Rum and Summer Cocktails

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Alf 101
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Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Alf 101 »

As it so happens, in the summer I like to entertain. We have a grill and some good outdoor space, and having people over just seems to fall into place naturally. Perhaps some others here can relate.

On hot summer days, it seems hospitable to serve my guests beverages. While no serious drinker, I too enjoy an occasional cocktail myself. Sure I can put out a cooler of beer, and will, but especially for smaller gatherings, I'm exploring some other options -- specifically with rum. I was the OP on a tequila and margaritas thread earlier, so you might think I have a problem, but it seems this could present me with a few good summer options.

Rum, opposed to other liquors, doesn't seem quite as expensive. Also, and this may be my ignorance speaking, it also seems very unpretentious. I don't think I've ever heard anyone extolling high end rums, though it could be I'm just well out of that loop.

So once again, I'm mostly out of my depth. I know there there dark rums -- that you would use for a Dark and Stormy; and there are light rums -- that you would use for a mojito (we did plant mint in our herb garden, which can grow like a weed, and I'll need to find some use for it). Anyway, any suggestions on rum selection and whether this presents good options for thirsty summer guests would be much appreciated...
NextMil
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by NextMil »

I think conventional wisdom is that if you are mixing it with anything you want a decent, not expensive rum, because the high end stuff is really for sipping by itself. The minute you introduce a mixer its just a waste of money using a higher end rum. Captain Morgans or Bacardi is fine for anything mixed in my view.

My favorite summertime cocktail is the moscow mule, but that is vodka not rum. If you try it out, make sure you get the right kind of ginger beer. Fever tree is my favorite.
daggerboard
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by daggerboard »

My wife's favorite - and not to be confused with the blended ice smoothie rubbish we commonly associate with this kind of drink:

Death & Co.’s Daiquiri Cocktail

2 oz White Rum (Flor de Cana Extra-Dry)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cane Syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe. Garnish with a lime wedge.

BTW - if you ever wanted to buy a book on how to make cocktails, Death & Co is the best single collection of awesome and reproduceable coktail recipes.

Another good rum cocktail is a rum old fashioned where you sub rum for the rye.

My personal favorite rum summer drink is the dark and stormy which you already mentioned though. I use Goslings Black Seal.
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pezblanco
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by pezblanco »

daggerboard wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 8:27 am My wife's favorite - and not to be confused with the blended ice smoothie rubbish we commonly associate with this kind of drink:

Death & Co.’s Daiquiri Cocktail

2 oz White Rum (Flor de Cana Extra-Dry)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cane Syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe. Garnish with a lime wedge.

BTW - if you ever wanted to buy a book on how to make cocktails, Death & Co is the best single collection of awesome and reproduceable coktail recipes.

Another good rum cocktail is a rum old fashioned where you sub rum for the rye.

My personal favorite rum summer drink is the dark and stormy which you already mentioned though.
+1 ... A well made Daiquiri is one of life's pleasures. The iced fruit smoothies associated with Daiquiris have nothing to do with the original (Cuban) cocktail. Take the above ingredients and muddle some fresh mint into it and fill up the rest of the glass with some club soda and you have a pretty good Mojito. (In Cuba at least, they don't use syrup so much as just plain old white sugar in any cocktail.)
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Alexa9
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Alexa9 »

Limeade and Rum (Bacardi Silver) blended with ice : not as harsh as a margarita. You can throw in a little Coco Lopez for a coconut lime drink. Watermelon is also very good.
Coco Lopez, Pineapple Juice, Bacardi Silver blended with ice = piña colada
Rum is also good in Sangria = sweet red wine, cherries, blueberries, orange, etc. sugar/Sprite if desired
Gosling's Dark Rum and Ginger Beer is excellent for dark and stormies.
Any type of fruit blended with ice and rum will generally be good. Banana liquor, mango juice, pomegranate, strawberry daquiri. :beer
Random Poster
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Random Poster »

Google: Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice Rum Punch

It should pull up a Wall Street Journal story for a "Spicy and citrusy, potent and nuanced, a Caribbean-style rum punch" that uses Bengal Spice tea, pineapple juice, rum, and a few other items.

I've never had it, but it sounds tasty and simple to make.
Big Dutch
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Big Dutch »

Kraken Black Spiced Rum is very reasonably priced and very drinkable. On the few occasions where a friend and I drank copious amounts of the stuff (dark & stormy w/ Goslings ginger beer) we felt great the next morning. Certainly better than we deserved. YMMV.

:sharebeer

Big Dutch
BuckyBadger
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by BuckyBadger »

Siesta Key rums have literally changed my life! Rum drinks became my FAVORITE drinks (until this whole being pregnant thing really cramped my style...) after finding this rum. Every flavor of their small batch rums is amazing, but their coconut rum is out of this world. We keep all three (spices, silver, and coconut) on hand at all times.

I stock up by making my parents buy me a case at the distillery when they go to Florida and buy a case of it at a time.

