The Bahama Mama is the definitive casual-dining beach drink: pink-orange, full of juice and topped with a cherry. Applebee’s leaned into that during its “Dollarmama” promotion, when it sold the Bahama Mama for $1 for a month the same way it sells the Dollarita.
What Applebee’s Serves
In promoting the Dollarmama, Applebee’s described its Bahama Mama as white rum with a mix of lime, pineapple and orange juice, plus hints of coconut and cherry. It’s a lighter, fruitier version than the old-school bar Bahama Mama, which often includes dark rum and even coffee liqueur.
Applebee’s rotates drinks a lot, both on its regular menu and in the monthly $1 slot, and we couldn’t confirm the Bahama Mama on the current national menu. If you want it at a restaurant, check the app first. If you want it right now, it takes five minutes at home.
Why Copycats Taste Like Fruit Punch
Most copycats pour rum into a glass of mixed juice and add grenadine. The problem is that juice is sweet and one-dimensional. Three small details fix it:
- Fresh lime. Half an ounce of lime adds the acidity that turns juice into a cocktail.
- Coconut rum, used sparingly. Applebee’s says “hints of coconut,” and a half-ounce of coconut rum is about right. More than that and it turns into a piña colada.
- Cherry as well as grenadine. A splash of syrup from a jar of maraschino cherries adds the candied cherry note that grenadine alone doesn’t.
The Key Technique: Shake, Then Sink
Shake the rums and juices hard. Pineapple juice foams when it’s shaken, giving you a light, frothy top like the restaurant drink. Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.
Then add the grenadine last, pouring it slowly down the inside of the glass. Because it’s denser than everything else, it sinks to the bottom and gives the drink a sunset gradient. Stir before drinking if you want it evenly sweet, or sip through it and let it get sweeter as you go.
A Pitcher for the Patio
This is an easy drink to batch. For eight drinks, combine 8 oz (240 ml) white rum, 4 oz (120 ml) coconut rum, 16 oz (480 ml) pineapple juice, 12 oz (360 ml) orange juice and 4 oz (120 ml) fresh lime juice. Chill. Pour each glass over ice and add ½ oz grenadine at the end so everyone gets the sunset look. Garnish with orange slices and cherries on picks.
Want it colder without watering it down? Freeze pineapple juice in ice cube trays and use those in place of regular ice.
Going Frozen
Blend one drink’s ingredients (minus the grenadine) with a cup of ice and half a cup of frozen pineapple. Swirl grenadine around the inside of the glass first, then pour in the frozen drink. The red streaks look great and the flavor is the same.
The Mocktail: Bahama Papa
The Bahama Mama is mostly juice already, so the mocktail is easy. Coconut water replaces the rum. It brings the coconut flavor and keeps the drink from being as sweet as juice-only versions. A single drop of vanilla adds the rounded, slightly boozy feel that rum provides. Everything else — pineapple, orange, lime, grenadine and the cherry — stays the same.
Serving
Serve with anything from the grill, spicy wings or a plate of nachos. It’s a light, low-alcohol drink for a long afternoon, and it’s an easy crowd-pleaser for guests who don’t usually like cocktails.
Enjoy responsibly — must be 21+.
See all Applebee’s copycat drinks →
