For years, the Sunset Passion Colada was one of the drinks people remembered from Red Lobster: a tall frozen piña colada with a band of strawberry red. It’s sweet, cold and a little over the top, which is exactly what a seafood chain’s vacation drink should be.
What Red Lobster Served
Red Lobster hasn’t published an official recipe. Copycat recipes attributed to the restaurant describe coconut rum blended with piña colada mix and ice, with strawberry daiquiri mix added for the red “sunset.” Nutrition databases list it at about 300 calories per serving. Top Secret Recipes also published a version of a related Red Lobster drink, the Red Passion Colada.
We couldn’t confirm the Sunset Passion Colada on Red Lobster’s current menu. Red Lobster has reshaped its menu several times in recent years, and frozen drinks vary by location. If it’s gone near you, consider this the version people remember, made with real fruit.
Why Mix-Based Copycats Taste Fake
The easy copycat is coconut rum plus bottled piña colada mix plus bottled strawberry daiquiri mix. It tastes like the restaurant drink, but also a bit artificial: both mixes are heavy on sugar and flavoring.
Making both layers from scratch takes five extra minutes:
- Colada layer: pineapple juice and cream of coconut (sweetened Coco López, not unsweetened coconut cream). That’s what classic piña coladas are made from, and it’s what bottled colada mix imitates.
- Strawberry layer: frozen strawberries, a squeeze of lime and a little sugar. The lime makes it taste like fresh strawberry instead of jam.
The Technique: Two Thick Layers
Layering frozen drinks works because both layers are thick, so they hold their position instead of mixing right away.
Blend the strawberry layer first, using as little water as possible, and pour it into the bottom of a chilled glass. Put the glass in the freezer while you rinse the blender and make the colada. Then spoon the colada over the top. You get a clean red layer and a white one, which blend into a pink swirl as you stir.
Using a little white rum along with the coconut rum gives the drink a bit more backbone. Coconut rum alone is sweet and low in alcohol.
Making It for a Group
Blending large batches of frozen drinks thins them because the blender warms everything. Instead, make the strawberry layer in a big batch, freeze it in a container and let it soften for 10 minutes before you spoon it into glasses. Blend the colada in batches of two. For six drinks, you’ll need 7½ oz (225 ml) coconut rum, 3 oz (90 ml) white rum, 12 oz (360 ml) pineapple juice, 9 oz (270 ml) cream of coconut and about 6 cups of ice in total.
The Mocktail Version
This is one of the easiest drinks to make zero-proof, because coconut and fruit carry the flavor. Leave out the rums and add an ounce of coconut milk for body, plus a drop of vanilla for the rounded, slightly boozy feel. The strawberry layer stays the same. It’s a good drink for kids and adults alike.
Serving
Serve it with fried shrimp, coconut shrimp or anything with tartar sauce, on a hot afternoon with a long spoon-straw.
Quick Fixes
- Layers mixing right away? One layer is too thin. Thicken it with a few more ice cubes or frozen strawberries and keep the glass in the freezer between steps.
- Too sweet? Add a squeeze of lime to the colada layer as well.
- Not coconutty enough? Use another ½ oz cream of coconut, or switch the white rum for more coconut rum.
Enjoy responsibly — must be 21+.
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