It's not super easy to find depending on where you are, but it's so worth the hunt. Not cheap, but not super expensive.

http://www.drumcircledistilling.com/Pro ... ase-2.html

We also keep Appleton Rum on hand when we want to pretend we're back in Jamaica.
Atilla
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Atilla »

Nothing fancy, but I have always preferred rum and orange juice vs. a screwdriver.
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Clever_Username
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Clever_Username »

Big Dutch wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 8:50 am Kraken Black Spiced Rum is very reasonably priced and very drinkable. On the few occasions where a friend and I drank copious amounts of the stuff (dark & stormy w/ Goslings ginger beer) we felt great the next morning. Certainly better than we deserved.
I don't drink a lot of rum but Kraken was surprisingly good when I tried it a year ago. At some point this summer, I am going to have some friends over to my place and we're going to marathon the Pirates of the Caribbean series... the drinks at that party will feature Kraken rum prominently.
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Alexa9
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Alexa9 »

There was another thread on sipping rums:
viewtopic.php?t=244086
Zaya was very good on the rocks. I am going to try Flor de Cana next.
ETadvisor
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by ETadvisor »

Atilla wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 9:02 am Nothing fancy, but I have always preferred rum and orange juice vs. a screwdriver.
This is my wife's drink also or with apple juice or pineapple juice. Too sweet for me.
TSR
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by TSR »

You've already asked about tequila, so perhaps this is off topic, but the best bang-for-your-buck summer cocktail in my opinion is the 2-1-2:

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/201 ... ecipe.html

The ratios are right there in the name, it's refreshing but boozy, and it can be pretty easy if you just buy good grapefruit juice (but better if you squeeze your own). It's also a good excuse to keep Aperol around, which can then make you the OTHER best summer cocktail, which is an Aperol spritz so you can feel all Italian:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/aperol-s ... gs.Os0JZKk

I also like Aperol as a replacement for Campari in a Negroni or a Boulevardier -- it's a lighter, less medicinal taste.

Enjoy!
Topic Author
Alf 101
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Alf 101 »

Oops, I guess I missed that one. That said, I'm not really looking for a sipping rum...

Many of the pricier sipping rums seem to be the darker ones. I find Goslings Black Seal to be the one rum I already buy, as it is quite good in a Dark and Stormy. I'd be curious if anyone things another variety could fit this niche even better, though Goslings is already easily available at a pretty good price.

What I know less about are white rums, which I'd need to use to make a mojito or daiquiri. This becomes a question of value. Not that I want to go completely cheap, but what are good reasonably priced options for mixing drinks for moderate backyard use?
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oldcomputerguy
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by oldcomputerguy »

You might look under the "Cocktails" tab on the Appleton web site. For what it's worth, our favorite is Appleton Rare Blend 12-year-old rum. There is a distinct difference in taste between the older, darker blends and the younger, lighter blends. For a ton more ideas, just google "rum cocktails".

For what it's worth, the Jamaicans are somewhat particular about mixing rum; I've heard it said there that rum should never be mixed with soft drinks, only with fruit juice or other natural ingredients. Asking a Jamaican for a rum and Coke may invite retaliation. :shock:
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Captain_Video
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Captain_Video »

Try a rum gimlet. Usually made with vodka but is very good made with rum. A simple to make drink ideal for a warm summer evening.
2 oz white rum (Bacardi)
3/4 oz Rose's Lime Juice
1/4 fresh lime

Pour rum and lime juice over ice into on the rocks glass. Squeeze lime into glass and put in peel. Stir.
nolesrule
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by nolesrule »

We have a runaway overabundance of mint starting in mid-spring till the end of summer, so it's mojitos for us.

I've spent some time perfecting the recipe to get the most flavor out of the mint and limes, so it takes longer to prepare than the usual published mojito recipe, but tastes much better.
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Socrates
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a well made mojito is awesome

Post by Socrates »

rum, sugar, mint, soda water, lime

very light and refreshing can use a cheaper rum like bacardi....great for hot summer days
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Blueskies123
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Blueskies123 »

I second Kraken and coke
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MJW
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by MJW »

Alf 101 wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 8:18 amI don't think I've ever heard anyone extolling high end rums, though it could be I'm just well out of that loop.
Indeed. :wink:

My opinion is that any reasonably priced rum will work for most mixed drinks, especially if your comrades aren't going to care or know the difference.
MotoTrojan
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by MotoTrojan »

NextMil wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 8:23 am
My favorite summertime cocktail is the moscow mule, but that is vodka not rum. If you try it out, make sure you get the right kind of ginger beer. Fever tree is my favorite.
A Kentucky Mule (made with bourbon instead) is a fantastic summer cocktail.

Bundaberg for the ginger beer, and any sort of bourbon (I use Bulleit mysef).
Barefootgirl
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Barefootgirl »

My year round drink is also yummy in warm weather:

Pyrat Rum

Fever Tree Ginger Beer

limes


others may have other brand recommendations, but I like mine to have a ginger bite (as opposed to just heat) and my rum to be caramel smooth, so those are my brand recs.

Bottoms up!
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audioaxes
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by audioaxes »

Here's a Mai Tai inspired cocktail which I been making for a while now and is always a hit at parties. Everything balances together very well (my pet peeve with many tropical cocktails is when it simply tastes like super sweet juices will a bunch of alchohol thrown in).

