Tropical cocktails, made using exotic fruits like pineapple, mango and guava, were originally popularised by Donn Beach at his Beachcomber bar in Hollywood in the 1930s. After the war, Tiki culture fuelled by Hawaii’s adoption as the 50th American state in 1959 led to tropical flavours becoming mainstream in US bars and restaurants. Fast forward to 2025 and tropical vibes are once again hitting the zeitgeist as part of an ‘escape’ aesthetic that’s infiltrating food, drink and decor, according to a new Pinterest report.
Banana Daiquiri
A banana isn’t necessarily your intuitive choice when you’re making a cocktail, but it does add a fragrant creaminess that’s hard to match – and you usually have one to hand in the fruit bowl. This fruity Daiquiri pairs a freshly peeled banana with rum, lime juice and Cointreau – whizz everything together in a blender till smooth and serve with a cherry.
Zombie
This classic Caribbean cocktail has quite the kick – thanks to its generous blend of white and dark rum shots – so go easy on the measures. It’s traditionally made in a blender with pineapple, lime and pink grapefruit juices – but you can omit the grapefruit and you’ll still get a good result. Blend all the juices and rum with a dash of grenadine syrup and a handful of crushed ice before pouring over ice in a Collins glass. Garnish with mint and sip through a straw.
Kumquat Margarita
Kumquats are odd – you can buy them at most supermarkets and yet it’s sometimes a struggle to know what to do with them. They make an excellent partner for tequila, though, in this Margarita variant. You’ll need to halve and seed 300g or so of kumquats before blending with a little water till smooth. Once sieved, you can combine a couple of tablespoons of the purée in a shaker with tequila, Triple Sec, sugar syrup, lime juice and ice. Or you could make life easier with a ready-to-serve Kumquat Margarita from Edmunds.
Passion Fruit Martini
One of the most popular fruit-inis, this delicately fragrant cocktail is on every bar menu – and with good reason. The combination of vanilla vodka and passion fruit is both smooth and lively on the tongue, with a luxurious and satisfying finish. Scoop the seeds from a passion fruit straight into a cocktail shaker, before adding vodka, passoa (passion fruit liqueur), lime juice and sugar syrup. Shake with ice and strain into Martini glasses. At Edmunds, we use Sapling vodka in our Passion Fruit Martini and garnish with an edible flower.
