Coconut Sunrise Cocktail

Why You'll Love My Coconut Sunrise Cocktail

If you love a cocktail that's as beautiful as it is delicious, you'll adore my Coconut Sunrise. It's a bright, tropical drink inspired by the classic Tequila Sunrise but with a creamy coconut twist that makes it unforgettable.

I dreamed up this Coconut Sunrise in 2019 as a tropical twist on the refreshing Tequila Sunrise and the Classic Bahama Mama Cocktail-only this version is all about the coconut!

This coconut cocktail begins with a layer of creamy coconut cream for sweetness, then adds coconut rum and orange juice for a bright, sunny flavor. Finally, a splash of grenadine drifts down to create that beautiful sunrise effect in the glass.

The blend of orange, coconut, and rum is smooth, refreshing, and tastes like pure island sunshine. Best of all, this easy tropical cocktail doesn't need a shaker-just some crushed ice and a straw.

Sip through the layers or give it a gentle stir, and you'll be instantly transported to your favorite beach getaway.

Doesn't this sound refreshing? Great!

So, let's cook!

Ingredient Notes

To make this layered tropical drink, you will need these 4 ingredients plus lots of crushed ice:

• Cream of Coconut - This rich, sweet coconut syrup adds all the creamy flavor that makes a Coconut Sunrise cocktail so irresistible. Made from coconut, sugar, and emulsifiers, it's thick and silky-similar in texture to sweetened condensed milk. Look for brands like Coco López or Coco Real for the best flavor and consistency.
• Orange Juice - Freshly squeezed orange juice gives this tropical drink its bright, citrusy balance. If you don't have fresh oranges, refrigerated or frozen reconstituted juice will still work beautifully.
• Malibu Coconut Rum - A smooth, lightly sweet Caribbean rum blended with coconut liqueur. Malibu Coconut Rum is ideal for tropical cocktails because it's not overly strong (21% ABV) and adds a pure, sunny coconut flavor that pairs perfectly with orange juice.
• Grenadine Syrup - A classic bar syrup made from pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon. Its brilliant red color gives the drink its signature "sunrise" effect while adding a hint of fruitiness to balance the sweetness.

Optional Garnishes - Maraschino cherries and a slice of orange. For extra fun, I like striped paper straws for this cocktail, but any straw will do. You can also use a cute umbrella if you prefer an all-out tiki look.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

• Switch Up The Coconut Rum. There are many other mainstream brands of coconut rum like Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Cruzan, and Parrot Bay. Each is slightly different in flavor and contains an alcohol content ranging from 21% to 40%. You can substitute any of these rums for the Malibu to personalize your Coconut Sunrise. However, I don't recommend plain white rum or dark rum for this drink.
• Substitute Pineapple-Orange Juice. If you love a sweeter drink you can substitute pineapple-orange juice for the orange juice.
• Substitute Maraschino Cherry Juice. You can substitute maraschino cherry juice for the grenadine syrup. They are both delicious and are approximately the same weight to form that gorgeous red layer.
• Mocktail Version. Omit the rum and increase the orange juice to 6 ounces. For the coconut flavor, add ½ teaspoon of coconut extract to the orange juice.
• Aperol Version. If you would like a less sweet drink, substitute Aperol for the grenadine syrup.

How to Make a Layered Cocktail

The trick to making a layered drink is to put heavy-weighted liquors or liquids on the bottom and lighter ones on top. This is why this cocktail starts with a layer of cream of coconut at the bottom of the glass. It is the heaviest of the ingredients.

The next layer is the orange juice mixed with coconut rum. It is lighter and stays on top of the cream of coconut.

Grenadine syrup is the last ingredient added to this cocktail. It is poured slowly, and because it is heavier than the orange juice and rum, it falls to the bottom of the cocktail on top of the cream of coconut. It's like magic!