Inspired by the tropical flavors of French Polynesia, this irresistibly flavorful frozen cocktail combines ripe mango, golden pineapple, bright lime, creamy coconut milk, fresh ginger and lemongrass, and coconut rum. It's a velvety, frosty dairy-free drink with an elegant island feel. The name, meaning "sunrise at the beach" in French, is a nod to the blend of influences. And the sweet, tangy, flavors are perfect for a warm and breezy day. This drink is fast and easy to make with frozen fruit and fresh flavors. You and your guests will love this luscious and inviting Sunrise à la Plage - Frozen Mango Pineapple Rum Cocktail!
Jump to:
- 💕Why you'll love this recipe
- 📓Ingredient notes: rich ginger simple syrup
- 📒Step by step instructions & photos for rich ginger simple syrup
- 📓Ingredient notes: sunrise à la plage frozen mango pineapple rum cocktail
- 📒Step by step instructions & photos for sunrise à la plage frozen cocktail
- 💡Tips for success
- 🔀Substitutions
- 🍶Variations
- 🥣Equipment
- ⏲Make ahead and storage
- 🍲Serving suggestions
- ❓FAQ
- ✨More recipes you'll love
- Sunrise à la Plage - Frozen Mango Pineapple Rum Cocktail
💕Why you'll love this recipe
This is a really special cocktail. Sunrise à la Plage fuses classic tropical ingredients with French Polynesian flavors including fresh and aromatic lemongrass and ginger, both fresh and with a rich homemade ginger syrup. (This rich syrup has a 2:1 sugar to water ratio so you can use less of it and still get a good concentrated sweet ginger flavor.) This is a luscious frozen drink with just the right creamy frozen texture, tropical fruit, citrus, spice, and coconut rum.
This drink is perfect for summer gatherings, sunset cocktail parties, a day at the beach, or any time you'd like to enjoy a luxurious and refreshing drink.
You can grow the lemongrass in your garden
Above is a photo of some lemongrass from my garden, along with some red shiso and African blue basil. If I can grow this heat-loving herb in my cold (hardiness zone 6A) Michigan (US) climate, you can too! Because my growing season is so short, my lemongrass plants don't develop thick stalks by the end of the summer. But I still like to use my fragrant and fresh little stems to supplement the ones from the store. And if you live somewhere warmer with a longer growing season than I have, you can get a larger and more mature harvest!
Irresistible tropical flavor
This drink includes the enchanting combination of mango, pineapple, lemongrass, lime, coconut, ginger (both fresh and as a sweetener in a homemade rich simple syrup), coconut milk, and coconut rum. This creamy and refreshing frozen drink is absolutely sublime!
Easy to make
I had initially used fresh mango and pineapple when testing this drink. I always prefer the best, freshest flavor to shortcuts. But I found that I had to use a lot of ice to freeze the drink, and it kept diluting the flavor. I found a solution to preserve the fruity flavor and this also happens to make this drink easier to make! I've found that using frozen mango and pineapple keep the flavor vibrant, reducing the amount of ice needed, and making this recipe really simple! And there's no compromise on flavor.
Inspired by tropical drinks from French Polynesia
French Polynesia includes 121 islands that are dispersed over more than 1,200 miles (2,000 km) in the South Pacific. Tahiti is the most populous of the 75 islands that are inhabited, with the French Polynesian capital of Papeete. After a previous status as a French overseas territory, French Polynesia has since been designated as an overseas country inside of the republic.
The name of the drink, meaning "sunrise at the beach" is a nod to the French influence on the islands, while the ingredients pay tribute to the beautiful tropical harvest from the islands and a luxurious summer vibe.
Flexible and easy to customize
The content of coconut rum is easy to adjust to your tastes, and so are all of the other flavors. This drink is easy to make just as you like it!
📓Ingredient notes: rich ginger simple syrup
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar, but you can also use raw sugar if you'd like for a deeper flavor.
- Water
- Sliced ginger: Please use fresh ginger here, and weigh it with a digital scale if you'd like an accurate quantity. That said, you can always add more if you'd like a stronger ginger simple syrup.
