Tropical Summer Rum Punch is a delicious and easy summer cocktail recipe that is sure to keep you cool and transport you to a tropical island in your mind!

It was a “cool” 111 degrees in the Valley of the Sun yesterday. And when I say cool, I actually sort of mean it considering the day before the high reached 118 degrees.  Yes, that is correct. 118 degrees.

Today is only supposed to be 107 degrees though, so that’s quite a relief. Ha!

You know you live in Arizona when you look at the summer forecast and think, “oh good, its only going to be 107 degrees today”. Ugh. I am counting down the days until October when I can brag about the AZ temps again.

But, until then we are trying to stay cool any way we can.  This Tropical Summer Rum Punch is the perfect cool down treat to enjoy while floating in the pool on a hot summer day!

Plus, if you have enough of them, you just might forget how hot it really is! Not that I am suggesting you do that though. Don’t listen to me…this heat is making me delirious.

Anyway, we just got back from an amazing summer vacation in Oahu (on Oahu?) and I am trying to channel that tropical feeling I had while we were there. Take me back, please! Enter this Tropical Summer Rum Punch. This cocktail is my version of my new favorite drink, the Mai Tai.

I have a confession. I had never tried a Mai Tai until our Hawaiian vacation. I am not really a huge fan of rum, so I always skipped right over rum cocktails on the menu. But, when we went to lunch at this restaurant near Lanikai Beach my sister and AJ both ordered Mai Tais, and I was feeling adventurous, so I followed suit. I took one sip and I was hooked! I am pretty sure I ordered a Mai Tai at almost every place we went after that.

So, of course once I got home I had to try my hand at cocktail creating and came up with this Tropical Summer Rum Punch. I decided to make it a little “skinnier” and substituted  pomegranate juice and agave nectar for grenadine (my mom’s suggestion) and topped it off with soda water. SO YUMMY!

Let me tell you, this Tropical Summer Rum Punch is so delicious and so easy! It is light and refreshing with the perfect amount of sweetness. I must warn you though, once you try this summer cocktail, you will be hooked!

I’m off to the pool now to enjoy this Tropical Summer Rum Punch in my pineapple float. Aloha!