Bon Bini (Welcome in Aruban!)
Before the craziness that was 2020 (and to an extent, still is 2021) we had the opportunity to travel to Aruba for a bit of “work and play”. To this day, it’s probably one of our most memorable trips and even though it seems like after every trip we say “we should move here”, it’s one of the few places we seriously considered. Aruba is equal parts culture and paradise and we had a blast, we strongly consider it for anyone looking for their first vacation post-pandemic.
While in Aruba, we sipped our way through every bar, watering hole, tiki hut, and beach bungalow we could find, and in the end we kept finding ourselves going back to a unique little cocktail the locals have crowned as their official drink. It’s called the Aruba Ariba, a tropical cocktail made using a local Aruban liqueur called Coecoei (Koekoei) and it features some common ingredients you would expect to find in any paradise cocktail but its the Coecoei (Koekoei) that gives the Aruba Aribe it’s signature unique flavor. Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for Aruba, Coecoei (Koekoei) is not exported off the island and makes it THAT much more sought after. Being the enthusiasts we are, after tasting this one over and over on our week long stay, we hunted down and bought several bottles to bring back with us to the states and today we’re keeping the Aruba Ariba alive in Orlando, FL. Today we’re sharing the recipe but if you MUST try it and don’t happen to have a visit planned for Aruba anytime soon, we’ve heard some substitutes for Coecoei being passion fruit. But our recommendation is to book a flight immediately, yes, it’s THAT good.
Aruba Ariba Cocktail
- 1/2 oz. vodka
- 1/2 oz. 151 proof rum
- 1/8 oz. Coecoei (Koekoei)
- 1/8 oz. Creme de Banana
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup cranberry juice
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- Crushed ice
In a cocktail shaker, add the above ingredients and shake vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into a tall cocktail glass and add a splash of Grenadine and top with Grand Marnier. Garnish with an orange and maraschino cherry… and enjoy!
2 Comments
I didn’t see grand marnier in your ingredient list. The Aruba Arubas Ive had included that. And we often make them in Michigan with grenadine in place of the Coecoei. I’m curious where you thought the best Aruba Ariba was served? We love the ones served at the Hyatt.
Interesting, none of the places we went used Grand Marnier. Honestly I couldnt say which was our favorite, we had too many to count. But we did especially love the ones at coco loco. But we had some there, at our hotel, on the beach at multiple beach bars, and at the reef. Im sure we’re leaving out as few