Make these classic rum cocktails at home.
Daiquiri
Its origins are from Cuba after the turn of the century at the Floridittia Bar in Havana. Hence the preferred rums to be used should be light, molasses based distilled rums made in the Cuban style. This style of rum is traditional in Puerto Rico. Obviously to be truly authentic, Havana Club 3 year from Cuba would be the optimal rum to use, but not available in the US.
Ingredients:
2 OZ of a light Puerto Rican style Rum (Don Q Crystal or Diplomatico Planas from Venezuela)
1 OZ fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 OZ rich simple cane syrup
half a spent lime peel shell
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice, shake and double fine strain into a chilled coupe style glass, garnish with a lime wheel.
Mai Tai
This cocktail is credited to Vic Bergeron having created it in 1944. Dry, nutty, full bodied Jamaican Rum combined with fresh lime juice made this a classic. Unfortunately today many versions have been created using all kinds of ingredients that are NOT true to the original design of the cocktail. The recipe history is interesting to see how it has changed with the changes in availability of the original rums used to craft the 1944 original. But that is a book all unto itself.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 OZ aged Jamaican rum (Appleton 8 year rum)
1 OZ unaged agricole style rum (KoHana Kea Kea or Rhum JM)
1/2 OZ Dry Curacao (Pierre Ferrand)
1/4 OZ Orange Liqueur (Combier)
3/4 OZ Rich Orgeat (Liber & Co.)
1 Dash Citric Acid
1 spent lime shell
Instructions:
Add all to a shaker with ice, shake, strain over fresh crushed or nugget ice in a rocks glass, garnish with fresh mint and a lime wheel.
Painkiller
The Painkiller cocktail is credited to Daphne Henderson of the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands in the 1970s. The Painkiller has become a staple among the Tiki and beach loving crowd. Many associate the cocktail with Pusser’s Rum, which is a dark Demerara blended rum. Pusser’s is often referred to as a Navy rum, but in fact the true navy rums were blends of many islands and countries with Demerara rum being only one of several rums included.
Ingredients:
2 OZ Demerara style rum (Pusser’s Gun Powder or use 2 1/2 OZ regular Pusser’s at 40% ABV)
4 OZ Pineapple Juice (Dole small cans are best if fresh in not available
1 OZ Orange Juice fresh squeezed
1 OZ Coconut Cream (Real or Goya work best)
Instructions:
Shake all with ice, strain over fresh crushed or nugget ice into a tall collins glass or Tiki mug, garnish with fresh grated nutmeg and pineapple wedge
Rum Old Fashioned (blood orange)
Classic cocktail most think of as a bourbon or whiskey based drink. But a rum from Barbados that has rich oak notes from aging in used bourbon barrels is a perfect base spirit. Mt. Gay and Foursquare are great sources.
Ingredients:
2 OZ Aged Barbados rum (Mt. Gay Black Barrel or XO)
1/4 - 1/2 OZ orange liqueur (Solerno Blood Orange liqueur, or Combier or Grand Marnier)
A bar spoon of a rich simple cane syrup
2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
Instructions:
Stir all with ice and strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube, express and add an orange peel twist over the glass to garnish.
