This Lava Flow destroys your thirst with a volcanic eruption of refreshing flavors!
A few years ago, I spent a week on the Coconut Coast of Kauai, Hawaii. Since it was my first time visiting the islands, I had expected the place to be jam packed with tourists. Happily, I was very wrong. No crowds anywhere from the time I got off the plane until I boarded my return flight to Los Angeles. My hotel was right on the beach, and every meal, snack and drink was enjoyed only a few feet away from the lapping waves of the Pacific Ocean. It was heavenly. It was the Lava Lava Club.
The Lava Lava Club is a beachfront restaurant and bar that was just one of many amazing places that I visited, but it remained my favorite. Sizzling shrimp, breakfast Mai Tais… just writing about it makes me wish I was there right now.
One lazy afternoon I was sitting beach side, looking at the club’s menu. Wanting something different from the constant flow of Mai Tais I had been imbibing all week, I came across a cocktail called the Lava Flow. Their menu stated theirs was served “on the rocks” and was “better” than the original (“trust us!”). So naturally I ordered a “Lava Lava Flow” at the Lava Lava Club and had one of the best drinks on the island. I could taste the rums, both silver and coconut, the pineapple and strawberries were amazing and not too strong. Before I flew back home, I made sure I had one more as I watched the ocean wave goodbye.
I found myself missing Hawaii, so I thought it’d be fun to learn how to make a Lava Flow. This time, giving the traditional version a go. Once I looked up how to make one, the Internet promptly told me that I should not drink lava, as that would be incredibly dangerous. After some more specific searching, I discovered a simple tropical cocktail that looks like a fruity cascade of delicious magma you can actually drink. Our recipe is down below, and it can’t be beat.
The Lava Flow sits somewhere between a Pina Colada and a Strawberry Daiquiri in terms of texture and flavors. It’s often been compared to a cocktail called the Miami Vice, which Twist and Toast has a recipe for. Check it out, try one and see how these drinks stack up: https://twistandtoast.com/miami-vice/
Not a day goes by when I’m not dreaming of the beach on the Coconut Coast, and a cold, smooth Lava Flow will easily transport me there with every sip.
What are the best rums to use in a Lava Flow?
The first step in making a Lava Flow involves pureeing the strawberries with the two rums that you’ll need, both silver rum and coconut rum. I’ve talked before in other articles about my love for using Bacardi Superior when mixing certain rum-based drinks, and the Lava Flow is no different. It’s a great, clean mixing rum, and also inexpensive.
For the coconut rum, you can’t miss with that classic white bottle of Malibu that we all remember from college parties. This time however, we’ll be carefully measuring out the Malibu for our beachside cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce light rum
- 1 ounce coconut rum
- 2 ounces fresh strawberries
- 1 banana
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- 2 ounces coconut cream
- 1 cup crushed ice
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the 2 ounces of strawberries and the 1 ounce of light rum. Blend until it’s a thick liquid then pour it into your glass, but do not rinse the blender.
- In the same blender, combine the banana, coconut rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream and crushed ice. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture slowly into the glass over the strawberry/rum mix. The ‘lava’ should ooze up the sides of the glass.
Nutrition
FAQs & Tips
A big cocktail requires a big ride. One can always use the versatile and reliable Collins glass, but with a drink like the Lava Flow, I like to have fun with it and go with a great big hurricane glass; using one allows the colors to swirl around in a much more mesmerizing way.
You can store the two separate mixtures in the fridge or even freezer ahead of time, depending on how long you need to keep it. But the actual drink, all put together, is really best served right as its made. Presentation and texture is a big part of why this drink is so tasty and fun to look at, and those elements don’t hold up that well when stored.
471 calories is what you’re going to get with every Lava Flow you drink. That’s almost double the amount for a lot of other drinks, and while there’s nothing wrong with indulging yourself from time to time, I wouldn’t drink this one everyday. Every other day, maybe.
Nobody knows the Lava Flow’s exact history, except for it originating on the Hawaiian Islands. Whenever I do a little digging on the topic, the search engines keep assuming that I’m trying to make a cocktail with actual lava, so I get a lot of warnings instead of information.
I imagine you could, but getting the lava would be tricky and your blender probably wouldn’t last too long.
Lava Flow Drink Variations
One of the great things about the Lava Flow is that there are simple and colorful ways to make different tasting and looking versions:
- Yellow Lava adds mango to the mix.
- Green Lava gets a healthy dose of kale, celery, and green apples.
- Purple Lava brings blackberries or blueberries to the recipe. You can use both berries together for a slightly more complex flavor.
- Orange Lava uses carrot extract mixed in with the rums. That’s the one I’m most eager to try.
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