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Rum Review: Ron Diplomatico Blanco

Matt Robold — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:13:53 +0000

Ron Diplmomatico Blanco is the newest rum to be brought to us by Distilerias Unidas in Venezuela. For over 50 years the distillery in La Miel has produced several lines of rums which can be found all over the world.

The Ron Diplomatico line of products has long had shelf-space in my collection. The Reserva Exclusiva is a personal favorite and I was first exposed to the new Blanco rum in London at the 2008 UK Rumfest.

It has taken some time, but the Diplomatico Blanco has made its way to the shores of the USA. According to Distlilerias Unidas, the rum is distilled 4 times before being aged for up to 6 years in oak casks and then blended and filtered through 5 runs of charcoal to strip all color from the spirit – leaving it clear, crisp, and light bodied.

Appearances

The rum is almost perfectly clear. There is no discernible green tinge that you sometimes find with oak-aged white spirits. When swirled in the glass the legs form thickly and very slowly work their way down into the bowl.

Nose

A quick whiff from the glass tells us that this is a very light-bodied rum. Light, sugary notes are the first to hit the nose, followed by some very floral top notes. There’s a touch of caramel just underneath those flowery scents. The nose is nice, but very delicate and light.

Palate

At first taste the Diplomatico Blanco is sweet. “Sugar!” is the first thought that crosses your mind on your initial sip. The sweet entry is followed by a rather surprisingly savory mid-palate. Butter and vanilla seem to arise very pleasantly out of nowhere. The flavor is light, but much richer than expected based on the nose. At the back of the palate you find citrus notes of lime and lemon peel before a very nice and soft finish with no burn.

While richer than expected based on the nose, the flavor of the rum is still considerably light and delicate. The umami (savory) characteristics of the mid-palate are a very welcome surprise on the tongue. Without them the rum would be almost completely lost after the first, sugary taste.

Mixing

The lightness of the Ron Diplomatico Blanco means that it should work in any drink that showcases the rum above all else. Cocktails using strongly-flavored ingredients will likely overwhelm the delicacy of the Blanco, leaving you searching your palate for that rum you spent close to $40US on.

The drinks I’d highly recommend for the Blanco are:

Daiquiri (a no-brainer, really)
Mojito (again, easy call)
Hemmingway Daiquiri (go light on the maraschino)
Rum Julep
“Rum Rose“

All of the above-mentioned cocktails are perfect for a light-bodied rum with sugary but delicate flavors. Of course, I had to find one more, so I decided I’d make up a drink that was developed by Matt Wallace at Seven Grand, my favorite Whiskey Bar in LA (yes, a rum drink developed in a whiskey bar – you can’t escape rum).

Lilly Blossom
Matt Wallace of Seven Grand, LA

2 oz White Rum
1 oz Lillet Blanc
.75 oz Lime Juice
.75 oz Honey Syrup
2 drops Orange Flower Water
2 sprigs Mint

Muddle 1 sprig of mint with syrup and rum in your mixing glass, add the remaining ingredients and shake with ice. Strain over ice into a Double Old Fashioned glass, garnish with mint.

The Long & The Short Of It

Ron Diplomatico Blanco is a superb white rum. It is clean, sweet, and floral – all things you would want from a white rum, and without any harsh alcohol burn at the finish. This is easily an enjoyable sipping rum, not unlike Oronoco, though somewhat limited when it comes to mixing.

I do have to admit that I’m curious about the production process. The savory quality of the rum is completely unexpected in a spirit that gets distilled 4 times and filtered another 5. It’s a process I’d definitely like to learn more about. Until I can find a way to get to Venezuela though, I’ll just have to settle for exploring the rum in my glass.

Dood’s Rating: 4 Bottles of Rum Out of 5

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Other Reviews of Diplomatico Blanco

Refined Vices
A Drink With Forrest
Waylaid In The West Indies

Cocktail Recipe: Zombie Punch

Matt Robold — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:59:01 +0000

Don The Beachcomber has been mentioned here from time to time, but it’s rare that any of his drinks actually get covered. Is it because I dislike Tiki? Because I’m a Trader Vicist – a Bergeronista, if you will? Is it because I don’t like his “mai tai” recipe?

