Need a reason to party tonight? You’re in luck, because August 16th officially marks National
Rum Day, a time to celebrate one of the most beloved spirits in the
cocktail world. Whether you prefer thirst-quenching tropical concoctions or smooth, spicy elixirs, there’s a rum recipe for every social drinker. Ed Hamilton, also known as the “
Minister of Rum,” is one of the world’s most well-known authorities on rum and sugar-cane spirits and he was gracious enough to provide us little known tidbits to commemorate the holiday:
Top 5 Things Consumers Don’t Known About Rum
1. Rum is the most diverse of all the distilled spirits, varying from a clear, light spirit to a heavy bodied spirit, which can be as dark as night.
2. Rum is made from sugar cane, but the distilled spirit contains no sugar and has the same calories by volume as vodka or whisky.
3. Though often considered a renegade spirit, rum can only be made from sugar cane as the simplest raw material.
4. The Molasses Act of 1733, and addendums in 1764, were catalysts for the American Revolution and confirmed the French and Colonists as allies in the subsequent war. At the time of the American Revolution there were more than 150 rum distilleries in New England.
5. Rum continues to be the most undervalued, least understood of the distilled spirits.
Kick off tonight with three festive rum-inspired cocktails that are certain to start a fiesta or two. Viva rum!
Flor de Cana Daiquiri
Ingredients
2 oz. Flor de Cana 4 Year Rum
¾ oz. Lime juice
½ oz. Simple syrup
1 Lime wedge
Preparation
Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Nicaraguan Sazerac
Ingredients
2 oz. Flor de Cana 7 Year Rum
.5 oz. Simple syrup
3 Dashes Peychaud Bitters
Dash Lucid Absinthe
Grapes
Salt
Preparation
Salt rim of small rocks glass. Add rum, simple syrup, bitters, and absinthe in a cocktail shaker filled with ice Strain into coup style glass. Garnish with red grapes.
Picante Muchacho
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Flor de Cana 7 Year Rum
0.5 oz. Lime juice
0.5 oz. Simple syrup
Muddle poblano peppers
1 Jalapeno pepper
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a short rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a poblano and jalapeno pepper.
