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The best spiced rum cocktails to spice up your palate this fall

It's time to rethink spiced rum: The complex spirit is great in a number of fall-ready cocktails

Mark Stock
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Dark spice rum cocktail drink
Mae Mu

It happens every year. As summer transitions into fall, it’s time to say farewell to favorites such as pilsners, lighter wines, such as sauvignon blanc, and margaritas, and say what’s up to Scotch whisky, cabernet sauvignon, and spiced rum cocktails.

That’s right, it’s time to transition to darker, heftier sippers to get us through the fall and winter. For rum drinkers, that means something aged longer and often hit with a complimentary batch of spices. You see, spiced rum can be a beautiful, complex, soothing drink when it is paired with just the right ratio of additives. Like a great gin, it can take on (or be infused with) a number of great aroma and flavor-building ingredients.

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Creative types can make their own spiced rum at home. It’s rather easy, and basically just involves hitting your favorite bottle of dark rum with corresponding ingredients like ginger, citrus, and baking spices. Let it set for a couple of weeks, strain, and there you have it. For those who just want a reliable pre-made batch, well, there are plenty. And when you have your spiced concoction at the ready, look to these great cocktails to get you excited about fall and winter.

A spiced rum drink with Mandinga rum bar wooden coaster.
Kelly Lacy / Pexels

What is spiced rum?

Before we get to our recipes for easy spiced rum drinks, we wanted to answer a couple of questions about spiced rum.

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What mixer goes with spiced rum?

As you’ll see in the following recipes, spiced rum can be mixed with so much more than just Coke. It goes great with lemonade, iced tea, orange juice, tomato juice, and even coffee. There’s really no limit to what you can mix with spiced rum.

What’s the difference between rum and spiced rum?

As the name suggests, spiced rum is a rum that has been infused with spices. Generally, spiced rum is made with ordinary white rum. After the rum is distilled, molasses, as well as spices and flavors, are added. Generally, those flavors are cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, citrus fruit, nutmeg, orange, and pepper, as well as other flavors. After the spices and molasses are added, the rum is aged in oak barrels before bottling.

Spiced Palmer Cocktail on table.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Spiced Palmer

Here, the classic Arnold Palmer is given the spiced rum treatment. The peach and lemon work wonderfully with the cinnamon and nutmeg in the rum.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces Bacardi Spiced Rum
  • 1 1/2 ounces lemonade
  • 1 1/2 ounces peach tea

Method

  1. Fill a highball glass with cubed ice.
  2. Pour in the rum, followed by the lemonade and peach tea.
  3. Give it all a gentle stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a mint sprig.
A hot buttered rum with cinnamon stick.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hot buttered rum

If a cocktail could be a roaring fireplace, it would be the hot buttered rum. Here, the rum is given the dessert treatment and warmed to perfection for the ultimate nightcap.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup spiced rum
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt

Method

  1. Mix butter, sugar, and syrup, and spices until combined.
  2. Place the butter in the bottom of a pitcher.
  3. Add rum, followed by the boiling water. Whisk until combined.
  4. Garnish with a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon stick.
Lava Roasted Manhattan cocktail.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Lava Roasted Manhattan

Technically, the spice here comes courtesy of the vermouth, but the function is much the same. The end result is a soothing cocktail, inspired somewhat by s’mores.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces Ron Zacapa No.23
  • 3/4 ounce spiced cacao vermouth*
  • 1/4 ounce of a quality mezcal
  • 1 dash mole bitters
  • Marshmallow for garnish

*Spiced Cacao Vermouth: In a quart container, add 375 ml of vermouth (Carpano Antica is suggested) and 2 oz cacao nibs. Let sit overnight at room temperature. Fine strain, label, and date.

Method

  1. Stir all the ingredients in a mixing glass.
  2. Double strain into a coupe glass.
  3. Roast the marshmallow, garnish, and serve.
A Walk of Fame Cocktail in a mug.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Walk of Fame

Sometimes, you need a classy drink that will knock out the headache lingering from last night.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
  • 1 part chai tea syrup
  • 3/4 part half-and-half
  • 1 cup of hot coffee

Method

  1. Build ingredients in a mug, and top with hot coffee.
  2. Garnish with grated cinnamon.
A Pineapple Mojito cocktail.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Pineapple mojito

Pineapple and spiced rum create the ultimate duet in this pleasing drink. It tastes as good as it looks, and that’s saying something. This one is thanks to Anthony Bohlinger.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
  • 1/2 part lime juice
  • 4 cubes sugar
  • 4 pieces pineapple
  • 10 mint leaves

Method

  1. Muddle pineapple, mint, and sugar in the bottom of a shaker.
  2. Add ice, lime, Sailor Jerry rum, and shake well.
  3. Pour into glass and top with ice, lime, and mint.
A Hurricane Glass and drink near the water.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Spiced Hurricane

We love a standard Hurricane but the addition of spiced rum adds another layer of complexity and warming flavors. If you’re feeling tropical, try throwing in some passionfruit or pineapple juice.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce spiced rum
  • 3/4 ounce white rum
  • 1 ounce orange juice
  • 1 ounce lime juice
  • 1/4 ounce grenadine
  • Ice
  • Orange slice and cherry for garnish

Method

  1. Add ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake until blended and strain into an ice-filled hurricane glass.
  2. Garnish with orange and cherry.
A Spiced Rum Bloody Mary with many, many garnishes.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Spiced Rum Bloody Mary

Who says a Bloody Mary has to be a vodka drink? No sensible soul. This one takes advantage of the many spices already infused into the rum and is prepped for some ridiculous garnishes.

Ingredients

  • 1 part Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
  • 2 parts tomato juice
  • 1/3 parts lemon juice
  • 1/4 part Worcestershire Sauce
  • Hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and stir.
  2. Garnish with pickle or similar.

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Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
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