Rum... With other stuff
a few of our favourite recipes
We'd love to hear & see how you get on trying these out ...
Classic Daiquiri
THE rum cocktail. 50ml of a great rum shaken over ice with its natural bed mates... 25ml of fresh squeezed lime & 12.5ml of simple syrup. It gets no better. The rum shines though with this traditional 4:2:1 recipe. In this case we're using one of the very best - Neisson L'espirit from Martinique.
Kingston Negroni
This is no second rate alternative. Negronis using aged rum are an unequivocal step up from a traditional gin based negroni. Equal parts campari, sweet red vermouth and aged pot still rum. Mixed and served over ice. A stunningly bitter, moorish cocktail. Drinks beautifully. In this case using only the best vermouth - antica formula, and the truely exceptional Worthy Park 12yr estate bottling.
'ti punch
Making cocktails from great rums is a waste? Bollox! A great rum makes a great cocktail! Still not convinced? Introducing the 'ti punch, short for petit - a small punch. This is the ultimate cocktail for a neat drinker. No ice, just a cheek of lime, squeeze it in, then drop it in. Juice and oils. A half teaspoon on syrup. And 50ml of great rum. Simples.The small amounts of lime & sugar take absolutely nothing away from the rum, they actually enhance and lift it. Still unconvinced? Ask a local - this is how to drink rum in Martinique! Traditionally made using an agricole rum from Martinique. In this case the exquisite 2020 Perle Rare Canne Bleu from A1710 - a new artisanal vintaged rum made in tiny quantities using very special rare cane.
Saturn
Glorious tropical lemon sherbet. Highly recommend this one. 50ml of your choice of rum, 25ml fresh squeezed lemon, 15ml Falernum*, 15ml Orgeat, 15ml passion fruit syrup. Shake over plenty of ice. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh crushed ice. In this case, I'm using a rum that I can't recommend highly enough. Providence is a brand new Haitian distillery and this, their 'first drops' is a limited release funky tropical fresh unaged rum made using local crystalline cane distilled in a Muller copper pot still. Sublime.
*keep an eye on the blog for a future article all about this Jamaican syrup liqueur.
Rhubarb & Custard
Childhood favourite flavours. Delicious 😋
Rum custard:50ml - Jamaican rum as the funky esters really come through10ml - triple sec75ml - Oatly Custard (drinking thickness)And a dash of bittersStir these ingredients together till fully blended.
Strain and Pour into a coupe glass.Float Italian meringue on top toast it with a blow torch and you're good to go....
Enjoy 👏🏿😉❤️
Jungle Bird
A truly classic, fun, tropical cocktail. Close your eyes and you're on the beach.
The mixture of sweet tropical fruit, deep rich rum and bitter Campari works so well.
50ml aged Bajan rum, 25ml Campari, 50ml pineapple juice, 15ml fresh-squeezed lime, 15ml simple syrup. Shake with lots of ice, strain, garnish with mint leaves and a maraschino cherry (Not to be confused with glace cocktail cherries).
In this case, we're using the versatile and 'never missing from the bar' Doorly's XO.
Mai Tai
Another iconic tropical rum cocktail. Some people add pineapple but I've gone with Trader Vic's traditional recipe and it's excellent.
Into your shaker add 50ml of Caribbean blended rum, 15ml triple sec, half a squeezed lime, 10ml orgeat, 10ml simple syrup and plenty of ice. Hard shake. Strain into an old fashion glass. Top with 5ml aged rum and a few cubes.
Garnish liberally. Or not - I seemed to have been too keen to drink it on this occasion, but mint & lime would be ideal :-)
Today I'm using the brilliant Veritas - a blend of rums from Foursquare in Barbados & Hampden in Jamaica. And for my 'top', a rich deep 12yr aged bargain rum from Casa Santana in Columbia (TBRC bottling)
Rum Sour
A wonderful twist on the traditional whiskey sour, the foamy top lends itself to playful garnish (photo was pre- 'bitters swirl'). The harmony of sweet syrup and sharp & tangy lemon play very well with the a Bajan rum - in this case the punchy young pure pot still Foursquare 2013.
