Top Banana
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 28.4% ABV ∙
The Top Banana is a stirred, spirit-forward rum cocktail built on light gold rum, banana liqueur, oloroso sherry, falernum, and white crème de cacao. Silky and dense on the tongue, with a nutty warmth underneath and a slow, spiced finish that lingers long after the last sip.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Light gold rum 45 mlBanana liqueur 10 mlOloroso sherry 5 mlFalernum liqueur 5 mlWhite Crème de Cacao 5 mlOrange bitters 1 dashCardamom bitters 2 dashesChocolate bitters 2 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a dried banana chip pegged to rim
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before stirring so the fine-strained pour stays cold without added dilution from a warm coupe.
- Stir until well-chilled and silky rather than shaking — the sherry and liqueurs need only dilution and cold, not aeration.
- Fine-strain firmly to keep any fine sherry sediment out of the glass for a clear, glossy pour.
History
The Top Banana is a modern cocktail said to have been created in October 2021 at the Clocktower bar in Rye, England, by a bartender there. Its recipe pairs golden rum with banana liqueur, sherry, and falernum, reflecting the recent trend of revisiting banana as a serious cocktail flavor rather than a novelty one, following the wider craft-bartending revival of tiki and other banana-liqueur-based drinks in the 2010s and 2020s.
FAQ
What is in a Top Banana cocktail?
A Top Banana is light gold rum, banana liqueur, oloroso sherry, falernum, and white crème de cacao, stirred with a trio of bitters (orange, cardamom, and chocolate) and fine-strained. It is finished with a dried banana chip pegged to the rim, served up in a coupe.
What alcohol goes well with bananas?
Rum pairs best with banana, since its molasses and baking-spice notes echo the fruit rather than fighting it. The Top Banana leans on that pairing, using light gold rum as its base alongside banana liqueur for a spiced, rum-forward drink rather than a purely sweet one.
What is in a Dirty Banana cocktail?
A Dirty Banana is a blended, dessert-style drink made with rum, banana liqueur, coffee liqueur, cream, and fresh banana, blended with ice into a frozen, milkshake-like cocktail. That is a different style from the Top Banana, which is stirred, clear-strained, and spirit-forward with no dairy or fresh fruit.