See recipe card for quantities.
📒Step by step instructions & photos for rich ginger simple syrup
- Step 1: Add the sugar, water, and ginger to a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, and allow it to cool. You can use it immediately or steep it from a few minutes to overnight to intensify the flavor.
- Step 2: Strain out the ginger slices using a sieve over a large bowl. Press down on the slices with a wooden spoon to extract as much syrup as possible.
- Step 3: Use a funnel to pour the syrup into an airtight bottle. This recipe makes about 1 liter, so you can use the remaining syrup for more of this cocktail or other recipes!
📓Ingredient notes: sunrise à la plage frozen mango pineapple rum cocktail
- Lemongrass: Please use fresh lemongrass for this recipe. It makes all the difference! The most tender parts are the white and green innermost stalks near the base. It's important to chop it finely and crosswise, since it's very fibrous. This will make less work for your blender and prevent long fibers from remaining after blending.
- Ginger: It's also important to use really fresh and juicy ginger. And you can adjust it to your taste.
- Lime: Freshly-squeezed lime juice adds a delightful citrus brightness to this drink.
- Coconut milk: I use full-fat coconut milk here for a thick and creamy texture.
- Mango: This recipe calls for frozen mango and pineapple. This gives the drink more flavor by reducing the amount of ice needed to get a creamy frozen texture. And this makes the drink fast and easy to make! Please see the make ahead and storage section for tips on types of mangoes to use if you'd like to start with fresh and freeze it in advance.
- Pineapple: The same goes for the pineapple. The recipe calls for frozen fruit, but if you'd like, you can chop it into chunks and freeze it in advance.
- Ginger simple syrup: Please use the above homemade rich ginger syrup. It's so much better when homemade, and it's simple and quick to make. Plus, if you'd like a stronger flavor, you can steep it overnight or add more ginger to taste. The 2:1 sugar to water ratio makes this a rich simple syrup, so you can use less of it and still get a good concentrated sweet ginger flavor. And the 1-liter quantity in the syrup recipe will leave you with extras to make more of this cocktail or to use in so many other ways! Please see the variations section for ideas.
- Coconut rum: This type of rum gives an additional boost of coconut flavor, but you could also use white (to preserve the color), dark, or spiced rum here.
- Ice: This recipe adds a minimal amount of ice, as the frozen mango and pineapple contribute most of the frozen texture without diluting the flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
📒Step by step instructions & photos for sunrise à la plage frozen cocktail
- Step 1: Please make sure to chop your lemongrass finely and crosswise to not overwhelm your blender with the fibers. Add the drink ingredients, minus the ice, to the blender.
- Step 2: Blend on high until thoroughly combined and completely smooth to ensure that no lemongrass fibers remain.
- Step 3: Add the ice to the blender.
- Step 4: Blend just until thoroughly combined, with a uniform smooth frozen texture. Adjust flavors if needed, serve, and enjoy!
💡Tips for success
🌀 Blending tips
- If you have one, use a high-speed blender to fully break down the lemongrass and ginger. If you have a regular blender, please make sure to use the innermost tender parts of the lemongrass near the base, and to chop it finely and crosswise to reduce the load of fibers to blend. Blend for at least 1-2 full minutes to ensure a silky consistency.
- Make sure to blend the base ingredients thoroughly before adding ice. This avoids ensures a smooth base so you can blend the ice minimally to keep it creamy and frosty.
❄️ Texture and alcohol flexibility
- For a thicker texture: Add more ice or a bit of frozen mango.
- For a thinner texture: Add a splash of water or coconut milk.
- The starting alcohol content I recommend for the 4 included servings of this smooth and easy sipper is 8 ounces (240 mL). If you'd like to increase the rum above 10 oz (300 mL), add ¼ cup (30 g) additional ice or frozen mango per extra ounce (30 mL) of alcohol to preserve the creamy frozen texture.
🔀Substitutions
🥭 Mango
If you don't have fresh or frozen mangoes available, you can use frozen peaches instead.
