Summer Rum Revival in 6 Cocktails
We asked our network of America’s top bartenders to recommend their favorite rum cocktails of the moment — in honor of all the craft distillers who are making award-winning rums right here in the U.S.A. Fall in love with rum all over again with these recipes.
Dancing Tiki
(recipe from Dancing Pines Distillery, recommended by Evan Faber)
After tasting some of the cocktails made by Dancing Pines distillery at Tales of the Cocktail this year, bartender Evan Faber recommended that we share a recipe from Dancing Pines Distillery. We chose the Dancing Tiki.
1 ounce Dancing Pines Chai Liqueur
1 ounce Dancing Pines Spiced Rum
1/4 fresh grapefruit
1 ounce pineapple juice
Splash of Angostura Bitters
Add all ingredients over ice in a martini shaker. Shake well until chilled. Pour into martini glass. Rim glass with fresh grapefruit peal. Splash a few drops of the bitters. Add fresh grapefruit peal to glass as garnish.
Dublin Pirate
(recipe by Todd Appel)
Todd made this recipe for the Bacardi Legacy Competition, where it won 2nd place.
2 ounces aged or gold dry rum
1/2 ounce Swedish Punch
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce steel-cut oatmeal orgeat
All ingredients into shaker filled with ice. Hard shake. Strain into rocks glass filled with cracked ice. Top with a couple drops of Angostura and lime wheel. Short straw.
Grand Floridian
(recipe by Dean Hurst)
From Dean: “The Grand Floridian is a darker relative to the Mojito. Zaya is a favorite at our bar, and as we worked through creating a cocktail for the summer list, this was born. The orange is muddled with the peel to introduce the oils and slight bitter components of the pith. Angostura ties everything together and keeps the finish from becoming to overbearing.”
1 orange slice (about 1/6)
2 ounces Zaya Rum
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Muddle. Shake. Strain. Collins Glass. Mint Sprig.
Rocksteady Swizzle
(recipe by Frank Cisneros)
Frank made this recipe for the menu at Dram, and says, “It’s sort of a complex, long variation of a Dark and Stormy.”
2 ounces dark rum (Coruba is best)
3/4 ounce lime
1/2 ounce fresh pineapple juice
1/4 ounce ginger syrup
1/2 ounce cinnamon syrup
1/4 ounce orgeat
Swizzle, top with fresh crushed ice. Float Angostura bitters on top. Add more fresh ice. Garnish with mint.
SeaSide
(recipe by Dean Hurst)
From Dean: “This one won second place in the national finals for Bacardi Legacy in Miami earlier this year. The inspiration came from a newfound spirit, Cardamaro…It is a truly simple drink to make, following the sour recipe, with great depth of flavor.”
1-1/2 ounces Bacardi Superior
1 ounce Cardamaro
1/2 ounce Clover Honey Syrup (1:1 ratio honey to water)
1/4 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
Shake. Strain. Cocktail Glass. Lemon Peel.
Wayfarer
(recipe by Steve Schneider)
From Steve: “Wayfarer: a person who travels from city to city often by foot (Johnny Appleseed). This is a cocktail I made for a competition back in 2010, and it will always have a significant place in my heart because it was at that competition where I unveiled my giant, signature hammer and crushed ice for the crowd. I knew I had something going when the judges stopped what they were doing and took pictures of me with their cell phones. Superstardom always has its roots.”
1-1/2 ounces Cana Brava Rum
1/2 ounce Laird’s Apple Brandy
1 ounce lime
1/2 ounce agave
5 dashes of Angostura bitters
Build in a Collins glass. Add crushed ice, swizzle, top with bitters and a mint crown.
