Ingredients
The drink
- 60 mldark Jamaican rum
- 30 mlcoffee liqueur
- 30 mlcrème de banane, optional
- 2ripe bananas
- 120 mldouble cream
- or 120 ml milk
- 2 tablespoonssugar syrup
- a large handful of ice
To garnish
- grated nutmeg
- a banana slice
- chocolate syrup, optional
Equipment
- a blender
- tall glasses
Directions
- Peel the bananas and cut them into chunks. Freeze them on a tray for two hours. Put the banana into the blender first.
- Add the rum and the coffee liqueur. Add the creme de banane if using it. Pour in the cream and the sugar syrup. Add the handful of ice last of all. Start the blender on a low speed.
- Blend it for about thirty seconds. It should become completely smooth. Add more ice if it is too thin. Add a splash of milk if it is too thick.
- Taste it before you pour it out. It should taste of banana and coffee together.
- Add more syrup if it seems sharp. Add more rum if it tastes flat. Cold blunts both sweetness and alcohol.
- Pour it out into tall glasses. Drizzle chocolate syrup inside the glass first if you like.
- Grate fresh nutmeg over the top. Add a slice of banana on the rim. It separates within about ten minutes. Keep water on the table alongside. It does not keep and is made to order.
Technique
- The dirty part of the name refers to the coffee liqueur, which darkens what would otherwise be a pale banana drink.
- Jamaican rums are known for their heavy esters, giving the strong fruity character often called funk or hogo, which comes from long fermentation methods.
- Freezing the banana chunks beforehand thickens the drink and means less ice is needed, so there is less dilution.
Substitutions
- Milk in place of cream gives a lighter drink.
- The creme de banane can be left out entirely, since the fresh banana carries the flavour.
Variations
- Some bars add a drizzle of chocolate syrup inside the glass.
- A version without coffee liqueur is simply a banana daiquiri.
- Rum punch and the Bob Marley are the other Jamaican bar staples.
History
A Jamaican resort and roadside-bar drink built on the island’s rum and its bananas.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dirty Banana?
Dirty Banana is a cocktail from Jamaica: rum, coffee liqueur, banana and cream blended with ice into a milkshake. A Jamaican resort and roadside-bar drink built on the island’s rum and its bananas.
How long does Dirty Banana take to make?
Dirty Banana takes 5 minutes of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes serves 2. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Dirty Banana?
Yes, within limits. Milk in place of cream gives a lighter drink. The creme de banane can be left out entirely, since the fresh banana carries the flavour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Dirty Banana?
The dirty part of the name refers to the coffee liqueur, which darkens what would otherwise be a pale banana drink.
