Coco Seal

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About

The Coco Seal is about as simple as a rum drink gets: two ounces of Gosling's Black Seal black rum over six ounces of coconut water in a tall glass of ice, with a lime wheel. There is no sugar, no cream and no shaking. The coconut water is light, faintly sweet and a little savory, and the rum floats down into it with molasses and caramel. It is the drink to make when a Piña Colada sounds like too much and a rum and soda sounds like too little.

What Is a Coco Seal?

The Coco Seal is a two-ingredient highball. Coconut water, the clear liquid from young green coconuts, goes over ice first; the black rum is poured on top so it layers, in the same style as Gosling's other float-built drinks. Gosling's lists lime wheels and coconut shavings as optional garnishes and describes it as a simple, refreshing, light tropical drink. That description is exactly right: coconut water has a fraction of the sugar of coconut cream, so the drink stays clean and the rum does most of the talking.

Origin and History

Rum and coconut water is one of the oldest pairings in the Caribbean. Long before the Piña Colada was invented in San Juan in the 1950s, people across the islands were splitting green coconuts and topping the water with local rum, a practice still common at beach bars from Jamaica to Barbados. Coconut water's arrival in supermarkets in the 2000s made the drink easy to replicate at home, and Gosling's, the Bermuda distiller founded in 1806, formalized it as the Coco Seal to show its Black Seal rum in a lighter setting than the Dark and Stormy. It belongs to the same family of stripped-down builds as the Rum and Coke, with a much healthier mixer.

Flavor Profile and What to Expect

The first sip, before the float sinks, is rum: molasses, brown sugar and a whisper of smoke. Then the coconut water takes over, subtly sweet, nutty and slightly saline, with a clean, almost mineral finish. The lime adds brightness. Stirred together, the drink tastes like a very light dark-rum punch, refreshing and low in sugar, with none of the richness of a cream-based coconut drink. It is medium-strength and very easy to drink. Compared with a Painkiller it is a different world: dry, clear and quiet.

Choosing the Rum and Coconut Water

Gosling's Black Seal is the intended rum and its softness suits the delicate mixer. Cruzan Black Strap is more intense and can overpower the coconut; use less. A Jamaican black rum brings pleasant fruit. For the coconut water, choose an unsweetened, unflavored brand, or better still the water from a fresh young coconut. Our rum cocktail guide covers the differences between these rums.

The Float

Pour the rum slowly over the back of a spoon onto the coconut water. It will sit on top briefly, giving the drink its layered look, then sink. Stir before drinking if you want it even.

Popular Variations

Add half an ounce of lime juice for a sharper drink. Add a splash of pineapple juice and you have a light cousin of the Piña Colada. Swap half the coconut water for soda water for extra fizz. Muddle a few mint leaves in the glass for a coconut Mojito. Add a dash of Angostura bitters for spice. Serve it in the coconut itself for a beach party. For a richer take, use a spiced rum, or look at the Frozen Mango Coconut Daiquiri for the blended direction. Difford's Guide's black rum collection has more long drinks in the same vein.

How to Serve It

Use a tall glass and plenty of ice, keep the coconut water very cold, and garnish with a lime wheel and a few coconut shavings. Large ice cubes keep it from diluting; see our ice guide.

Food Pairings

The Coco Seal pairs with grilled fish, ceviche, shrimp, jerk chicken, coconut rice and Thai curries. Its low sugar makes it a good match for spicy food.

Batching for a Party

The Coco Seal is the easiest party drink imaginable. Keep a pitcher of chilled coconut water and a bottle of black rum on the table, fill glasses with ice and let guests pour two ounces of rum over six of coconut water. For a more finished version, combine 16 ounces of rum with 48 ounces of coconut water and the juice of two limes in a large pitcher and serve over ice with lime wheels.

A Note on Coconut Water

Fresh coconut water from a young green coconut is sweeter and more delicate than the packaged kind and makes a noticeably better drink. Among packaged brands, look for one that is not from concentrate and has no added sugar or flavoring. Pink-tinged coconut water is simply oxidized and perfectly fine to use.

When to Drink It

This is a hot-weather drink for the beach, the pool, the boat and the hammock. It is also one of the lightest ways to enjoy black rum, which makes it a sensible choice for an afternoon that will run long. Browse more tropical drinks in our drink categories.

Why People Love It

It is effortless, hydrating, low in sugar and unmistakably Caribbean, and it lets a good black rum show its character without a wall of sweetness. The Coco Seal proves that the best tropical drinks do not need a blender.