The Bob Marley drink is a layered, rum-based cocktail with bright tropical flavors. It’s surprisingly easy to make the colorful layers and always a crowd-pleaser!
The Bob Marley Cocktail
The Bob Marley drink is a rum-based cocktail. It is a layered drink, with the colors red, yellow, and green, which are also the colors of the Rastafari flag. Bob Marley was a key supporter of the Rastafari movement and the most well-known creator of reggae music. So that’s where the name comes from!
With its tropical flavors, the Bob Marley cocktail is perfect for enjoying on your next beach vacation. It’s a popular drink at resorts!
Or if you’re like me, with no vacation on the horizon, this fruity concoction is just the thing for feeling like you’re on an island, even if just for a few minutes…in your imagination! It’s fun and fruity and surprisingly easy to achieve the colorful layered effect and Jamaican vibes!
There are a couple different versions of this recipe that I can find, often using strawberry daiquiri mix for the bottom layer and a combination of rum and fresh mango juice or daiquiri mix or orange curaçao for the remaining drink mixture. Some of those ingredients might not be easily available, so I tried to make our recipe with things that you can find at most stores or you may already have at home.
Plus, there’s no blender needed, so it’s much easier clean-up!
Related: If you love this layered look, try our Blue Hawaiian Sunrise Cocktail recipe or our Blue Lagoon Drink recipe!
Ingredients
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For the Red Portion of the Drink (Bottom Layer)
- 1 oz of Grenadine Syrup
For the Yellow Portion of the Drink (Second Layer)
- 1⁄2 oz of Rum (I like coconut rum here, but you could also use a light rum)
- 4 oz of Pineapple Juice
For the Green Portion of the Drink (Top Layer)
- 1 oz of Pineapple Rum (Look for a rum that is yellow in color)
- 1 oz of Blue Curacao
Our Favorite Bartender Tools
- Stainless Steel 2-Piece Cocktail Shakers (This is the style I learned to bartend with and still prefer)
- Cocktail strainer
- Cocktail glasses — A highball, margarita glass, mason jar… almost any fun glassware could work for this festive tropical drink!
Instructions
- Pour about an ounce of grenadine into the bottom of the glass and fill with ice.
- Add the pineapple juice and 1/2 ounce of rum (coconut or silver) to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake to combine. Strain and pour into your glass slowly, so as much as possible you do not disturb the bottom layer. (A little mixing where the layers meet is normal).
- Add the pineapple rum and an ounce of Blue Curaçao to your cocktail shaker. Give a couple quick shakes until mixed, then strain into your glass slowly to form the middle third of the drink. Again, do this carefully so to leave the yellow portion of the drink intact.
- Garnish with your favorite fruits: pineapple slices, grapefruit slices, and/or maraschino cherries are all fun and tasty options!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the Same Thing as the Flaming Bob Marley Shot?
While I was in college, I worked as a bartender. Occasionally we’d get a request for a “Flaming Bob Marley Shot” which is a bit different (and stronger) than this mixed drink. The flaming variation included creme de menthe and Bacardi 151, which is flammable, layered in a tall shot glass. It was kind of a pain to make and not very tasty in my opinion.
There’s also a Bob Marley shot made in a large shot glass involving Jagermeister. Not sure why… I definitely prefer the fruity drink!
Can I Use Just One Type of Rum?
Sure! We used both coconut and pineapple rum for a truly tropical experience. However, if you want to minimize your shopping list, you can just buy the pineapple rum. This one is most important because it is yellow in color and we need that to make our top third of the drink, which is green in color.
Can You Make This a Frozen Drink?
Yes! The frozen version requires a little extra work, because you’ll have to rinse the blender between each layer. Instead of mixing the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, you can blend in a blender (with ice) and layer each section in a glass.
More of our Most Popular Rum Drinks
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Bob Marley Drink (Layered Cocktail Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail shaker
- 1 Cocktail Strainer
- Cocktail glasses
Ingredients
For the Red Portion of the Drink (Bottom Layer)
- 1 oz Grenadine
For the Yellow Portion of the Drink (Middle Layer)
- 1/2 oz Rum I like coconut rum here, but you could also use a light rum
- 4 oz Pineapple Juice
For the Green Portion of the Drink (Top Layer)
- 1 oz Pineapple Rum Look for a rum that is yellow in color
- 1 oz Blue Curacao
Instructions
- Pour grenadine into the bottom of the glass and fill completely with ice.
- Add the pineapple juice and coconut rum to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake to combine. Strain and pour into your glass slowly, so as much as possible you do not disturb the bottom layer. This will be the middle third of the drink and the largest section.
- Add the pineapple rum and Blue Curaçao to your cocktail shaker. Give a couple quick shakes until mixed, then strain into your glass slowly. Again, do this carefully so to leave the yellow portion of the drink intact.
- Garnish with your favorite fruits: pineapple slices, grapefruit slices, and/or maraschino cherries are all fun and tasty options!
Notes
Nutrition
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Andrew says
What kind of pineapple rum do you use that is “yellow” , cannot find a rum in the area that is not clear , any help would be appreciated !
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
If you can’t find a yellow pineapple rum, you can also mix pineapple juice with it to make a yellow layer. There are also rum punch drink mixes that might work for that layer. Hope this helps!