shell, sorrel tea brewed from hibiscus petals and Mauby, a distinctive bittersweet drink made from tree bark and spices. These beverages offer the same vibrant island flavors as the classic cocktails and are widely available at markets, cafés and beachside stalls — as well as on board, where bartenders can prepare non-alcoholic versions of many house favorites.

Drink-focused shore excursions in the Caribbean

The most memorable way to learn about a Caribbean drink is to meet the people who make its main ingredient. Several Princess shore excursions are built around exactly that, pairing a distillery visit with a guided look at the island around it — with transportation and timing handled so you're back aboard without watching the clock.

• Local Connections: Toppers Rhum Tasting & Cooking Class with Expert Guide — St. Maarten. Three and a half hours at a 6,000-square-foot distillery, where a guide walks you through how the handcrafted rums are fermented, distilled and filtered. Taste six signature rums alongside St. Maarten's rum cake, learn to nose and taste properly in the barrel aging room, then pick up a few ways to cook with rum before a scenic drive back to port.
• Foursquare Rum Distillery & Scenic Drive — Barbados. A four-hour excursion into the island's interior, to a distillery built on a 17th-century sugar factory site, where the 350-year-old Barbadian rum tradition meets modern production.
• Local Connections: Belfort Plantation House & Clement Rum Tasting with Cultural Expert — Martinique. A half-day of just over four hours in the home ground of rhum agricole. Ride a tram through a working banana plantation, explore the gardens and photograph gallery of one of the Caribbean's best-known plantation houses, then take a guided tour and tasting at the estate's antique distillery.
• Local Connections: Highlights, Hell & Seven Fathoms Rum Distillery with Master Distiller — Grand Cayman. Two easygoing hours: a scenic drive to Hell, named for the black rock formations rising out of the ground and home to a hell-themed post office, then a visit to Seven Fathoms to learn how its rum is aged underwater, with a tasting to finish.
• Local Connections: Spice Garden, Grenada Distillers & Rum Tasting with Expert Guide — Grenada. Four hours built around the island's two best-known exports. Sample nutmeg syrup and nutmeg liqueur at De La Grenade Industries, walk a spice garden path lined with nutmeg shells, then tour Grenada Distillers for a tasting on the way back to St. George's.

Excursion availability varies by itinerary and sailing date. You can see what's offered on your specific voyage through Manage Booking on Princess.com or the Princess Cruises app.

Explore the Caribbean with Princess

Now that you've met the Caribbean's best-known pours, there's really only one thing left to do: taste them where they were created. Whether it's a Bushwacker on a breezy beach in St. Thomas or a carefully mixed Ti' Punch with a view of Martinique's coastline, these cocktails are at their best in their home setting.

A Princess cruise makes it easy to taste your way through the tropics, pairing Caribbean food, drink and sunshine with just the right measure of ease. Raise your glass to unhurried days, fresh flavors and island discoveries.

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