Well no. Don The Beachcomber may be more responsible than anyone for sparking the Tiki craze of the early to middle part of the 20th Century in the US. I may not be a Tiki blogger, but I’d be a fool to not appreciate that, as Ben Reed has said on more than one occasion, Tiki makes drinking – and specifically rum – accessible to the masses.

The Zombie is an odd duck when it comes to drinks. Much like the Mai Tai, everyone claims to have had one, and probably almost no one has. It was originally developed by Donn Beach, who’s penchant for secrecy when it came to his recipes almost condemned the true Zombie to the dustbin of history.

Luckily for us there is a bum in the world that wouldn’t let that happen. Jeff “Beachbum” Berry spent years tracking down Donn’s secret recipe. In his book, “Intoxica!“, the Bum pronounced that he had tracked down the secret recipe and printed it in his book. As it turned out, that only led him further down the rabbit hole, subsequently coming across 2 more recipes, and forcing him to decipher secret ingredient after secret ingredient to find the original Zombie recipe from 1934.

I won’t go in to too many details about the Bum’s search. You can read about that in his book, “Sippin’ Safari” – which I highly recommend.

Zombie Punch
from “Sippin’ Safari”

.75 oz Lime Juice
.5 oz Don’s Mix
.5 oz Falernum
1.5 oz Jamaican Rum
1.5 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum
1 oz 151 Demerara Rum
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1/8th tsp Herbsaint or Pernod
1 tsp Grenadine
.75 cup crushed ice

Put everything into a blender, saving ice for last. Blend at high speed for no more than 5 seconds. Pour into a chimney glass and fill with ice. Garnish with fresh mint.

Now THAT is some Zombie. The original Zombie calls for Lowndes Jamaican Rum, and the Bum recommends using Appleton Estate V/X as a stand-in (and who am I to disagree?). For the Puerto Rican rum I actually prefer to sub in Cruzan Gold from St. Croix. When it comes to the 151 proof demerara, there’s little choice but to opt for the Lemonhart 151.

Of course then there’s the tricky little matter of that weird “Don’s Mix” ingredient. Don’t despair, the Bum worked that out for us too:

Don’s Mix

2 parts Grapefruit Juice
1 part Cinnamon Syrup

The Zombie Punch is a drink that is tart and sweet and refreshing all at the same time. The challenge with any drink that has this many ingredients is for it to remain cohesive without becoming gray, shapeless collection of flavors. Don The Beachcomber did this better than anyone else, and the 1934 Zombie Punch stands as a testament to that.

Question of the day:

What’s your favorite Don The Beachcomber drink?

The Palmetto Cocktail

Matt Robold — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:18:38 +0000

Vermouth is a mainstay of classical cocktails. The various red, white, sweet, and dry fortified wines show up all over the place in recipes involving whiskey, gin, vodka, and even rum.

Vermouth is also the theme for this month’s Mixology Monday, graciously hosted by the the pseudonymous “Vidiot” at the Cocktailians blog. As Vidiot notes, vermouth isn’t often sought-after by most people in a bar, pointing out that vermouth “enjoys a somewhat better reputation among the cocktailian cognoscenti than it does among the greater public, but vermouth is similarly (and unfairly) maligned by many.“

[Y]our challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to present a delectable vermouth cocktail for us all to drool over. Sweet/Italian or dry/French vermouth are fair game of course, as are quinquina, aperitif wines like Pineau des Charentes, or for that matter any fortified, aromatized wine such as Lillet (red or white), or Dubonnet (ditto.)

Being fairly lazy, I considered just submitting the El Presidente again, but being someone that loves more than one cocktail using rum and vermouth, I decided instead to present a different drink altogether.

The Palmetto is a drink that is based on the same premise as the Martinez, Martini, and Manhattan cocktails: equal parts spirit and vermouth with a little bitters. The only thing that seems like it could be wrong with this drink is the fact that its name doesn’t begin with an “m” like all of the others that came before it.

There are a few variants of the drink, and the proper one for your palate may depend on your preference for light spirits and dry vermouth or brown spirits with sweet vermouth. The two variants don’t seem to have different names, but for the sake of clarity, I’ll affix some descriptors to them.

