Rum Runners, Pina Coladas, and Daiquiris, Oh My!
Frozen drinks are a crowd favorite at the best waterfront bar at the Lake of the Ozarks. They are a great way to cool off during hot and humid days, which we have a lot of during Missouri summers. Rum Runners, Strawberry Daiquiris and Pina Coladas all have an interesting story of how they came to be. Let’s take a look at the origins of these famous drinks:
Rum Runners
This drink is named after the real “Rum Runners” that inhabited the Florida Key during prohibition. Rum running is the act of illegally transporting alcoholic beverages where it is forbidden by law. (Don’t worry, our rum runners are perfectly legal for those over 21!) Because of Florida’s close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, they have a long history of rum running.
Apparently, this tasty drink was invented in the late 1950s at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada, Florida. The bar had an excess of rum and other liqueur that needed to be used before the arrival of more inventory. Using the extra alcohol, the bartender decided to develop the drink we know today as the Rum Runner.
Strawberry Daiquiris
Named after a beach in Cuba, the Daiquiri was first created in the 1900s by an American iron miner named Jennings Cox. Apparently, Cox was entertaining guests one night when they ran out of gin. He went out to purchase the easiest liquor he could find, which happened to be rum. He added lemons, sugar, mineral water and ice, turning it into a punch for his guests. They loved the drink, and wanted to know the name, but since this was a new creation he didn’t have a name, so he named it after the nearby beach Daiquiri.
There are 5 original Daiquiris, none of which contain strawberries. Daiquiri #1 or Daiquiri Classico (Rum, Lime, Sugar), Daiquiri #2 (Rum, Orange Curacao, Orange Juice), Daiquiri #3 (Rum, Lime, Maraschino Liqueur, Grapefruit Juice, Sugar), Daiquiri # 4 (Rum, Lime, Sugar, Maraschino Liqueur), Daiquiri # 5 (Rum, Lime, Grenadine, Maraschino Liqueur, Sugar). In 1938, Fred Waring invented the blender. With the ability to blend any fruit, the lime flavored Daiquiri changed to strawberry, or any other flavor you could think of.
Pina Coladas
The Pina Colada has a very controversial history, at least with the bartenders who all claim to have invented it. There are three bartenders who all claim to have invented the “modern” Pina Colada, which depends on coconut cream as an ingredient. Don Ramon Lopez Irizarry created Coco Lopez, a mixture of coconut cream and cane syrup, while looking for an easier way to extract the cream from the pulp of a coconut. This is where the history becomes a little fuzzy.
Ramon “Monchito” Marrero Perez claims to have created the Pina Colada on August 16, 1954 (although some claim its 1952 and others 1957). Ramon created the drink while bartending at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico after the release of Coco Lopez cream of coconut. Another bartender from the Caribe Hilton claims to have created the drink during the coconut cutters’ union strike of 1954 to work around the lack of coconuts available for cocktails. Ramon Portas Mingot claimed the creation of this drink while working at the Barrachina Restaurant in Old San Juan in 1963. No matter who invented it, we’re just glad someone did!
Backwater Jack’s – Famous for Rum Runners and Pain in the A**!
Backwater Jack’s has put a twist on some traditional frozen drinks. If you’re looking for a flavorful combination, try our signature Pain in the A**, which is a combination of our delicious Rum Runner and a creamy Pina Colada – or you can never go wrong with the Miami Vice, a mixture of Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada. Enjoy these frozen drinks at Lake of the Ozarks’ favorite waterfront bar & grill!
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