Malibu Bay Breeze

This Malibu Bay Breeze recipe is a delicious tropical cocktail that pairs coconut rum, cranberry and pineapple. Layer together and enjoy!

Looking for an easy coconut rum cocktail? Try the Malibu Bay Breeze! This tropical drink could not be easier and it looks stunning in the glass. Layer coconut rum, pineapple and cranberry juice and you’ve got a delicious fruity drink: sweet tart with a tropical finish! This one’s a spin on the classic Bay Breeze using Malibu Coconut Rum. We spent hours perfecting how get that lovely layered look: here’s how it’s done!

What’s in a Malibu Bay Breeze?

The Bay Breeze is part of a family of cranberry cocktails that are based on the Cape Codder (aka, the Vodka Cranberry). It’s similar to a Sea Breeze, but uses pineapple with cranberry instead of grapefruit juice. These drinks became popular in the 1960’s, originally invented by Ocean Spray as a way to push cranberry juice as a drink mixer. The Malibu Bay Breeze takes the classic formula of the Bay Breeze and uses coconut rum instead of vodka. Here’s what’s in the Malibu Bay Breeze:

• Coconut rum (Malibu Coconut Rum or another brand)
• Cranberry juice
• Pineapple juice

Use 100% unsweetened cranberry juice

In our cranberry cocktails, we prefer using 100% unsweetened cranberry juice. Make sure to look for this when you’re shopping! Here’s a little more about how to find it and why it’s great in a Malibu Bay Breeze:

• Avoid sweetened cranberry juice, aka cranberry juice cocktail. This is what was used in cranberry cocktails of the past, but it’s got lots of added sugar. These days you can find bottes marked with 100% juice or “unsweetened” cranberry juice.
• Unsweetened juice makes a balanced drink. Malibu Coconut Rum has a lot of added sugar, and pineapple juice is very sweet. So using unsweetened juice makes a great balance.
• It also affects the layers in the drink. Keep reading for why!

How to make the layers in a Malibu Bay Breeze

How to make layered cocktails? It’s all based on density. The denser liquids float to the bottom, and the less dense liquids float to the top.

• Make sure to use unsweetened cranberry juice here. The sugar affects the density! The order you float the liquids matters.
• Add the pineapple and coconut rum to a glass and stir. These will stay on the bottom.
• Top with the unsweetened cranberry juice, which will float on top! If you’d like, stir gently to get a bit of a swirl effect.

More about Malibu coconut rum

The Malibu Bay Breeze is most often made with Malibu Coconut Rum, the most common type of coconut rum on the market. The coconut is essential to the tropical flavor. Here’s what to know about Malibu:

• Malibu coconut rum is actually a coconut-flavored liqueur made with rum. Malibu has lots of added sugar and a low alcohol level: it’s only 21% ABV. In contrast, rum has no sugar and a 40% ABV.
• Malibu coconut rum was launched in 1982 as a way for bartenders to simplify making the Piña Colada. It’s the most popular brand on the market, but there are others like Bacardi, Capitan Morgan, and so forth.
• What other drinks can you make with Malibu? Try more Malibu drinks: the icy Bahama Mama or the Malibu Sunset, another layered drink with grenadine!

Variations on the Malibu Bay Breeze

There are lots of variations on the Malibu Bay Breeze, and a few other tropical cocktails and beach drinks that use similar ingredients! Here are a few more to try:

• Try the famous Sea Breeze with vodka, cranberry and grapefruit juice
• Opt for a straight-up Bay Breeze with vodka, cranberry and pineapple
• Go for a Madras with cranberry, orange, and vodka
• Mix coconut rum with pineapple juice for a Malibu and Pineapple

01

Sea Breeze Cocktail

02

Malibu Sunset

03

Malibu and Pineapple

04

Bay Breeze Cocktail

Print