Ready to try something new to fill up your snifter or rocks glass? Put down the scotch — aged rums are the new sipping spirit and classic cocktail base to add to your bar cart. According to industry experts, premium rums are just heating up. The rum category has been shedding its beach bum image and the spirit is as complex as other brown spirits – whether served neat or in a classic cocktail.
If you’ve only tried rum in a frozen strawberry daiquiri on a vacation, you might only associate rum with paper umbrella cocktails. But as bartenders and other spirits connoisseurs have begun to notice, rum is a versatile and interesting spirit that rivals great whiskey, gin, and other spirits.
Whether in a cocktail or served neat, rums are gaining popularity with a variety of flavor profiles for any palate, and a range of accessible price points.
Don’t miss out on experimenting with this versatile spirit – Raise Your Rum with an elevated twist on a classic cocktail on National Rum Day, August 16th. Here are a few options for scotch, bourbon, vodka and gin lovers alike.
Cheers!
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BACARDÍ 8 Old Fashioned
2 parts BACARDÍ® 8 Años rum
1 teaspoon sugar
2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
0.5 part water
Orange peel for garnish
Method: In an Old-Fashioned glass, pour in the sugar, water and Angostura Bitters. Combine everything with a bar spoon (or muddler), add the BACARDÍ 8 Años. Fill the glass 3/4 of the way with large ice cubes and stir repeatedly, around 10 stirs. Top with a little fresh ice. Cut a piece of orange peel and squeeze over the cocktail before dropping it into the drink.
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GRAN RESERVA Maestro Collins
2 parts BACARDÍ Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron
1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp fine white sugar (caster sugar)
To fill: Soda or sparkling water
Method: Pour the BACARDÍ Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron, lemon juice and caster sugar into a cocktail shaker with cubes of ice and then give it a good, hard shake. Fine strain the mixture into a serving glass and top it up with soda. Finish by garnishing it with a lemon peel.
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EAST INDIA NEGRONI
2 parts Banks 5-Island rum
1 part Campari
1 part Lustau East India sherry
Orange peel for garnish
Method: Add all the ingredients but the garnish to a mixing glass, then add ice. Stir and strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with the orange peel.
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RUM Mule
1 part HAVANA CLUB Añejo Clásico
2 parts chilled ginger beer
2 lime wedges
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Method: Fill highball glass with ice and squeeze in lime wedges. Pour in HAVANA CLUB Añejo Clásico rum and ginger beer. Complete by adding a dash of bitters and stir gently.
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FACUNDO PARAISO
2 parts FACUNDO PARAISO
Method: Serve neat
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