Dry Palmetto

1.25 oz White Rum
1.25 oz Dry Vermouth
2 dashes Aromatic Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Dry version of the Palmetto is, in my humble opinion, an abomination. While I haven’t tried every single combination of white rum and dry vermouth, the ones I have tried seem to certify this drink as an abject failure – and I say this as a huge fan of the Martini.

Sweet Palmetto

1.25 oz Aged Rum
1.25 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon or orange twist.

I don’t much like calling it a “Sweet Palmetto” – at my house this is just a Palmetto, and the Savoy Cocktail Book would seem to agree with me. The switch from a rum martini to a rum manhattan transitions this drink from awful to awfully good, and has thusly made the Palmetto a staple for me at home. I have yet to find an aged rum that won’t work in this drink, though I’m particularly partial to using El Dorado 15 Year Old or Mount Gay Extra Old. As for the vermouth, well use what you like, but if you want this drink to really sing, grab yourself a bottle of Carpano Antica Formula.

Question for the day:

What’s your favorite rum and vermouth cocktail?

Cocktail Recipe: El Presidente

Matt Robold — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:37:18 +0000

The El Presidente is a Cuban-born cocktail from the Dark Days of American tippling – Prohibition. The history of the cocktail is somewhat hazy, with several different bartenders credited with creating it in honor one or more Cuban presidents in various different bars.

The drink has often been lamented as a lost treasure from the heyday of Cuban mixology, when thirsty Americans – unable to quench their thirst for great cocktails at home – would sail from Florida to Havana. While most people think of daiquiris and mojitos when they think of Cuba, there are quite a few great drinks that were poured for travelers – many of which have been almost completely forgotten.

Early this year I went on something of an El Presidente kick, making them just about every night for a few weeks. The original recipe calls for a ratio of 2:1:1 rum to dry vermouth to curacao, with a half teaspoon of grenadine. The problem is that while the drink is definitely palatable, it just wasn’t great at that particular ratio.

After trying so many, I came to the conclusion that the problem was the curacao, which was utterly dominating the drink. The drink was too orange-heavy, and the rum, vermouth, and grenadine were bit players at best, completely lost at worst. So I made a modification to how I made mine, and suddenly the drink went from “interesting lost cocktail” to “nightly home menu option.”

El Presidente (modified)

1.5 oz Aged Rum
.75 oz Dry Vermouth
.25 oz Curacao
.5 tsp Grenadine

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange or lemon twist.

I found out in a chat with Wayne Curtis (whose …and a Bottle of Rum introduced me to the cocktail in the first place) shortly after settling on this version of the recipe that he had drawn similar conclusions and also makes his El Presidentes with less curacao. I also find the aged rum adds character too the drink and keeps it from becoming overly sweet. If it’s still a little too sweet, consider adding a dash or two of bitters.

Question of the Day:

Tweaking classic or forgotten cocktail recipes has really grown to be one of my favorite past-times. What twists or modifications to other classics do you really enjoy?

An Interview With Martin Cate

Matt Robold — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:38:43 +0000

Martin Cate is an internationally recognized expert on rum and Tiki drinks. Over the years he has taught classes, tended bar, designed beverage programs, been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and appeared on shows like The Today Show. In 2009 after several years working behind the bar at Trader Vic’s and Forbidden Island (where he was part-owner), Martin struck out on his own and will be opening a new venture in San Francisco, Smuggler’s Cove.

Smuggler’s Cove will be a rum haven run by one of the great advocates of the spirit, and great friend of this blog. I figured it would be a good idea to catch up with Martin and get to know a little bit more about the project and the man himself. In the process I got to learn a little bit about what makes him tick, what Smuggler’s Cove will be about, and a great big surprise that you may find on the menu there.

One of the most common questions I get asked is “Why rum? What about rum makes you love it so much?”

There just isn’t a more fascinating spirit in the world…. Revolution, triumph, piracy, war, sailors, celebration, and unspeakable human tragedy are in every glass. No other spirit has the history or the versatility. From the fiery aguardientes of 300 years ago, to the polish of 19th century Spanish styles, to the richness of the English style rums and delicacy of the French rhums- I mean, it’s amazing. And all the incredible applications- what other spirit can trace its history from harsh grogs, to colonial tavern specialties, to the elegant cocktails of Havana’s golden age, to the baroque and incredible compositions of the mid-century exotic cocktail. Plus it’s yummy.

