Rum Runner

The Rum Runner is widely credited to the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada, Florida, in the late 1950s. Its Florida Keys origin explains the drink's tropical, fruit-forward style.

Many classic recipes use banana liqueur and blackberry liqueur along with dark rum and fruit juice. The combination gives the drink its deep color and layered sweet-fruit flavor.

Yes, those ingredients appear in regional and modern variations of the drink. The core idea remains a dark-rum cocktail with citrus and a refreshing long-drink element, but there is no single universal recipe.

Both methods are used, although tiki bars often blend the drink or serve it over crushed ice. A shaken version keeps more of the citrus character, while blending creates the frozen texture associated with many Florida Keys servings.