Chiquita

This must be an endorsement drink for the Chiquita company. Not satisfied with the plethora of banana drinks you can make in a blender, they wanted to have the drink be their name and have bananas floating in it in a very visible way. This works out well for rum drinkers who don't necessarily want to fill up on bananas when there's rum to be had. The bananas add aroma without weighing the Chiquita down and making it a weak dessert drink. I'm not a huge fan of banana liqueur either, but the proportions are small enough not to be bothered with. If anything, I would double the quantity of orgeat syrup to keep it on the sweeter side.

• 2 oz. light rum
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. banana liqueur
• tsp. orgeat syrup
• 1/4 cup sliced bananas

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir gently until chilled and pour into a chilled wine goblet. 

Rampart Street Parade

Just a guess...this is a New Oleans cocktail. It has Southern Comfort (A Louisiana Original!) and creme de bananes (banana liqueur) for sweetness alone--and it is pretty sweet. It's a strong rum drink that sounds like it would be a party in your mouth. I've been dissing it for a while, but I have to say that this is a fun cocktail to drink. It has the kind of addictiveness of Dippin' Dots banana split flavor in that you can't stop with one taste and it doesn't overtly taste like bananas. If you have the weird combination of ingredients at home, do the Rampart Street just so you can say you drank it. Like Mardi Gras and New Orleans in general, it is strange experience that you have to have yourself.

• 2 oz. light rum
• 1 oz. creme de bananes
• 1/2 oz. Southern Comfort
• 1 oz. lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.