You’re primarily known for your work on the Tiki side of rum mixology – you got your start bartending at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville and then went on to open Forbidden Island – but Smuggler’s Cove (as I understand it) is not a Tiki bar. What is the main idea behind Smuggler’s Cove, i.e. what can a customer expect to find on the menu? Will there be any tiki?

I started out my voyage with exotic cocktails. But…once you open the door to find that beyond the 30 or so glorious years of the heyday of exotic cocktails, there lies 300 more years of incredible history. The more I dove into rum, the more I loved unearthing its history and tasting the old magic. So my idea with Smuggler’s Cove was to say- there’s a bigger world of rum out there, and I want people to come and explore it with me. That’s why you’ll find a much larger and more elaborate palate of drinks. Having said all that, I still carry a deep and burning tiki torch of love in my heart for vintage exotic cocktails. You will most certainly not be want for a classic tiki cocktail at Smuggler’s Cove. In fact the Smuggler’s Cove menu will feature a NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED Don the Beachcomber recipe from 1937, courtesy of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. That’s right- straight from the bartender’s notebook. Previously lost to the ages. Not even in the Bum’s new book.

As to the decor – remember that good classic tiki decor is a number of elements working in harmony – carving, thatch, bamboo, salvage, nautical, tropical plants, flotsam & jetsam, etc. Smuggler’s Cove will be emphasizing some of these features over others. In essence, I can virtually guarantee that no tiki enthusiast will be disappointed by the interior. It will appeal to a lot of people’s interests- vintage SF decor, nautical, even pirate. I’m not calling it a tiki bar, because I want it to be what you want it to be. But if you call it a tiki bar- hey, you bet I’m not going to be insulted. My interior designer is an evil genius and there are many tricks up our sleeves….

Smuggler’s Cove is going to have its own rum, Eurydice, that you worked on with St. George Distillery. What made you decide to work on a unique house rum, and how did Eurydice come to be?

I had been wanting to do this for many years, and the ball got rolling some time ago with the distillers at St. George. When they said they had a source for California Sugar Cane, we got to work. They pressed four different kinds of sugar cane and fermented them with different yeast strains. I tasted them all off the still and settled on two distillates that in discussion with the distiller, we felt had the most potential to age well and bring the kind of aromatic notes to the forefront that I wanted. So we chose two and put them in French Oak together for six months, then off to used bourbon for another six.

What can a customer expect from Eurydice? Why is it special?

There is truly no other rum like it in the world- a 100% California produced artisinal product. No one else is producing a fresh-pressed, agricole-style cane rum in the United States. What’s really exciting is that I think it’s a great compliment to all of the other small US distillers who are making some great rums. It really stands well along side them yet remains distinctive.

Are there any plans for a Rum Tasting Club of any sort?

There will most certainly be an amazing tasting club at The Cove…with a real sound educational component that helps to deepen and enlighten people’s understanding of this mighty spirit. It’s going to be a lot of fun. What is important to me is that people come out of the experience with not just an understanding, but a good idea of some of their favorites. I want people to find rums they love- the worst thing for all of us is for people to only try a rum that isn’t to their taste and write off the whole category as a result- I want to get consumers to fall in love with a rum they haven’t met yet!

It seems like it was only yesterday that you were making drinks on the other side of the Bay, and now Smuggler’s Cove is set to open before the end of the year. How were you able to effect such a quick turnaround?

Consider it a combination of dogged hard work and good fortune. Finding a bar-only liquor license in SF is exceptionally hard. I was able to get in and make it work fast. Now I only wish I had more time!

I asked Martin if there would be any big names (other than his) working behind the bar at the Cove, but he was incredibly tight-lipped when it came to which Bay Area all-stars might be spending some time shaking a few cocktails for rum enthusiasts. Martin was similarly evasive about the details of the long-lost Don The Beachcomber recipe he’s reviving at the Cove. While there is no specific date yet set for Smuggler’s Cove to open its doors, expect Martin to be unleashing his new vision on the world some time in the Fall of 2009.