🍍 Pineapple
If fresh or frozen pineapple isn't available, try using frozen papaya.
🌿 Lemongrass
If you don't have fresh lemongrass, you can use some fresh basil leaves for an aromatic twist or a strip of lime zest with the bitter pith on the back removed.
🧉 Rum
If you'd prefer not to use coconut rum, you can use white rum (which will preserve the color of the drink), or dark or spiced rum. Or you can omit it altogether and serve the drink as a non-alcoholic mocktail. This is delicious as-is, or you can replace the rum with some extra coconut milk or some freshly-squeezed orange juice.
🍶Variations
✨ More uses for ginger syrup
- Mix into cocktails and mocktails for a zesty kick
- Stir into iced tea, lemonade, or sparkling water
- Drizzle on fruit salad or grilled fruit
🌶️Spicy twist
Add a small slice of chili or a dash of chili powder to the blender for a warming twist that pairs wonderfully with the ginger and lime.
🥣Equipment
- Digital scale: I always recommend measuring whenever possible with this accurate and inexpensive tool. Your measurements will be more precise, and you'll have fewer dishes to clean up afterward!
- Cutting board and knife: Please make sure to have a sharp chef's knife to chop the lemongrass. And use the innermost tender white and light green parts of the stalk near the base to spare your arm from a huge workout!
- Saucepan: For making the ginger syrup
- Measuring cups and spoons: For liquid and small quantities
- Wooden mixing spoon: For stirring the ginger syrup and pressing to strain the ginger slices
- Sieve, funnel: For straining the ginger slices from the syrup, and to pour the syrup into the bottle
- 1-liter airtight bottle: To store your remaining ginger syrup to make of this cocktail or many other uses. See the variations section for ideas.
- Citrus squeezer or juicer: to juice the limes. For large quantities, I use my Breville Citrus Juicer, which I've had for years and use all the time. For smaller quantities, I use a citrus squeezer. I have them in 3 sizes, for various sizes of citrus fruits.
⏲Make ahead and storage
Make the syrup ahead
The ginger syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge in an airtight bottle, so it's easy to make it in advance.
Chop and freeze fresh mango and pineapple in advance
This is great if you decide to start with fresh fruit rather than buying it frozen. Either way will work wonderfully. If you buy your fruit fresh, I prefer to use the yellow honey (also known as ataulfo or champagne) mangoes that I buy by the box at Southeast Asian or Indian markets. These mangoes are smooth and velvety, rather than fibrous, with a sweet and rich flavor. They have a creamy texture that's perfect for smoothies and cocktails like this one.
Freeze
I don't recommend freezing this cocktail, as this would compromise the flavor and texture. Please enjoy it immediately after blending!
🍲Serving suggestions
Best enjoyed immediately
Please serve your sunrise à la plage cocktail immediately after blending to preserve the creamy frozen texture.
Crispy snacks and finger foods for the beach
This drink pairs perfectly with easy summery snacks, like tortilla chips and tangy mango yassa sauce, kettle corn, air-fried cauliflower bites, or mini tofu sliders.
Light appetizers or grilled skewers
Some easy light accompaniments to this drink include fresh spring rolls, cucumber-avocado bites, a zesty fruit salad, sliced mango sprinkled with with chili powder and lime juice, or marinated tofu and/or veggie skewers with a citrus glaze. It would also pair well with a slice of easy vegan skillet banana cornbread with maple walnut butter.
❓FAQ
Yes! Just omit the rum and serve as is, or replace the rum with extra coconut milk or a splash of orange juice for a tropical mocktail that's full of flavor, creamy, and refreshing.
Tiki culture, which began in mid-20th-century America, is a romanticized interpretation of Polynesian cocktail themes. This sunrise à la plage cocktail uses just a few, fresh ingredients with no artificial mixers. It features local flavors with a subtle French-Polynesian elegance. In that sense, this cocktail is not a Tiki drink, but more a tropical nod to elegant simplicity. It's perfect for a refined island-inspired drink.
