Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Cobra's Fang

Sixty milliliters of rum, a quarter of it overproof, buried under passion fruit and citrus so completely that you won't notice the strength until you stand up. Dark, sweet-tart and unrepentant. One is plenty.

Preparation~3 minEasyStrengthStrongabout 24% ABVMethodShaken11 guided stepsIngredients6Tall (highball) glass

Tropical

In the glassDark rum · Overproof rum · Fresh lime juice · Orange juice · Passion fruit purée · +1 more

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 highball glass with tall straight sides and a substantial base. — Serving glassHighball glass

Set up before you pour

Use a highball glass.

The tall, straight shape leaves room for plenty of ice and mixer while keeping a long drink lively.

Standard size: 350 ml11¾ oz
Ice & serve: Pack it generously with crushed ice.
If you don’t own one: Use a Collins glass or any tall, straight-sided tumbler.

Tools to set out

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

Compare all glass types

Scale to your tall (highball) glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

Dark rum45 ml
Overproof rum15 ml
Orange juice15 ml
Passion fruit purée15 ml
Fresh lime juice15 ml
Grenadine8 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Measure into the shaker
Pour 45 ml dark rum into your shaker
- Dark rum
02
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml overproof rum
- Overproof rum
03
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml fresh lime juice
- Fresh lime juice
04
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml orange juice
- Orange juice
05
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml passion fruit purée
- Passion fruit purée
06
Measure into the shaker
Add 8 ml grenadine
- Grenadine
07
Ice the shaker
Fill the shaker with ice
Why it mattersFill it right up — more ice chills faster with less watering down.
08
Seal and shake
Seal and shake hard
Why it mattersCold hands mean it’s working. Shake until the tin frosts over.
09
Ice the glass
Fill your glass with fresh crushed ice
10
Strain cleanly
Strain into your glass
Why it mattersPour through the strainer so the spent shaker ice stays behind.
11
Finish the drink
Finish it — add an orange slice and a sprig of mint
Why it mattersSlap the mint between your palms before planting it — that little hit releases the oils, and the smell is half the drink.

Know your drink

About the Cobra's Fang

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

What the grenadine is for

Grenadine here isn't decoration. Passion fruit is aggressively tart on its own, and 8 ml of pomegranate syrup is what stops the drink tasting like sour candy while supplying the dark red the name implies. Use a grenadine with actual fruit in it. The bright supermarket kind reads as artificial against dark rum and flattens the whole glass.

Usually credited to Donn Beach and dated to the late 1930s, though tiki recipes from that era were traded, altered and renamed constantly, so any given version is really a reconstruction. Falernum and a dash of absinthe appear in some of them. Add either if you want the drink spicier and more old-fashioned in shape.

Common questions

Cobra's Fang FAQ

I can't find passion fruit puree. What now?

Passion fruit syrup works if you drop the grenadine to a bar spoon, since the syrup brings its own sugar. Frozen pulp, thawed and strained, is closest to the real thing. Fresh fruit beats both, but you'll need three or four wrinkled ones per drink.

Is 15 ml of overproof rum a mistake?

No, and don't trim it. That quarter of the rum is what gives the drink heat and keeps the passion fruit from going soft and jammy. If it drinks too hot for you, pack in more crushed ice rather than pouring less rum.

Why a highball rather than a tiki mug?

Volume. You've got roughly 115 ml of liquid before any ice goes in, and crushed ice pushes that past what a rocks glass will hold. A mug does the same job if you own one. What matters is filling it to the rim so it stays cold.

How far ahead can the mix sit before I pour it?

A day in the fridge, no further. Overproof rum keeps pulling at the passion fruit overnight and the mix turns darker and jammier, which is not always bad but is not this drink. Lime is the real clock; past twelve hours it goes dull. Ice belongs in the glass, never the jug.

What ingredients are in a Cobra's Fang?

A classic Cobra's Fang calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Dark rum, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Overproof rum, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Fresh lime juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Orange juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Passion fruit purée, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Grenadine. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Cobra's Fang?

A standard Cobra's Fang is roughly 24% 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.

Is a Cobra's Fang shaken or stirred?

A Cobra's Fang is shaken — the rule of thumb is to shake anything with citrus juice. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.

Sharpen the technique