Rum Bar Opening This Fall In San Francisco

Mixology Monday: Dizzy Dairy

Matt Robold — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:07:21 +0000

For a second there I was worried that Mixology Monday might miss the entire month of September. I’m sure you were worried too. And if you weren’t, just pretend that you were to make me feel better.

The fine folks at the eGullet forums are hosting this month’s virtual cocktail party. I often find myself filled with a combination of anticipation and anxiety when I go to see what the next MxMo is going to be. I generally want to ensure that I can find a way to work rum into the drink recipe. Of course, rum’s versatility generally means that that isn’t difficult.

Our theme for September is “Dizzy Dairy:”

Any drink using a dairy product is fair game: milk, cream, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, curds, you name it. Given the importance of dairy products in drinks dating back centuries, there are lots of opportunities for digging through vintage receipts for a taste of the past, and as always innovation is highly encouraged.

So off I went, plummeting through recipes in cocktail books both new and old. I scoured the informational cornucopia that is the Internet. I, well I looked at a lot of recipes, and eventually settled on the Trader Vic’s Rum Fizz (as found on CocktailDB.com).

Trader Vic’s Rum Fizz

1.5 oz White Rum
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 tsp Sugar
1 Egg
.5 oz Cream Soda

Combine all ingredients other than the Cream Soda in a shaker and shake with ice. Strain over ice in a highball glass and top with cream soda. Garnish with orange zest.

Trader Vic, of course, gave us the One True Mai Tai (I don’t care what Don The Beachcomber said). I figured I couldn’t very likely go wrong with one of his recipes. Before making it, I delved deeper into the Internet’s tome of knowledge and found Darcy’s notes on the same drink. Darcy seemed to think that the drink was not without merit, but seemed, “a little lumpy, ie. the flavours are all present, don’t seem to combine as well as the Ramos Gin Fizz.”

The different flavors in the drink just don’t blend together. There was abrupt lemon flavor, followed by a bit of sweet vanilla and then a slightly off-putting dryness that just didn’t seem right in a fizz.

I spent the better part of an evening tinkering with the recipe. Ingredients were added, removed, re-added, re-removed, upped, downed – anything I could think of. Glasses were lined up next to each other with foam at various levels, covered with small shavings of orange zest so that I could ensure that I was moving towards something better.

Improved Rum Fizz

1.5 oz White Rum
.5 oz Curacao
1 oz Lemon Juice
2 tsp Orgeat
.5 oz Egg White
.75 oz Cream Soda

Combine all ingredients other than the cream soda in a shaker and dry shake for about a minute. Add ice to the tin and shake for as close to a minute as you can. Strain into a tall, thin glass and top with cream soda. Garnish with fresh orange zest.

First of all, the ice and the highball glass had to go. After that it was a matter of finding the right sweeteners to bring the drink together. The orange from the zest was wonderful, so curacao was added to enhance that on the palate a bit. Still, the drink was too abrupt, so – this being a drink inspired by Trader Vic – why not use orgeat to smooth out the edges? The final product was much more balanced and smooth. It’s almost silky on the tongue and the orange, vanilla, and almond flavors all pull together quite nicely.

I don’t want to say that Vic was wrong. The man created the Mai Tai – one of the single greatest liquid creations of all time. But in this case he was a tad off. Using his initial drink as a starting point though, I think there are a number of great directions the recipe can be taken.

Have you ever had the Trader Vic’s Rum Fizz? Did you like it? How would you improve it?

Cocktail Recipe: Halley’s Eclipse Rum Punch

Matt Robold — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:00:27 +0000

Returning to the first ever RumDood & Mount Gay Labor Day Rum Punch Contest (note: future contests should have shorter names), we continue our stroll through the runners up as we focus on the Halley’s Eclipse Rum Punch. This punch was submitted by Chris Bostick, bartender at LA’s well-known speakeasy bar, The Varnish, and proprietor of Blueprint Cocktail Blog.

