The Malibu cocktail recipe
for your table
Take a highball glass and fill it to the rim with ice cubes.
Pour the coconut rum over the ice.
Add cold pineapple juice and stir once with a bar spoon.
Garnish the rim with a wedge of fresh pineapple.
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The story
Malibu first appeared in 1980. The idea behind it was practical. Everyone wanted Piña Colada, but at a busy bar, it takes too long to make. With a coconut rum that was already mixed in the bottle, one pour got you pretty close. It caught on. Within ten years, the white bottle with the beach label was on shelves all over the world. Malibu Pineapple never got an official cocktail name, by the way. People simply order a Malibu Pineapple, and that actually suits such a simple drink.
The right glass
We serve it in a tall long drink glass of 33 to 47 cl. It's a mild cocktail. With a large glass and plenty of ice, it stays refreshing, while with strong cocktails, you generally prefer a smaller pour. A good Malibu glass is clear, so you can see the cloudy, pale yellow color of the juice. Will the glasses be outside by the garden table or pool? Choose thick-walled Malibu glasses that can be stacked and can take a knock.
Bormioli Rocco Diamond Long Drink Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Long Drink Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
That's € 35,90 altogether, enough for the whole garden.
The right tools
For a Malibu cocktail, you'll need a long bar spoon alongside the glass, a jigger for precise measuring, a glass rimmer and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our pick 01) + 4 bar tools together € 84,75.
Variations & twists
If you want to mix Malibu with a soft drink, cola is the classic choice. In the Netherlands, people order it just as often as the pineapple version. Cranberry juice makes for a refreshing pink variation. Want something stronger? Add some white rum. Coconut cream takes it closer to a Piña Colada. Add a little blue curaçao, and it’ll soon look like a Swimming Pool. Find more ideas in all cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Shake the carton of pineapple juice well first. The pulp settles at the bottom, and that’s what gives your cocktail body. Malibu is only 21 percent, so be generous with the rum. Add too little and you’ll mostly taste juice. Add a straw and a generous garnish. Over-the-top tropical is totally fine here.
Good to know
Other Malibu cocktail recipes
Almost all cocktails with Malibu are made the same way. Coconut rum, plenty of ice, and one juice with enough flavor to stand up to the coconut. You may know the Malibu Sunset cocktail. For that, let a splash of grenadine sink to the bottom so the drink fades from red to yellow. On English menus, the pineapple version is often listed as a Malibu Pineapple cocktail. It has never had a standard name in Dutch. Whichever one you make, use five centiliters of coconut rum. Any less and all you'll taste is juice.
Serving Malibu cocktails to a group
If you're pouring several Malibu cocktails at once, mix only the rum and juice in a pitcher ahead of time and chill it. Add the ice to the glasses just before serving. Otherwise, after half an hour you'll have a pitcher of watery drinks. For six guests, you'll need 30 centiliters of coconut rum and just over seven deciliters of pineapple juice. A Malibu cocktail tastes best with juice straight from the fridge and a glass filled to the top with ice.
Frequently asked questions
What glass do you use for a Malibu cocktail?
A tall long drink glass of 33 to 47 cl, with room for plenty of ice. Browse our long drink glasses.
What do you mix Malibu with?
Pineapple juice is the classic choice. Cola and cranberry juice also work well. We don't recommend orange juice, as it clashes with the coconut.
How much alcohol is in Malibu?
Usually 21 percent, much less than regular rum. With the proportions in this recipe, you'll have a long drink of about 6 percent alcohol.
Can you make a Malibu cocktail non-alcoholic?
Sure. Use coconut syrup, or coconut water with a splash of vanilla syrup, instead of the rum. Top up with pineapple juice and it tastes almost the same.
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