50ml Rum, 25ml lemon, 15ml 2:1 simple syrup, egg white. Hard 'dry' shake. Add ice & shake again. Strain into coupe. 3 drops of bitters, small swirl with a cocktail stick
Hemmingway Daiquiri
Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway, while living in Cuba, loved to indulge in a few Daiquiris at his favourite bar - El Floridita. Sadly the sweetness didn't agree with him and his diabetes drove him to invent his own cocktail. The Hemingway Daiquiri or Papa Doble is a classic daiquiri with the syrup swapped out for some grapefruit juice and maraschino cherry liqueur. A perfect option for someone looking for a dryer twist on the original rum cocktail.
50ml of white rum, 25m fresh-squeezed lime, 12.5ml grapefruit juice, 12.5ml Maraschino. Hard shake with plenty of ice. Strain into a frosted coupe. Ideal garnish (missing here) would be a thin slice of grapefruit.
Made today using another bar staple - the lightly aged Doorly's 3 from Foursquare distillery in Barbados.
Nuclear Daiquiri
Appropriately named, this cocktail is an explosion of massive flavours. Green Chartreuse, a unique & delicious herbal liqueur. Strong and highly flavoured, it doesn't play well in many cocktails.
Chartreuse needs similarly bold companions - the stunning Rum-Bar overproof is just the job.
Rum-Bar, the unaged offering from Jamaica's Worthy Park distillery, is an outstanding and often overlooked rum. Only around £35 - if you don't have a bottle, you should!
35ml Rum-Bar overproof
25ml Fresh squeezed lime
20ml Falernum
15ml Green Chartreuse
Shake over ice. Strain into a chilled coupe. Enjoy
Hell in the Pacific
My take on a beautifully sour cocktail created by the incredible London Tiki bar Trailer Happiness.
50ml of a big bold aged rum. Today I'm treating myself to the quite spectacular Foursquare Nobiliary.
25ml freshly squeezed lime.
25ml Maraschino Liqueur.
25ml Grenadine
12.5ml pomegranate molasses.
Shake with plenty of ice.
Serve over fresh ice with a couple of real marashcino cherries. (pay the extra, you'll never look back)
Strawberry Daiquiri
Not to be confused with a frozen Daiquiri, this classy celebration of summer leaves the ice to last, just to chill and only minimally dilute the beautiful ingredients. Blend 2 strawberries, the juice of half a lime , a really tiny pinch of salt & 15ml of sugar syrup with 50ml of quality white rum. Leave to stand for a few minutes to allow the strawberry flavour to open up. Shake the blended juice over ice till well chilled. Strain into a frozen coupe. In this case I used the incredible Canne Grise from Bielle distillery in Marie Galante. An exciting rum made from the lesser known Canne Grise - a seldom used cane, less economical to produce with its low juice content, but offering a fantastic flavour. Cheers
Halloween Punch
Drizzle of grenadine for that Halloween effect
Dirty Banana
I'm not normally one for blended drinks but in the case of this amusingly named, and absolutely delicious, Dirty Banana I'm very happy to make an exception.What makes it dirty? The coffee liqueur. Winning combination!
Blend a handful of ice with 50ml of lightly aged rum, 25ml banana liqueur, 25ml coffee liqueur, 50ml double cream and a small banana. Garnish flamboyantly.Dive in.As per the photo, I'm using Mt Gay Black Barrel, Giffard's Banane du Bresil and Mr Black.
Long Punch
A house cocktail, ironically named after the main ingredient rather than it's size. Recipe to be posted soon - worth the wait as it's really very good 😁
Gayle Seale Daiquiri
A fabulous interpretation, named after its inventor - none other than the wife of Mr Foursquare. Swapping some of the syrup for Falernum will really appeal to those who prefer things a bit spicier.
50ml of rum - I'm using an independently bottled 12yr aged Foursquare (rum 66), 15ml Falernum, 10ml simple syrup, juice of half a fresh lime, 3 drops of bitters. Shaken with lots of ice. Strain. Garnish with lime peel