Venezuelan Rum Guarapita Recipe

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What’s the sound of Venezuela? It’s not just harp, cuatro, and maracas… It’s also the sound of ice cubes clinking as you stir up three liters of guarapita de ron y parchita. That sound alone calls for a party. It’s the rhythm of celebration.

Seven cups of rum and passion fruit guarapita with fruit pieces and mint leaves, arranged on a tray.

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From Guarapo to Guarapita

Large jar of rum guarapita with lemon slices, plastic cups, straws, and napkins on an outdoor table.

The word guarapita comes from guarapo, a sweet, refreshing drink made by pressing sugar cane. Traditional guarapo is served ice-cold, sometimes with a splash of lemon juice, and it’s completely alcohol-free. Other types of guarapo are fermented at home, and these do carry a kick.

Think of guarapita as the festive evolution of those homemade fermented guarapos—fruitier, stronger, and ready to kick off any celebration.

The Venezuelan Rite of Passage Concoction

This fruity, refreshing Venezuelan drink is more than a cocktail. It’s a nostalgic punch that takes you back to college days, when any excuse was good enough to throw a party. Everyone chipped in to buy the ingredients and mix up a massive batch of guarapita.

Some brave souls even bought it from El Médico Asesino (The Killer Doctor), a legendary dive bar in Catia, on western Caracas, known for guarapitas so strong they could either “cure your sorrows” or “kill you with a hangover.”

If you ask a Venezuelan about their first drunken adventure, chances are, guarapita played a starring role. Sweet, “dangerous,” and made in giant batches, it’s served in disposable cups and shared over music, dancing, and endless stories.

Raising a glass of guarapita is like raising a toast to our roots—and reliving the joy of eternal celebration that’s in every Venezuelan’s DNA.

Enri

Enri Lemoine 2025

Ingredients

A hand pours rum and passion fruit guarapita glass with ice, labeled "Santa Teresa."

These are the non negotiable ingredients:

  • Ron de Venezuela – It has to be Venezuelan, with the Denomination of Controlled Origin. My heart says Santa Teresa, but any aged dark Ron de Venezuela, will do the job.
  • Fresh passion fruit juice – Skip the artificial stuff. You can also make it with frozen passion fruit pulp.
  • Fresh orange juice – Fresh-squeezed, always.
  • Ice cubes – Lots of them. Venezuelan heat is no joke.

These are the ingredients that will elevate your guarapita to the next level:

  • Limes or lemons – Cut into wedges to take the flavor up a notch.
  • Fresh spearmint (yerbabuena) – The aromatic touch that makes it extra refreshing.
Plastic cup with "Santa Teresa" logo, filled with rum guarapita, and lime slices, on a wooden surface.

How to Make the Perfect Rum Guarapita

Step 1: Grab your biggest punch bowl. No punch bowl? Any 5-liter container will do.

Step 2: Combine the juices, rum, grenadine, and citrus wedges. Stir well and refrigerate.

Step 3: Fifteen minutes before serving, add plenty of ice. Stir again, and serve in cups with more fresh ice, a citrus wedge, and a sprig of spearmint.

Nine guarapita glasses with ice, lemon slices, and mint sprigs on a round tray on a wooden table.

FAQ

In Short…

This tropical Venezuelan rum punch is fruity, fun, and made for celebration. Whether you’re reminiscing about student parties or discovering guarapita for the first time, this drink is pure Venezuelan joy in a glass.

¡Salud!

Cups of guarapita cocktail with fruit pieces and mint; text reads "Rum & Passion Fruit Guarapita Recipe.

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Venezuelan Rum Guarapita
5 from 22 votes

Venezuelan Rum Guarapita

This classic cocktail combines the bold flavor of Venezuelan rum with the freshness of passion fruit and orange juice. A sweet and citrusy punch that brings the party to life.
Prep Time10 minutes
Chilling2 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 24

Ingredients

  • 750 ml Ron de Venezuela
  • 1 lt Passion fruit juice
  • 1 lt orange juice, fresh
  • 360 ml grenadine (1 ½ cup)
  • 8 lemons cut in 8
  • Ice cubes (plenty)
  • Spearmint leaves

Instructions

  • IIn a large punch bowl, mix the juices, rum, grenadine, and citrus wedges. Stir well.
  • Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
  • Add ice 15 minutes before serving.
  • Serve with fresh ice and aleave of spearmint.
Course: Cocktails and Drinks
Cuisine: Venezuelan
Keyword: guarapita, guarapita recipe, how to make venezuelan rum guarapita, rum guarapita recipe, Venezuelan rum guarapita, what is guarapita
Author: Enri
Enri

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5 from 22 votes (1 rating without comment)
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