If you have visited any resort in the Caribbean then you have probably had a version of this cocktail.   The tropical locals refer to it as a Dirty Banana, but I prefer to call it a Sandi Banana. The gritty ice bits remind me of sand, so if sand blows in my drink while I’m lying on the beach … well, I just won’t know the difference. Plus, this version shares my name.

This drink is similar to a smoothie because it is thick with fruit and ice, but the addition of rum, that sweet enhancement of summer, makes it a cocktail.

I took a trip to Cancun with 21 of my friends in 2000 and we drank our weight in a version of this cocktail. Many of us from that trip continue to reunite once a year, and this year I created the Brunswick Beach Sandi Banana for them. Kim, one of my pals said, “This tastes like our Cancun trip!” Isn’t it funny how a taste can take you back to a moment in time?

I think one of the tricks to making this drink superior to the traditional Dirty Banana is that the bananas in my drink are frozen and I use ice cream rather than milk. That way it stays colder longer and the banana is not just mush. Next time you want to escape to a more tropical state of mind, try this cocktail and let your mind float away. Enjoy!