Name: Coconut Rum Sunrise Cocktail
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 4 Ounces Orange Juice; 2 Ounces Coconut Rum; 2 Ounces Cream of Coconut; Crushed Ice; 1 1/2 Ounces Grenadine Syrup; Slice of an Orange

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Coconut Rum Sunrise Cocktail is a sweet, refreshing drink. Lightly alcoholic, it’s a perfect drink for hot summer days and makes any brunch extra special.

Portrait Image of a beautiful layered cocktail of light orange to dark red in a tall glass with crushed ice.

I love layered cocktails like the Lava Flow and stacked drinks like the B-52. So, I thought I would create my own lightly, boozy drink that would have definite layers. You might think making these types of drinks is hard, but I promise you it is not hard at all.

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Ingredients
Instructions
My Twist on a Classic Cocktail
Substitutions & Variations
Related Recipes
Recipe

Just remember to put heavy weighted liquors or liquids on the bottom and lighter ones one top. This is why this orange juice and rum cocktail starts with a layer of cream of coconut in the bottom of the glass. It is the heaviest of the ingredients.

The simplest layered cocktail is a Tequila Sunrise. Orange juice and tequila are mixed and pour over ice. Then grenadine is poured into the drink. Because the grenadine is heavier than the orange juice and tequila, it sinks to the bottom of the glass and you have the beautiful red and orange cocktail that is still a favorite drink today.

So, are you ready for something new to sip on this summer? My Coconut Rum Sunrise Cocktail will surprise you with every sip!

Ingredients

Instructions

Cream of coconut is in the bottom of a tall glass. Crushed ice is added on top of the cream of coconut. A wedge of an orange is in the foreground and a bottle of Malibu coconut rum is on its side in the background.

Bright red grenadine is being poured into the cocktail of orange juice, coconut rum, and cream of coconut. It is settling toward the bottom of the cocktail. A wedge of an orange is in the foreground and a bottle of Malibu coconut rum is on its side in the background.

Orange juice and coconut rum is layered on top of cream of coconut which is in the bottom of a tall glass of crushed ice. A wedge of an orange is in the foreground and a bottle of Malibu coconut rum is on its side in the background.

A thin orange slice on a bright green cutting board. A 1/3 portion of the slice has been cut from the slice and an angled cut is made through the rind. The orange slice can then be perched in the rim of a glass.

Step 1 – Put cream of coconut into the bottom of a glass and top it off with crushed ice.
Step 2 – Mix coconut rum and orange juice together and pour over the crushed ice.
Step 3 – Pour the grenadine in a steady stream into the cocktail.
Step 4 – Cut a slice of orange to garnish the drink. Garnish the drink and add a straw.

After you add the orange juice and coconut rum, pour a steady stream of grenadine into the cocktail. It will settle toward the bottom of your drink, yielding beautiful and delicious layers.

My Twist on a Classic Cocktail

This cocktail is an update on the Tequila Sunrise Cocktail and my twist on this classic cocktail is to use coconut. Coconut rum is substituted for the tequila and a layer of cream of coconut in the bottom of the glass gives extra sweetness and beauty to this drink.

I like moving my straw up and down through the cocktail. Sometimes I just want to taste the orange and coconut layer and sometimes I like just a tiny sip of the cream of coconut. My husband likes to stir the layers and mix the cream of coconut and grenadine into the orange juice and coconut rum layer.

Although, the Coconut Sunrise looks fancy, it is extremely easy to make. If you are having company over, you can mix the orange juice and coconut rum in advance. Then, you can easily make this drink as needed. It only takes a minute to assemble each drink.

Substitutions & Variations

♥ Mocktail Version - Omit the coconut rum and increase the orange juice to 6 ounces. Add 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract to the orange juice for coconut flavor.

♥ Aperol Version – If you would like a less sweet drink, substitute Aperol for the grenadine syrup.

For extra fun I like striped straws for this cocktail, but any straw will do!

Recipe

Beautiful layered cocktail of light orange to dark red in a tall glass with crushed ice. Red and white striped straws are scattered in the foreground with a dish of peanuts.

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4.6 from 5 votes