Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Barracuda

A sparkling tiki number: golden rum and Galliano with pineapple and lime, topped with prosecco. Tropical and celebratory.

Preparation~3 minEasyStrengthStrongabout 20% ABVMethodShaken9 guided stepsIngredients5Big wine glass

Sparkling

In the glassGold rum · Galliano · Pineapple juice · Fresh lime juice · Prosecco

See exact amounts

Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear large wine glass with a generous rounded bowl and slender stem. — Serving glassLarge wine glass

Set up before you pour

Use a large wine glass.

The generous bowl gives a spritz enough space for ice, fruit and sparkling mixer without crowding.

Standard size: 400 ml13½ oz
Ice & serve: Chill it first; serve without ice.
If you don’t own one: Use a stemless wine glass or roomy tumbler.

Tools to set out

cocktail shaker
strainer (or a small sieve)
jigger or measuring spoon

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Scale to your big wine glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

Gold rum45 ml
Galliano15 ml
Prosecco60 ml
Pineapple juice30 ml
Fresh lime juice8 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Measure into the shaker
Pour 45 ml gold rum into your shaker
- Gold rum
02
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml galliano
- Galliano
03
Measure into the shaker
Add 30 ml pineapple juice
- Pineapple juice
04
Measure into the shaker
Add 8 ml fresh lime juice
- Fresh lime juice
05
Ice the shaker
Fill the shaker with ice
Why it mattersFill it right up — more ice chills faster with less watering down.
06
Seal and shake
Seal and shake hard
Why it mattersCold hands mean it’s working. Shake until the tin frosts over.
07
Strain cleanly
Strain into a chilled glass — no ice
Why it mattersPour through the strainer so the spent shaker ice stays behind.
08
Top gently
Top with 60 ml prosecco
- Prosecco
09
Finish the drink
Finish it — add a pineapple wedge

Know your drink

About the Barracuda

A Daiquiri, minty rum highball and dark rum rocks drink at a sunset terrace bar.

Galliano without the float

Galliano is vanilla first and anise second, with a long list of herbs underneath and a yellow so bright it looks artificial. Most people meet it floated on top of a Harvey Wallbanger, where it sits as a separate layer. Here it goes into the shaker with everything else, so the vanilla threads through the pineapple instead of arriving as a stripe at the end.

Two bottlings sit on shelves. The taller L'Autentico is the higher-proof one and keeps the anise assertive; the vanilla expression is sweeter, lower in alcohol and rounder. At 15 ml against 60 ml of prosecco the higher-proof bottle holds its shape better. The sweeter one is not wrong, but drop the pineapple by a few milliliters if you use it.

Common questions

Barracuda FAQ

Does the prosecco go in the shaker?

Never. Shake the rum, Galliano, pineapple and lime with ice, strain into a chilled wine glass, then pour the prosecco down the inside of the glass. Sparkling wine in a shaker loses its bubbles instantly and can force the lid off under pressure.

A wine glass for a tiki-leaning drink?

It suits this one. The prosecco is 60 ml of the roughly 160 in the glass, so you need a bowl wide enough to let the aroma out and tall enough to hold the pour without ice. A flute is too narrow for the pineapple and a tiki mug hides the bubbles.

Only 8 ml of lime. Shouldn't there be more?

The prosecco is doing the rest of the acid work, and dry sparkling wine brings more of it than people expect. Push the lime to 20 ml and the drink turns thin and puckering once the wine goes in. If your pineapple juice is very sweet, go to 12 ml and stop there.

It went flat within minutes. What went wrong?

Warm glass, most likely. Chill the wine glass and the prosecco properly, and add the wine last with the shaken base already cold. Pouring sparkling wine onto ice also kills it fast, which is one reason this is served without any.

What ingredients are in a Barracuda?

A classic Barracuda calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Gold rum, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Galliano, 30 ml (1 oz) Pineapple juice, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Fresh lime juice, 60 ml (2 oz) Prosecco. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Barracuda?

A standard Barracuda is roughly 20% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

What glass do you serve a Barracuda in?

Serve a Barracuda in a large wine glass, well chilled — this drink is served without ice, so a cold glass keeps it cold.

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