That depends on how strong you'd like to make it. The recipe calls for 8 ounces (240 mL) of rum for 4 servings. This is about 2 ounces (60 mL) per glass, a typical quantity for a cocktail. This gives you a balanced, easy-sipping drink that's just boozy enough to feel festive without overwhelming the tropical flavors.
If you prefer something stronger, you can increase the rum to 10 ounces (300 mL) for a stronger kick, and even up to 12 ounces (360 mL). Just follow the texture tips: add ¼ cup (30 g) of additional frozen mango or ice per extra ounce (30 mL) of rum to maintain the perfect frozen texture. So while this cocktail can be made to be strong, the recipe version is made for smooth, easy sipping. Please enjoy it however it works best for you!
Yes, you can. I recommend freezing the fruit chunks in advance. This recipe is written with just the minimal amount of ice, so we can use the frozen texture of the fruit itself to maintain the delicious tropical flavors of the drink.
I like to use coconut rum for an extra boost of coconut flavor. But you can also use white rum (which will preserve the color of the drink), or dark or spiced rum.
If you don't have one, a regular blender should be able to handle this drink. Please make sure to finely chop the lemongrass, which is fibrous. Use the innermost, tender white and light green parts at the bottom of the stem. Make sure to blend until smooth before adding ice and blending again just until combined to keep the perfect frozen texture.
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✏️Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know in the reviews and comments below!
Sunrise à la Plage - Frozen Mango Pineapple Rum Cocktail
Ingredients
For the rich ginger simple syrup:
- 3½ cups (700 g) granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups (420 ml) water
- 1¼ cups (160 g) sliced fresh ginger, packed
For the cocktail:
- 3 tablespoons (51 g) lemongrass, tender innermost base of stem, finely-chopped crosswise, about 1-2 stalks
- 1½ inches (30 g) fresh ginger, peeled
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) freshly-squeezed lime juice, from about 3 large limes
- 1⅔ cups (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk, about 1 can
- 1½ cups (256 g) frozen mango chunks
- 1 cup (183 g) frozen pineapple chunks
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) rich ginger simple syrup (see above)
- 8 ounces (240 ml) coconut rum, see notes for increased quantities
- 1½ cups (180 g) ice cubes
Instructions
For the rich ginger simple syrup:
- Add the sugar, water, and ginger to a saucepan.
- Stir occasionally over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Increase the heat if necessary to bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow it to cool while you proceed with the cocktail prep. You can use this syrup right away or steep it from a few minutes to overnight (covered) to intensify the ginger flavor.
- Strain the ginger slices using a sieve over a large bowl. Press down on the slices with a wooden spoon to extract as much syrup as possible.
- Using a funnel, pour into a clean airtight 1-liter bottle.
For the cocktail:
- To a blender, add the lemongrass, ginger, lime juice, coconut milk, mango, pineapple, ginger syrup, and rum. Blend on high until thoroughly combined and completely smooth to ensure that no lemongrass fibers remain.
- Blend just until thoroughly combined for a uniform smooth frozen texture.
Notes
This recipe is for smooth, easy sipping with 8 oz (240 mL) of rum. If you'd like a stronger version, you can increase up to 10 oz (300 mL), and the texture should still be fine. If you'd like to add more than 10 oz (300 mL), add ¼ cup (30 g) extra frozen mango or ice per extra ounce (30 mL) of alcohol to maintain the frozen texture. Mocktail Version:
For a flavor-packed non-alcoholic version, you can just omit the rum. Or you can add some extra coconut milk or a splash of orange juice for a creamy, tropical mocktail. Using Fresh Fruit Instead of Frozen:
If you have fresh mango or pineapple on hand, chop it into chunks and freeze in advance. This will maintain the drink’s slushy consistency without diluting with extra ice. Ginger Syrup Tip:
The homemade rich ginger simple syrup adds really fresh and aromatic ginger flavor. You can make it ahead and store it in the fridge in an airtight bottle for up to 2 weeks. You’ll have plenty for additional rounds of this cocktail or other recipes!
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