It’s that time of year when we get out our shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops and use our blenders for something other than pureeing hot soup or whipping up smoothies. Yep, tropical drink season has arrived. Nothing says it is summer, or almost summer, like a tropical drink laced with enough rum to set a pirate on his pattozie.

This drink, the Tropical Tradewind, is so easy to make its pretty brainless. You can whip it up just for yourself or for a gathering of friends. Not only will it get the party going but your guests will be crawling all over you to make more.

One caution though. The alcohol level in this drink is pretty steep so make sure no one drives for a couple of hours after downing a few of these. For some reason high outdoor temperatures quickly magnify the alcohol’s effect. If you’ve had a bad day this drink will make that stress disappear from your memory banks faster than your first grade teacher’s name.

How to Make a Tropical Tradewind

• Mix together equal quantities of various flavored rums in a blender or shaker. For example: one ounce each of orange rum, pineapple rum, mango rum, coconut rum and raspberry rum.
• Add a splash of 7-Up or something similar.
• You can also add or replace the 7-Up with a colorful juice (orange, cranberry, pomegranate, etc).
• Shake or whirl away in the blender, pour into a glass of ice and you’re ready to imbibe.
• If you want to you can add one of those funky paper umbrellas but a sprig of fresh mint will do just as well and not look nearly so tacky.
• This quantity will serve two. To make more, a lot more, simply incrementally increase the amount of each rum and 7-Up or juices. Just play with it until you find a ratio you like.
• The concoction keeps well in the fridge. Make up a batch and keep in the fridge for spur-of-the-minute thirst-quenching. Bear in mind that if you make this for friends there will likely be a lot of dropping-in-without-notice visits to your home.
• You can also make this into a frozen drink by adding a bunch of ice cubes to the blender and whirling until it looks like a slushee.

Cheers!