Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Rum Cocktails

Lava Flow

red-and-white frozen Lava Flow cocktail in a highball glass, with black-and-white straw and pineapple wedge
Image: / Tim Nusog

The Lava Flow walks the line between cocktail and milkshake. This sweet and fruity drink is linked to Hawaii and often found at Hawaiian bars and resorts, though it’s not certain when the drink originated. No matter: If you want a delicious cocktail that conjures sandy beaches, sunny skies and floral shirts, you’ve found it.

The Lava Flow is similar to a Miami Vice, which is essentially a Strawberry Daiquiri and Piña Colada separated in the glass, but it skips the lime juice and adds banana to the mix, making it more like a Banana Daiquiri and Piña Colada.

The drink is relatively easy to make, but it requires two steps. First, you blend the strawberries and rums, creating a red, icy mixture. Then, you blend the banana, coconut cream and pineapple juice, creating another icy mixture, this time lighter in color. Add the two chilly components to the glass from opposing sides, and watch as the red, booze-laced portion of the cocktail shoots to the top, creating the sensation of flowing lava.

Now, if you ever see flowing lava in the wild, you should step back and maybe call someone. But in the case of this Lava Flow, you can dive headfirst (or straw-first) into the sweet and creamy drink. It tastes like a tropical vacation, even if you’re only sitting at home and dreaming of Hawaii.


  • 1 ounce light rum

  • 1 ounce coconut rum

  • 2 ounces strawberries

  • 2 ounces pineapple juice

  • 2 ounces coconut cream

  • 1 banana

  • 1 cup crushed ice

  • Garnish: pineapple wedge


  1. Add the two rums and strawberries into a blender and blend until smooth.

  2. Pour the blended mixture into a pitcher or mixing glass and rinse the blender.

  3. Add the pineapple juice, coconut cream and banana into the blender with crushed ice and blend until smooth.

  4. Pour both blends into a tall glass from opposite sides, and watch the strawberry mixture rise to the top like lava.

  5. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.