Halley’s Eclipse Rum Punch

Thin peel from 2 lemons and 1 orange

3 heaping teaspoons fine sugar

5 oz Mt Gay Eclipse Silver

4 oz Mt Gay Eclipse

3 oz Mt Gay Extra Old

5 oz Yellow Chartreuse

6 oz fresh lime juice

4 oz honey syrup (3:1/ water:honey ratio)

2 oz Rum Dood Falernum #2

12 oz Bundaberg Ginger Beer

In a large mixing bowl, muddle citrus peels with sugar. Add all ingredients minus the ginger beer and stir well until the sugar has dissolved and the flavors have all married well. A metal whisk works incredibly well.

Strain contents of mixing bowl into a punch bowl containing ice (preferably a large, single chunk).

Add the 12oz of ginger beer, give one last gentle stir and enjoy!

This is an incredibly tasty punch – and one that definitely took the sponsors to heart. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen a recipe calling for my falernum by name – even in my own recipes – and it calls for the majority of the Mount Gay Rum product line. The punch is light and refreshing, with a nice mingling of all the flavors and the honey coming through nicely and playing perfectly against the ginger beer and falernum.

If you’re looking for the best way to keep the punch cold in the bowl, both Chris and I recommend a single, large chunk of ice in your punch bowl. This will get your punch chilled without diluting it to the same degree a large collection of ice cubes would. I typically use ice made by freezing a loaf pan full of water while Chris recommends freezing about 30 oz of water in a plastic prep bowl a few days ahead of time.

When serving the punch, if you really want to dress it up for your guests, try garnishing your punch bowl with some edible flowers floating on top. Chris suggests edible orchids, blue Borage flowers, purple pansies, or golden Marigolds, but use your imagination. I’m also a fan of a few thin slices of lemon and/or lime floated on the top of the punch.

Rum Review: Ron Abuelo 7 Años

Matt Robold — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:19:27 +0000

Ron Abuelo 7 Años is a rum produced at the very bridge between North and South America: Panama. This particular brand of rums is produced by Varela Hermanos, makers of numerous Panamanian sugar cane spirits – including a sugar cane-based gin! The Ron Abuelo line of products consists of 3 rums, the Abuelo, the 7 Años, and the newly launched 12 Años.

Varela Hermanos has been involved with sugar cane since 1908, when the company’s founder, Don Jose Varela Blanco, opened a sugar mill in the town of Pese. As I’ve said before, where there is sugar cane, rum will soon follow, and in 1936 Varela Hermanos S.A. began fermenting and distilling pressed cane juice into rum.

The 7 Años rum is an interesting blend of rum-making traditions. During the Panamanian Dry Season (from December through April), freshly-pressed sugar cane juice is fermented and then distilled before being placed in used oak Bourbon barrels for aging. During the wetter months Varela uses a combination of pressed cane juice and molasses for its fermentation base. After seven years in the barrels, the rum is blended and then bottled to be enjoyed.

Appearances

Ron Abuelo 7 Años is a very lovely light gold color in the glass. Held up to the light, the rum takes on the same color as fresh honey. The legs on the glass appear thin and sharp, but cling strongly to the glass and only grudgingly retreat into the bowl.

Nose

The nose of the 7 Años is dry at first, with hints of flowers and straw. This light, dry nose gives way to heavier, richer notes of vanilla and caramel. It’s a wonderful blend of what one would expect from both molasses-based and cane-juice-based rums.

Palate

At first taste, Ron Abuelo 7 Años is sweet at the tip of the tongue with warm flavors of toffee and caramel. The mid-palate introduces floral notes of vanilla that give way to apple blossom just before the finish. Ron Abuelo finishes with earthy notes of leather and almost no burn in the throat. The texture is rich and full on the tongue.

Mixing

Ron Abuelo 7 Años’ flavor profile is incredibly different from another excellent Central American rum, Ron Zacapa 23. The Abuelo has a similar richness, but with notes more evocative of an excellent brandy at the mid-palate. This spirit begs to be made into a Rum Old Fashioned. I was feeling saucy though, and pulled out my copy of Ted Haigh’s excellent Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails to find something different.

The Soother

1 oz Rum
1 oz Cognac
.5 oz Orange Curacao
.75 oz Lemon Juice
1 tsp Apple Juice
.5 tsp Simple Syrup

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into a goblet. Garnish with a fancy lemon twist.

