Fluffy Critter Recipe: Strawberry Rum Cooler

Fluffy Critter

Ripe strawberry, sharp lime and a splash of lemonade over a mound of crushed ice. It is like a strawberry daiquiri that has been stretched into a long, easy cooler.

3.4Editors’ rating

Taste3.5

Balance3.4

Easy to make4

Popularity6

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GlassDouble rocks glass

TechniqueShaken

DifficultyEasy

Time4 min

StrengthLight (approx. 10 % ABV)

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Ingredients

1½ oz white rume.g. Bacardi · Havana Club · Plantation · Don Q · Flor de Caña
¾ oz lime juice freshly squeezed
1 oz strawberry purée sweetened
2 oz lemonade to top

Garnish: Strawberry and lime wheel · Ice: Crushed ice

Method

Fill a double rocks glass with crushed ice.
Shake rum, lime juice and strawberry purée with ice for about 10 seconds.
Strain over the crushed ice.
Top with lemonade and stir gently.
Garnish with a strawberry and a lime wheel.

Watch it made

Fluffy Critter

Taste

Sweet ripe strawberry and tart lime, lightly fizzy, with a soft rum base. Low in strength and very refreshing.

History and origin

The Fluffy Critter is a light modern rum cooler without a documented history. Its playful name and fruity profile place it among the beach and holiday drinks that fill resort menus, and no reliable source ties it to a particular country or bar.

In structure it is a rum sour, rum balanced with lime and a sweet fruit component, lengthened with lemonade. That puts it close to the strawberry daiquiri and the rum-based fruit coolers served over crushed ice in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Bartender tips

Blend ripe strawberries with a little sugar for a quick homemade purée.
Adjust the lime to the sweetness of your purée: taste before topping up.
Soda water instead of lemonade gives a drier, fresher result.

Variations

Strawberry Daiquiri: Skip the lemonade and serve shaken and strained in a coupe.
Easy twist: basil: Muddle two basil leaves in the shaker for a herbal note.