Mardi Gras is right around the corner and it’s time to whip up a few cocktails for those Mardi Gras parties! Ramos Gin Fizz, Sazerac, Brandy Milk Punch, and the Hurricane are all famous cocktails invented in New Orleans, but I wanted to mix something a little different, with a sweet but feisty Creole kick. This Bananas Foster rum (rhum) cocktail is inspired by the famous New Orleans dessert, bananas foster, a perfect Mardi Gras drink to celebrate the roots of New Orleans. If you are going to indulge for Fat Tuesday, this is way to do it, but be careful, this little cocktail is addictive!
Created at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans, the famous bananas foster dessert is made with brown sugar, butter, rum, and bananas, melted and blended together, then drizzled over vanilla ice cream. It doesn’t get more decadent than this, bananas foster is the ultimate Mardi Gras treat! Now imagine this sweet treat in a cocktail…oh my!
The secret to this Bananas Foster cocktail is the French-Caribbean Creole inspired rhum agricole, blended with cane sugar that has been aged in American oak, giving the cocktail subtle smoky brown sugar and vanilla notes. You could use traditional rum in it, but it will not have the same flavor. Sweet and scrumptious, this cocktail packs a punch, so drink in moderation.
Bananas Foster Cocktail
- 2 ounces Hazelnut Liqueur
- 3 ounces Creme de Banana Liqueur
- 3 ounces Rhum Agricole (French-Caribbean style rum)
- 4 ounces Brown Sugar Simple Syrup*
- 1/2 jigger of Heavy Cream per glass
- 2-3 Slices of Banana (Optional)
*Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
- 1 c. Brown Sugar
- 1 c. Water
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and water together in a small saucepan, and heat on medium high heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to chill for about 3-4 hours.
Place 5-6 ice cubes in a shaker, then add the hazelnut liqueur, creme de banana liqueur, and rhum agricole together and shake well. Add in the sugar simple syrup and shake a little more until blended. Pour into a martini glass and float the 1/2 jigger of heavy cream on the top. If you prefer, you can add the cream before the final shake to blend it in.
For added flair, cut a few slices of banana, toss the banana in about 1 Tbsp of the brown sugar syrup, and garnish on top of the cocktail.
(This cocktail was originally featured on A Cork, Fork, & Passport in 2013, but was updated in 2019.)
