Monday, September 19, 2011

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT RUM DRINK


Welcome to my rum bar, where today we will assemble my go-to cocktail -- the Perfect Rum Drink. It follows an easy-to-remember recipe you'll find throughout the Caribbean, one that allows for plenty of leeway so you don't have to be absolutely precise in the proportions. For this version, I used Appleton VX rum, but any decent rum will do. I suggest you devote much time to experimenting...

11 comments:

Bajan said...

I am originally from Barbados and so am very familiar with that particular cocktail. We just call it a rum punch. The only difference in how we make it is that we typically add a touch of fresh grated nutmeg on the top, adds a nice aromatic. You might also want to consider using simple syrup instead of the granulated sugar. That way you are assured that the sugar is dissolved. Either way, it is indeed the perfect rum drink.

Bob Morris said...

Yeah, you're right. Fresh-ground nutmeg is the perfect finisher. I was trying to keep it as simple as possible -- thus, the granulated sugar. And, truth be told, I prefer it with Mt. Gay over Appleton.

Steve Graves said...

Bob, my favorite drink...RUM. Although I like mine neat, your version doesn't look bad at all. Will give it a try.

I'll take "The Road To Hell"

Thanks.......

Bajan said...

Me too. Mt Gay "Extra Old" is excellent though probably too nice for making a cocktail when you can just have that neat. The Cockspur five star, Mt Gay Eclipse and Doorleys are also good Bajan mixing rums at a lower price point. And as a general rule, I avoid "The Captain" at all costs.

My wife made a batch of rum punches with the Mt Gay white rum some time back and they were actually quite good. Lighter and maybe a better hot weather rum punch.

Bob Morris said...

Bajan, are you a corn 'n oil fan? I brought some Falernum home from my last trip to Barbados -- along with a fondness for pudding 'n souse -- but I have yet to try a corn 'n oil at home. Maybe that will be my next post in the occasional rum drink series.

Bajan said...

Wow, you may be the only non-Bajan that has ever heard of a Corn and Oil. Falernum is a bit hard to come by up here. Pudding and Souse was always a big family staple when my grandmother was alive along salt fish cakes and flying fish.

Bob Morris said...

The fastest way to get local respect in Barbados is to walk into a rum shop and ask for a corn 'n oil. It's a tad sweet for my tastes, but it is a drink like no other. As for food, another thing hard to come by up this way is cou-cou... which I would love to have now when okra is in season.

Victoria Allman said...

I remember that rum drink from Jamaica! It goes perfectly with jerk chicken!

http://www.victoriaallman.com/blog/25-the-memory-of-jerk

We should combine some posts for a dinner party!

Bob Morris said...

It's rum drink. It goes perfectly with anything. Especially an empty stomach.

Jim Gibson said...

Yo, Bob....This Cape Coral Gator likes to put one fresh mint leaf with the sugar, lime and bitters; then stomp it with the spoon, add ice, then rum, then a dash of 7-up if handy. Same formula with whiskey on a cold day.
Went "Up Nawth" once and got turned on to Old Fashions, which bear some similarity. Punch is better.

Bob Morris said...

Ah, Old Fashioneds. My dad used to make those everything Thanksgiving -- heavy on the bourbon. We carry on the tradition. At my favorite restaurant, the Ravenous Pig, they serve an Old Fashioned with house-made bacon.