Justin Noel’s Top Five Rum Cocktails for Summer

By Cator Sparks June 10, 2013

You know we love to talk bourbon! But during the hot and humid summer not much can beat a damn good rum drank.

Shellback Rum is a new brand on the market and they are coming out of the gate a winner. Working with Barbados-based West Indies Rum Distillery (established in ye olde 1893) they have two products, a silver rum and a spiced rum. The spiced is a blend of unaged rum with a portion that has spent at least 12 months in a once-used American bourbon barrel (hey, looka there!). Once blended, Shellback is flavored with Cinnamon Bark Oil (Sri Lanka and Ceylon); Ginger Oil (China and Africa); Clove Oil (Madagascar and India); Nutmeg (Indonesia); Cassia (Vietnam and China); Vanilla (Madagascar) and Allspice (Caribbean). Dang, it sounds like Christmas!

Recently Shellback made a splash at the epic Manhattan Cocktail Classic event. They hired famed New York bartender Justin Noel (of Pranna, Breslin, Royalton and Goldbar fame) to come up with some thirst quenching rum based cocktails that he has shared below.

Let us know if you make one and send us a photo on Instagram at @TheManualStyle

The Olive Blossom:

2oz Shellback Silver Rum

.75 oz St. Germain

1 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice

.25 oz Simple Syrup

2 dashes of Lavender Bitters

Champagne Coup Glass

Edible Orchid Garnish

Twilight In Negril:

1.5 oz Jamaican Rum

1 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice

.5 oz Lime Juice

.5 oz Agave Nectar

.25 oz Apricot Liqueur

Shaken with ice

Strained into a coup

Pineapple Leaf for a garnish

Stout and Stormy:

2 oz Dark or Spiced Rum

.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice

.75 oz Demerara Syrup ( 2 cups of Demerara Sugar to 1 cup of water)

.5 oz Fresh Ginger Juice

Highball Glass

Crushed Ice

Dry shake contents

Pour into a empty highball glass

Add crushed ice to the top

Top with Abita Turbo Dog Brown Ale

Garnish with a Lime Slice and Candied Ginger

Don’t Tell Babo (From Employees Only):

Bacardi 8 Rum

Bianco Vermouth

stirred with Meletti

Dashes of Chocolate Bitters.

Served over ice

Cana Brava Hemingway:

2 oz Cana Brava Rum

.75 oz Lime Juice

.5 oz Fresh Pink Grapefruit Juice

.5 oz Maraschino Liquor

1 bar spoon of simple syrup

Lime wheel

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…

Food & Drink

The Native American cuisine movement is on the rise

The vitality of Native cuisine

Chef Jack Strong.

Native American cuisine and indigenous food predate any food trend we know by a long shot. Tribes from coast to coast have created culinary styles over thousands of years, utilizing the ingredients that surround them and tried and true cooking techniques. Today, as indigenous peoples rightfully look to reclaim their seat at the table, we're seeing a rise in Native American cuisine and an entire movement around first foods.

Jack Strong is the executive chef at The Allison Inn & Spa, a luxury resort in the heart of Willamette Valley wine country. The restaurant is known for taking advantage of the many incredible ingredients that thrive in the region. He grew up in Oregon and is a member of the Siletz tribe, touting more than three decades of professional cooking experience to his name. He's one of relatively few native chefs, but the indigenous food movement is working to change that. After all, a culinary landscape that does not accurately reflect its community or historical context is a faulty one at best.

Food & Drink

The 10 best rosé wines that everyone should drink

It's time to finally try rosé

Rose wine glasses

Rosé rules -- no ifs, ands, or buts. You’ve most definitely seen dudes drinking rosé, with the pink wine sold in forties. Chances are, you’ve heard the term “brosé” at least once or twice in your life. Heck, people are cooking with rosé. Can you believe that? It's a sweet wine worth talking about.

All this talk about the drink prompted us to go on a quest to find the most exceptional ones this rosé season. With plenty of great options in the market, we chose to narrow down our list to these best rosé wines for your next hot date, guys' night, or solo Netflix binge. Still reluctant to try this magical wine? We listed seven reasons why you should start drinking rosé.
Best rosé wines

Food & Drink

How to start your own home bar: the essential spirits

Home Bar

When you start getting into cocktails, drinking them is only half the fun -- making them is part of the appeal too. If you start making your own drinks at home, you'll soon find that you can often create better or more interesting drinks than what you're served in most bars. And even better, making drinks for other people is a great way to try out new combinations, learn about spirits, and make your friends and family happy too.

However, moving beyond the simple spirit plus mixer style of drinks which most people make at home and into the world of cocktails means that you'll need a wider array of spirits on hand than you might be used to. It can take some time and research to build up a well stocked bar, and choosing high quality spirits isn't a cheap endeavor. It's worth it, though, for the pleasure of being able to try out classic cocktail recipes and experiment with making up your own creations too.