It’s National Rum Day!
Rum has always been one of my favorite spirits. In the beginning, I think it was because rum’s sweeter notes made it more approachable for a liquor-newbie like myself, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to get a big appreciation for sipping rums (there are a ton of delicious ones out there), and will sometimes reach for a bottle as a nightcap over whiskey (one of my personal faves is Mount Gays’s XO — it is insanely delicious).
Later in life I also decided that a Dark-and-Stormy (dark rum and ginger beer) is the perfect “I’m at a wedding/dive bar/random networking event and need booze” drink, and it tends to be my go-to whenever anyone has ginger beer, rum, and a mediocre-looking bartender. I highly recommend it.
That said, I’m still a sucker for a good tiki cocktail, and there are a lot of them out there. If you’re looking for a delicious cocktail to celebrate the big day, here are a few great suggestions to get you started:
Mount Gay Rum Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
2 oz. Mount Gay XO or Mount Gay Black Barrel
.25 oz. Simple Syrup
3 Dash Bitters
Directions: Stir all ingredients in mixing glass with ice and strain into a rocks glass over large ice cube; Garnish with an Orange Peel slice.
Bikini Colada
Ingredients:
2 oz. Don Q Piña rum
2 oz. Coconut water
½ oz. Lime juice
One Lime wheel
Campari*
Directions: Shake rum, coconut water, juice and ice. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with lime wheel.
*Optional: Add bar spoon of Campari.
Macualita
Ingredients:
2 parts Flor de Caña 7 Year
1 part guava juice
.5 part fresh squeezed lemon juice
.15 part Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
.15 part simple syrup Dash of orange bitters
Directions: Shake all of the ingredients and strain over ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with thin orange slices.
I Know KEA
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. KoHana KEA (White) Agricole Rum
Juice of half a lime
4 basil leaves
1/2 oz. elderflower cordial
Directions: Add all ingredients to tall glass. Muddle basil. Add ice. Top with soda water and enjoy.
Cin-ful Insland
Ingredients:
2 parts Sugar Island Spiced Rum
1 ½ parts guava juice
1 ½ parts pineapple juice
2 chunks of fresh cantaloupe (2”each), blended
Directions: Rim glass with cinnamon sugar. Shake all ingredients together, strain and pour over ice into glass. Garnish with cantaloupe slice covered in cinnamon sugar.