Name: Barracuda Cocktail
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1.5 oz Dark Rum; 0.5 oz Galliano Liqueur; 1.5 oz Pineapple Juice; 0.5 oz Lime Juice; 1 oz Prosecco Sparkling Wine; Lime Wheel

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The Barracuda Cocktail is an old classic in the history of mixology, the perfect sip to serve at a tropical or tiki themed party.

Our quick & easy Barracuda drink recipe is enticingly aromatic, velvety and sparkling. The tropical cocktail is prepared with gold rum, vanilla-flavoured Galliano liqueur, pineapple & lime juice and topped with sparkling wine like Prosecco.

Garnish with a lime wheel, pineapple slice, maraschino cherry or fresh mint sprig and you’ll have your guests gasping with glee!

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What Is A Barracuda Cocktail?

The Barracuda Cocktail is a tiki-style tropical drink, which was created in the 1950s by Italian bartender Benito Cuppari while he was a mixologist on the Cristoforo Colombo cruise.

By 1965 Cuppari had perfected the drink, naming it the Barracuda, an homage to the famous Barracuda Beach Club in Portofino, which at the time was one of Europe’s trendiest nightclubs.

In 1966 Cuppari and his now famous rum cocktail won the Long Drink Category at the Italian AIBES National Competition in Saint Vincent. The big win helped boost the drinks notoriety to the point where it was being shaken and strained into elegant glasses in cocktail bars around the world.

The drink was initially served in a half pineapple shell but today is more commonly served in a margarita, coupe or Collins glass.

We like to serve the drink garnished with a lime wheel but some bartenders will use a pineapple slice, maraschino cherry or fresh mint sprig.

Homemade Barracuda Cocktail recipe ingredients.

Barracuda Drink Recipe Ingredients

This sparkling Barracuda drink recipe is made with fresh and premium ingredients.

Rum: we suggest using a golden rum like Bacardi Gold, Diplomatico or Captain Morgan.
Galliano Liqueur: sweeten the drink and add an exotic vanilla flavour by using this popular Italian liqueur.
Pineapple Juice: adds acidity and is the backbone of the drinks tropical flavour.
Lime Juice: only use freshly squeezed lime juice. You can taste the difference when someone incorrectly makes cocktails with store bought citrus juice.
Prosecco: top the drink with a splash of sparkling wine.
Garnish: garnish the cocktail glass with a lime wheel, pineapple slice, maraschino cherry or fresh sprig of mint.

Serve this Barracuda drink in a classic Margarita cocktail glass.

Directions

You’ll need a jigger, cocktail shaker, ice and chilled margarita glass to make this drink at home.

Pour gold rum, Galliano liqueur, pineapple juice, and lime juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake for 30-45 seconds until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled glass then top with prosecco.
Garnish with a lime wheel.

The Barracuda is a refreshing tropical cocktail featuring gold rum, pineapple and lime juice, vanilla Galliano and sparkling wine.

Cocktail Recipe Tips

This Barracuda Cocktail recipe is easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes.

We love serving this tropical drink on hot days in the summer or at beach, tikki and Caribbean-themed parties.
This classic cocktail is typically made with a gold rum but feel free to get creative by elevating the cocktail with a more premium aged rum to infuse the drink with more molasses / sugar can notes.
Our Barracuda recipe below is listed for one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and prepare it in a large punch bowl or jug so it’s easy to serve to a crowd.
Before your guests arrive store the rum, prosecco and Galliano bottles in the freezer so they are well chilled when you’re ready to shake up the drinks.
Since the inventor of the drink is Italian it’s most commonly topped with prosecco but you can use another sparkling wine like cava or champagne.
Serve the drink in a margarita, coupe or Collins glass.
We like to garnish the glass with a lime wheel but you can also a fresh pineapple slice, maraschino cherry skewered on a cocktail pick or sprig of fresh mint.

Best Selling Rum

Here are some of the world’s best selling rum brands, perfect for shaking into a refreshing Barracuda drink:

Havana Club: is Cuba’s most famous rum brand, originally created in 1934. If you’re visiting Havana on holiday we highly suggest taking the Havana Club tour to learn more about the history of rum production on the island and evolution of the mojito.
Bacardi: the world’s best selling rum was founded in 1862 in Cuba. The company moved to Puerto Rico due to the revolution and today tourists can visit the Cathedral of Rum in San Juan for the ultimate mojito experience.
Appleton Estates: is a sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica that has been handcrafting rums since 1749. They produce a wide variety of aged rums, as well as standard gold and white rums.
Captain Morgan: is a brand of flavoured rums named after the 17th-century Welsh privateer of the Caribbean, Sir Henry Morgan.
Mount Gay: is a rum produced in Barbados, and dates back to 1703, making it the world’s oldest comercial rum distillery.
Goslings: is a Bermuda-based brand famous for blending and distributing quality rum. Goslings Rum is famously the main ingredient in the Dark & Stormy cocktail.
The Kraken: is a Caribbean black spiced rum named after the mythical squid-like sea monster. The premium rum product is produced in Trinidad and Tobago.
Diplomatico: is a premium rum produced in the Andes Mountains in Venezuela.
Lamb’s: first launched in 1849 and today is made with rums produced in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
El Dorado: is a premium rum produced in Guyana.

Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment

Before hosting a swanky Barracuda cocktail soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.

Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.

The Barracuda is our favourite rum and prosecco cocktail. Perfect for celebrating a special occasion.

What To Serve With A Barracuda Cocktail

The Barracuda Cocktail, with its elegant appearance and refreshing taste, is well-suited for a variety of special occasions.

It’s use of sparkling wine makes it the perfect glass to cheers at weddings or New Years Eve parties. It’s tropical flavours make it a great choice for summer gatherings or tiki, Caribbean or beach-themed parties.

If you’re hosting a cocktail party we suggest serving a Barracuda Drink with snacks so the soiree can go long into the night. Here are some of our favourite dishes to serve with rum spiked sippers:

Serve Barracuda Cocktails at a Caribbean-themed party.

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