This was too interesting of a cocktail to pass up – especially when I noticed Ted’s note to try using agave syrup in place of the simple (I suffer from an infatuation with agave syrup). The drink is sweet and tart, with the rum, cognac, and curacao all revealing themselves in a wonderful harmony.

The Long & The Short Of It

Ron Abuelo 7 Años is a testament to the adage that age statements do not make a great rum – great craftsmanship does. While other rums are older and made in more exotic fashions, this rum is a perfect companion for any tippler. Enjoyed on its own from a snifter or in a cocktail, Ron Abuelo 7 Años will not disappoint. No wonder this rum won a gold medal in the 2009 Ministry of Rum Tasting Competition. For $20US, this is a value that is very hard to beat.

Dood’s Rating: 4 Bottles of Rum Out of 5

Punch Recipe: Antigua Blue Devil’s Punch

Matt Robold — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:02:20 +0000

Antigua Blue Devil’s Punch
submitted by Alex Sadowsky

2 oz Aged Rum
2 oz Chunk of Pineapple
.5 oz Grenadine
.5 oz Lime Juice
1 tsp Demerara Sugar
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 oz Club Soda

Muddle pineapple, sugar, and rum until the pineapple is almost a puree.

Add lime, bitters, grenadine, and ice, and shake and strain into a tall glass over crushed ice.

Top with club soda and freshly grated nutmeg

Having already announced the winner of the first ever RumDood.com Rum Punch Giveaway, I figured it was time to discuss some of the other outstanding punches that were submitted. The final decision of who won the competition came down to two punches, the Captain Parker’s Punch and this incredibly delectable entry from recent Culinary Institute graduate and Sous Chef, Alex Sadowsky of St. Paul, Minnesota.

The punch is named for the troupe that has been known to paint the town blue in Antigua during Carnival – The Antigua Blue Devils. After a visit to the island during Carnival, Alex wanted to be able to share with friends and family what he had experienced on the island during his vacation and came up with the recipe you see here.

The punch has a very classic feel to it, with a nice bit of effervescence and the lovely touch of nutmeg (which made it into the winning punch as well). This punch was so good, in fact, that I had it and Captain Parker’s Punch tied on my scoring sheet after two days of making punches.

I even went to lightning rounds of making both punches and sipping them at the same time to see if I could pick a favorite. In the end I had to take both punches to a party and let the guests sort it out for me, which they did – by a single vote.

I used Mount Gay Extra Old for the rum, along with homemade grenadine and a single cube of demerara sugar which I crushed in my mixing tin before adding the other ingredients to be muddled. I really, really, really enjoyed this punch a great deal – though I’m thinking I may need to try replacing the soda with sparkling wine like Cava – you know, in the interest of science.

Thursday Drink Night’s First Anniversary: Tiki Night!

Matt Robold — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:16:11 +0000

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a full year, but Thursday Drink Night, the Mixoloseum’s weekly online cocktail party, turns 1 this coming Thursday, Sept. 3rd (OK, so really it turns 1 on the 2nd, but we can’t very well have TDN on Wednesday night, now can we?).

To celebrate our first anniversary, the Mixoloseum has picked Tiki Drinks as the theme. That’s right, get your rums, syrups, tiki mugs, and fruit juices ready and start crushing some ice, because this coming Thursday from 7pm Eastern to whenever we feel like stopping we’re going to be coming up with brand new tiki recipes and having a blast. Joining us on this auspicious occasion will be Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, who will be chatting and maybe even submitting and making a few drinks as well.

If you’ve never been to Thursday Drink Night, what better excuse to join in on the fun than our first anniversary? Not sure you’re ready? Of course you’re ready! Join the Mixoloseum Chat Room and spend some time chatting with some of your favorite cocktail bloggers, bartenders, and just general cocktail enthusiasts. Drink submission isn’t a necessity, but with a chance to win a bottle of Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced Rum, bottles of Obsello Absinthe and Port of Barcelona Gin – both signed by their respective distillers, a golden Japanese Barspoon, and SIX of the latest classic cocktail book reproductions from Mud Puddle Books, how can you really justify NOT trying your hand at some drink-making?

Be sure to join the fun on Thursday, Sept 3rd at 7pm Eastern by signing in to the Mixoloseum Chat Room. Tell’em RumDood sent you.