Classic Cocktails in History: The Rum Runner’s Colorful Past
Named for illicit alcohol transports during Prohibition, this fruity, boozy creation was born from a need to use up a hotel bar’s excess inventory.
Rum Runner at the Tiki Bar photo credit Three Waters Resort and Marina
There’s nothing quite like a good cocktail origin story. Even if the details are fuzzy or disputed, the tale of how a bartender mixed a certain combination of ingredients—whether for a guest’s request, practical reasons or by accident–and created something new that’s stood the test of time, is intriguing. Even more fun than hearing about the drink’s genesis is sipping it in the very spot where it was born. I’ve been lucky enough to sample a Pina Colada at the Beachcomber Bar at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan and linger over a Sazerac at New Orleans’ Sazerac House. Most recently, I visited a Tiki Bar in the Florida Keys where half a century ago a tropical tipple was invented as a nod to the region’s Prohibition-era booze smugglers: the Rum Runner.
I’ll admit: before my stay at the Three Waters Resort & Marina in Islamorada, named for the bodies of water in the Keys: the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and Gulf of Mexico, I had never really known too much about the Rum Runner. To me, it seemed interchangeable with the ubiquitous Rum Punch that’s pretty much served everywhere that you find sandy beaches, warm breezes, and palm trees. But while there may be as many recipes for Rum Punch as there are islands in the Caribbean, I discovered that the Rum Runner’s pedigree is much more specific.
The History of the Rum Runner Cocktail
Rum-runner William S. McCoy, Florida from 1900 to 1920
As the story goes, John “Tiki John” Elber was manager of the Tiki Bar at the Holiday Isle, the hotel’s former iteration, which was a hotspot for celebs and the "it crowd" in the disco era. In the early 1970s, he created the drink as a way to finish off his excess stock of rum, liqueurs and other ingredients. In this case, necessity really was the mother of invention.
Elber named the drink after the region’s real rum runners in the 1920s, who evaded authorities by using the network of waterways to illegally transport alcohol procured from the Caribbean, helping speakeasies in Florida and across the country stay stocked and patrons happy. To this day, guests at sister property La Siesta Resort & Villas can still see pillars a few hundred feet offshore that are remnants of an overwater distillery that operated during Prohibition times—a location strategically selected to take advantage of its loophole as “international waters.”
“The carefree spirit of the destination has embraced the rum runner’s swashbuckling past,” says Hicham El Ibrik, manager of Three Waters Resort. “The cocktail is now considered a classic tiki drink and perfectly captures the laid-back atmosphere of the Keys.”
Where & How to Enjoy the Rum Runner
I found lots of tranquil spots to sip a Rum Runner at Three Waters Resort, including a swinging hammock near the marina, tucked into a seat on my private oceanfront balcony and on a lounge chair under an umbrella on the quiet beach at The Cove, the property’s new adults-only private enclave. If you’re looking for a buzzier vibe, you can head to the Tiki Bar where it all started, which attracts just as many locals as resort guests and serves up shaken and frozen versions from mid-morning until late night.
The resort proudly embraces its legacy in other ways, too. Guests are offered a Rum Runner welcome drink at check-in, and they can also sample it during free daily tastings held in their Rum Library, where pours of Key West Legal Rum and other Caribbean spirits are served. Oh, and you can get around on the aptly-named Rum Runner water taxi. Because not naming it that would have been a huge missed opportunity.
The drink’s original recipe is a kitchen-sink-combination of rum, blackberry liqueur, banana liqueur, grenadine, lime and orange juices and simple syrup. “The Rum Runner is the ultimate tropical cocktail—bright, fruity, and smooth, with just the right balance of sweetness and booze,” says El Ibrik. “It’s not just a drink, it’s a tradition; whether it’s your first sip or a nostalgic favorite, it always brings a little Keys magic.”
Rum Runner Recipe
Recipe courtesy of Three Waters Resort & Marina, Islamorada, Florida
Rum Runner al fresco photo credit Kelly Magyarics
The resort still uses the original recipe, which is traditionally served over ice. For a frozen version, combine all ingredients except the garnish in a blender with ice, and blend until smooth. “It’s incredibly refreshing and easy to enjoy whether you’re relaxing poolside or watching the sunset over the marina,” says El Ibrik. “It just feels like vacation in a glass.”
2 oz. Bacardi 151 Rum
1 oz. Giffard Banane du Brésil Liqueur
¾ oz. Giffard Crème du Mûre (Blackberry Liqueur)
5 ½ oz. orange juice
1 ½ oz. simple syrup
½ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. grenadine
Orange slice and a cherry (optional, but classic)
Add the first seven ingredients to a shaker, add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a Hurricane glass filled with ice, and garnish if desired.