Today is National Rum Day, so let’s take a beat to consider this often-overlooked spirit. It’s easy to drink, easy to mix, and for that reason it sometimes doesn’t get celebrated as much as more challenging spirits like Scotch. But rum is a vast category, encompassing everything from complex, aged fine rums for sipping to sweet spiced rums for casual mixed drinks, so it’s worth taking some time to explore all the variety that it offers.
Rum is the backbone of many of the world’s favorite cocktails, like the crowd-pleasing Mojito, the easy to make Dark n Stormy, and the perennially popular Cuba Libre. If you truly want to appreciate the nuances of a good rum (short of sipping it neat), then one of the best cocktails to show off all of its complexities is a Daiquiri. With nothing but rum, lime juice, and some sweetener, this is the perfect choice for getting to know new rums.
There’s also an entire world of Tiki drinks which embrace the diversity of light rums, dark rums, and everything in between. These can be challenging to make at home unless you have an extremely well stocked bar though, so one great place to start is with the easily accessible (and currently trendy) Painkiller.
And if you’re after something new, then brand Flor de Caña has shared two new recipes for the holiday, making use of rum and other fruity, floral, and spicy ingredients.
Tropical Hibiscus Spritz
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Flor de Caña Rum
- 1 oz hibiscus concentrate
- 0.5 oz passion fruit juice
- 2 oz prosecco
- Ice cubes
- Pineapple leaf and hibiscus flower for garnish
Method:
Fill a wine glass with ice cubes and add Flor de Caña rum, hibiscus concentrate, and passion fruit juice to the glass. Next, stir gently to combine ingredients and top up the glass with prosecco. Garnish with a pineapple leaf and hibiscus flower.
Flor Watermelon Spicy Daiquiri
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Flor De Caña 12-Year Rum
- 3 oz Watermelon juice
- 1 oz Lime juice
- 1 oz Jalapeño syrup
Method:
Add the Flor de Caña rum, watermelon juice, fresh lime juice, and jalapeño syrup to a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled glass filled with ice and garnish with watermelon.