7 ounces of Langers Pineapple-Orange-Guava juice cocktail (more or less on your preference)
2 ounces Coconut Rum
2 ounces Black Rum
2 ounces Spiced Rum
.5 ounces triple sec
.5 ounces amaretto
.75 ounces 100% cranberry juice (this is one of the key ingredients as it helps marry all of the sweet and alcohol notes together)
mmcmonster
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by mmcmonster »

A good Rum & Coke is a great drink.

But it has to be a good (white) rum and a good (non-US) Coke.

The rum will bring out the flavors of the Coca-Cola.

Just make sure you get real Coke, not that High Fructose Corn Syrup nonsense that's ubiquitous in the U.S.

Look in the foreign foods aisle of the grocery store, and buy it in glass bottles, not cans. (In my local Wegmans, it's with the mexican foods.) You might be able to use Coca Cola Life (It's green label and uses real cane sugar). I've never tried it but it may be fine (I'm not sure how much the cans will affect the taste).
jpdion
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by jpdion »

I'm a Dark 'N Stormy Fan: Goslings Ginger Beer, Goslings Dark Rum, a squeeze of lime and lots of ice in a tall glass. (BTW D&S was the preferred drink of James Bond in the Ian Fleming Books - forget the shaken not stirred martini movie stuff!)
DrGrnTum
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by DrGrnTum »

Mojito.

Take two or three fresh mint leaves and place them in a tall glass with a drop of water.
Find a wooden stick or anything wooden with an end that has the circumference of a $.50 piece.
Use that stick to mash and pulverize the mint leaves in the glass.

Squeeze the juice of half a fresh lemon into the glass.
Add one or two shot glasses of Malibu rum. (You decide how potent you want it)
Add two shot glasses of Canada Dry Ginger Ale.
Add one shot glass of Club Soda.

Fill the glass to the top with quality crushed ice. Buy a bag from your liquor store. Don’t use the stuff from your freezer.
Slosh the fixings between two glasses a couple or three times. If you have a shaker use that.
Pour the cocktail into a serving glass. For large parties I just use the tall red plastic cups
Put a sprig of mint on the top for appearance.

Optional: If you can get hold of a sugar cane stock, cut it up into little sticks that are a little taller than the serving glass. Make sure you strip off the outside green skin.
Place the sugar cane stick in the serving glass so it can be used as a stirrer.

If you use these specific ingredients, you will get a great refreshing Mojito.
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TierArtz
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by TierArtz »

I invented, I think, a quick and easy, but delicious, rum drink: Mix Starbucks mocha frappuccino (cheap from Costco), ice, and as much Kracken black spiced rum as you want.
Steady59
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by Steady59 »

Painkiller!

2 parts Pusser's Dark Rum
4 parts pineapple juice
1 part orange juice
1 part cream of coconut

Shake with ice, poor over crushed ice, sprinkle Ground nutmeg on top
Orange slices & maraschino cherries for garnish
nolesrule
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by nolesrule »

DrGrnTum wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 6:29 pm Mojito.

Take two or three fresh mint leaves and place them in a tall glass with a drop of water.
Find a wooden stick or anything wooden with an end that has the circumference of a $.50 piece.
Use that stick to mash and pulverize the mint leaves in the glass.

Squeeze the juice of half a fresh lemon into the glass.
Add one or two shot glasses of Malibu rum. (You decide how potent you want it)
Add two shot glasses of Canada Dry Ginger Ale.
Add one shot glass of Club Soda.

Fill the glass to the top with quality crushed ice. Buy a bag from your liquor store. Don’t use the stuff from your freezer.
Slosh the fixings between two glasses a couple or three times. If you have a shaker use that.
Pour the cocktail into a serving glass. For large parties I just use the tall red plastic cups
Put a sprig of mint on the top for appearance.

Optional: If you can get hold of a sugar cane stock, cut it up into little sticks that are a little taller than the serving glass. Make sure you strip off the outside green skin.
Place the sugar cane stick in the serving glass so it can be used as a stirrer.

If you use these specific ingredients, you will get a great refreshing Mojito.
I use much more mint (because I like it minty), and ginger ale is blasphemous. Sugar or simple syrup and soda water is all you need. I muddle the mint with the sugar and 1/2 oz of rum. Really brings out the flavor more as the alcohol captures some of the compounds that would otherwise get lost.
medical_bartender
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by medical_bartender »

A bit of a different direction than above. This is a better cocktail with a more aged rum or rhum agricole.

Palmetto cocktail
1.5 oz rum or rhum
1.5 oz sweet vermouth (punt e mes)
2 dashes orange bitters

Stir ingredients over ice. Strain into chilled coupe serve up. +/- orange peel garnish
Complex for a rum cocktail despite the few ingredients
mw1739
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Re: Rum and Summer Cocktails

Post by mw1739 »

I make most cocktails to taste, so forgive the lack of measurements:
Light rum
Coconut water
Fresh jalapeño slices
Simple syrup
Lime

Mix together in a pitcher and let the jalapeño soak preferably overnight. It’s refreshing and the peppers add a little kick.
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