Rum vs. Tequila

• Although most rums and tequilas come from south of the border, they are made from different ingredients that create distinctly different flavors. Rum is distilled from sugar cane and is sweeter than most spirits. Tequila comes from the blue agave plant and retains earthy, pungent and peppery flavors throughout its distillation process. Both liquors have similar proof ranges, which is the measure of a liquor's potency, allowing one liquor to substitute the other without affecting the strength of the drink. Many rum drinks, including the pina colada and strawberry daiquiri, have tequila-based variations -- setting the stage for a tequila lava flow.

Making the Switch

• Tequila substitution in the lava flow drink is relatively simple. For a lava flow made in a cocktail shaker, substitute the gold rum with a gold, silver or white tequila -- avoid pouring costly sipping tequilas because their more refined flavors will not add anything to the drink. For a blended lava flow, substitute two rums with just a single type of tequila; instead of pouring one part coconut-flavored rum and one part light rum, for instance, pour two parts tequila. All of these tequilas mix well in a lava flow on the rocks and also blend well in the frozen version.

Frozen Delight

• The frozen lava flow is the more widely known version of the drink. The ingredients include two kinds of rum, both light and coconut-flavored, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, bananas and frozen strawberries. Add two parts frozen strawberries to a blender, but substitute two parts tequila for the rum; blend until it has a slushy consistency. Empty the contents into a glass, rinse out the blender, then blend a banana and two parts each pineapple juice and cream of coconut until creamy. Pour the blender's contents on top of the strawberry and rum mixture for a lava-like appearance.

On the Rocks

• According to Hawai'i Magazine, another lesser known and more location-specific version of the drink comes from the bar at the Royal Hawaiian, which is more like a cocktail than a frozen drink. Add two strawberries for every 1-inch slice of banana into a cocktail shaker, then muddle the fruit with a pestle or muddler. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice, then add three parts gold, silver or white tequila, and two parts each pineapple and cream of coconut, shake for about 10 to 15 seconds, then pour the contents into a hurricane or tall glass. Appropriate garnishes include pineapple wedges, maraschino cherries and cocktail parasols.