Average
Spirit-forward & Tropical
3 minutes
Rocks Glass
Ingredients
The blend of dark rum and tangy passion fruit gives it a tiki-like vibe, perfectly balancing sweet and sour flavors. Ideal for summer parties and BBQs, the Astronaut cocktail is also a great drink to serve during game nights with friends.
How to Make an Astronaut Cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Peeler
Hawthorne Strainer
How to Mix
-
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
-
Use a jigger to measure and pour Absolut Vodka into the shaker, followed by dark Jamaican rum.
-
Cut an orange in half, then use a citrus press (or citrus elbow) to juice the orange.
-
Measure and add orange juice into the shaker.
-
Cut a lemon in half, then juice the lemon halves with a citrus press.
-
Measure and add lemon juice.
-
Seal the shaker and shake vigorously until cocktail shaker is frosty on the otuside.
-
Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice.
-
Open the shaker, place a Hawthorne strainer over the top and pour the cocktail into the rocks glass.
-
Add more crushed ice to form a cone on top of the glass.
-
Use a peeler to slice a piece of lemon zest into a coin shape. Squeeze the coin over your glass to release its oils, then place it on top of the ice as a garnish.
All about the Astronaut cocktail
The Astronaut is a lesser-known cocktail that combines vodka and dark Jamaican rum with lemon juice and passion fruit juice. After shaking with ice, it’s then strained and served in a rocks glass with ice cubes. It’s not uncommon for the Astronaut to also be served in a highball glass.
The Astronaut cocktail channels the spirit of a tiki drink combining dark rum with tangy passion fruit juice. It balances sweet and sour extremely well. Absolut Vodka serves as a smooth, neutral base, while the dark Jamaican rum contributes rich, syrupy flavors with caramel and spice notes. Lemon juice adds a tangy zest, and passion fruit juice delivers a tropical tartness, creating a harmonious blend of vibrant flavors.
Very little is known or documented about the history of the Astronaut cocktail. One source claims that an American newspaper in the early 1960s highlighted the popularity of space-themed drinks being made in London, including the Astronaut. However, this information cannot be verified.
- Squeeze fresh lemon and orange juice
We know it’s much quicker and much easier to buy store-bought juice…but don’t. Freshly squeezed lemon juice and orange juice will make your Astronaut cocktail much tastier with bolder, fresher, and tangier flavors.A great drink is all about balance and using fresh ingredients will help you achieve that. Skip the sugar and preservatives – always juice fresh. All you need is a citrus press or a citrus elbow.
Check out this article on how to make fresh juice at home for your cocktails.
-
Make your own passion fruit juice
This takes a little more time and effort than juicing lemons or oranges but, trust us – it’ll make a world of difference to your drink compared to store-bought juice. See the FAQ section below to see how to make your own passion fruit juice. - Chill your glassware
Place your rocks glass in the freezer 30 minutes before serving. A chilled glass is just one of those things that adds to a better drinking experience. - Crushed ice crown
After filling your rocks glass with crushed ice and pouring in your cocktail, take additional crushed ice and gently pile it on top, forming a mound that rises above the rim of the glass. The ice mound keeps your drink nice and cold the whole time you’re sipping, and it adds a stylish touch that makes the cocktail look even more enticing.
-
Cranberry juice instead of passion fruit
One popular variation of the Astronaut drink recipe swaps passion fruit juice for cranberry juice, which works extremely well.While passion fruit juice provides tanginess, cranberry juice adds a lovely tartness that complements the zesty and sour lemon juice.
Simply follow the recipe on this page, but substitute cranberry juice for passion fruit juice.
-
White and dark rum
This highball variation of the Astronaut calls for equal parts vodka, dark rum, and white rum. It removes the lemon juice and passion fruit juice entirely, replacing them with 120 ml homemade lemonade and a splash of apple juice.Served in a highball glass with ice cubes, this version still delivers the essential citrus element, but in the form of homemade lemonade, it’s perfect for spring and summertime.
Alternatively, you can use lemon-lime soda instead of homemade lemonade, but be sure not to add it to your cocktail shaker! Shaking carbonated drinks is a recipe for disaster. Once you’ve shaken the other ingredients, simply top up your glass with lemon-lime soda
-
Serve the Astronaut cocktail in a rocks glass filled with crushed ice, topped with an ice cone. Garnish with a lemon zest coin by squeezing it over the drink to release aromatic oils, then place it atop the ice cone for a burst of citrus aroma.
- If you’re making the highball Astronaut variation with lemonade (see the ‘Variations’ section above), use a highball glass instead, as you need a glass tall enough to accommodate all the liquid.
-
If you’re a fan of orange zest, use an orange twist as your garnish, placing it right on top of the crushed ice cone.
-
To balance the tanginess of the drink, rim your rocks glass with sugar. Simply rub lemon juice around the rim, pour sugar onto a plate, and dip the glass into the sugar. Lemon and sugar always works well!
Astronaut Cocktail FAQ
Yes, an Astronaut cocktail can be considered spirit-forward thanks to its use of both vodka and dark Jamaican rum.
First, you’ll need a few fresh passion fruits, a blender, a spoon and a fine mesh strainer such as a sieve or tea strainer. Here’s how to do it:
1. Pick ripe passion fruits – they should be slightly wrinkled and feel heavy for their size.
2. Slice the passion fruits in half and scoop out the pulp and seeds into a bowl with a spoon.
3. Toss the pulp into a blender.
4. Pour the blended pulp through a fine mesh strainer into a container, pressing with a spoon to extract all the juice.
5. Add a teaspoon of sugar if you want it sweeter, and give it a good stir.
6. Refrigerate your fresh passion fruit juice until cold.
Only if you want a truly great tasting drink. Hint, hint!
We always recommend making your own orange, lemon, and pineapple juices. Freshly squeezed juice adds the vibrancy and character needed to elevate your cocktail to world-class status.
