RUM COCKTAILS, RUM HISTORY & FACTS

   

WHAT IS RUM?
Rum is a distilled alcoholic spirit made from the byproducts of the sugarcane. It can be made from the molasses byproduct or the sugarcane juice. The distillate is clear then is usually aged in oak barrels to add flavor and deeper color. Most of the world's rum currently comes from the Caribbean, Puerto Rico in particular, and Cuba, though distilleries in other parts of the world are beginning to produce local varieties thanks to the upsurge of interest in craft cocktails and premium spirits.   WHERE DID RUM COME FROM?
Though some precursors of rum date back to ancient India and China, the invention of modern day rum was a direct result of the waste from producing sugar from sugar cane. Molasses, a liquid that would seep out of the sugar, was actually considered waste and thrown out during the 17th century. Someone, we'll probably never know who, got the brilliant idea of mixing this molasses waste with the cane juice skim off, went and fermented it and rum was born.   The word "rum" itself might have stemmed from the Latin word for sugar which is "saccharum" or it might have come from the Romani word "rum" which translates into strong or potent. References in print range back to 1654 when the General Court of Connecticut ordered "whatsoever Barbados liquors, commonly called rum, kill devil and the like" be confiscated. The Royal Navy was drinking rum in Grog and pirates consumed it in Bumbo as far back as the 1600's. In point of fact, the Royal Navy  at one time dolled out a "tot" daily to their sailors called the "rum ration" as part of their pay.   As stated above, rum was a favorite of the Royal Navy, privateers and the Pirates of the Caribbean (sorry, had to say it), but it was also a huge tipple of colonists in early America. It was a cheap and flavorful alternative to the brackish and even dangerous drinking water the colonists had access to, mixed well with the ales and beers of the day and was easily attainable. However, rum really came into it's own in the United States was a direct result of Prohibition and Americans traveling to Cuba for the cocktails, casinos and cigars. It was soon being smuggled into the states and rum-running was born.   WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RUM? There are four (4) different types of rums, not including the flavor infused varieties or the overproof rums. Each category of rum has it's own distinct flavor and usages. WHITE RUM, also known as light or silver rum, is filtered multiple times and as a result has very little color. Most light rums are from Puerto Rico and because they are milder in flavor are favored for use in cocktails like Daiquiris and Mojitos. Light rums are usually the least aged of the rums and are not favored as sipping spirits. Bacardi is the most well know, and the original brand, in this category. GOLD RUM, also referred to as amber rum, are aged longer than white rums and as a result they have a darker hue from the cask aging. Gold rum is sweeter and deeper in flavor than white rum. Bacardi, again, is the oldest and most well know in this category. DARK RUM, also called black or red rum, has been aged the longest of the rums and has a dark color and deep, smoky flavor as a result of the time spent in the wooden casks it ages in. Because of the depth of flavor, dark rums are favored in Tiki drinks. Myer's Dark Rum is the most well known of this category. SPICED RUM, made mostly from the gold or dark rums then infused with spices, sometimes added colors and additional flavorings. The most familiar brand here is Captain Morgan. As for the flavored rums, those come in just about any flavor and combination you can imagine from a number of distilleries.  Overproof rums are higher proof varieties with an alcohol content higher than the normal 40% (80 proof) spirit. The most familiar of these is Bacardi 151. The overproof rums are most often employed as a float and are very popular in flaming Tiki cocktails.   RUM, THE CURE Rum has been used as a medicinal cure (the above mentioned grog was used as a preventative for scurvy), is highly favored as a cooking ingredient and is often used as the base for culinary flavor extracts. In fact, you can actually use rum in place of vanilla extract!  

 

THE RUM COCKTAILS: 1492 COCKTAIL ALIEN INVASION COCKTAIL AMBROSIA COCKTAIL  APPLE GO BRAGH SOUR APPLE PIE COCKTAIL BANANA CREAM PIE COCKTAIL BANANAS COCONUT CHOCOLATE SHAKE BANANAS FOSTER BOOZY SHAKE BANANAS FOSTER MARTINI BLACKBERRY CAIPIRINHA 
BLACK EYED SUSAN COBBLER COCKTAIL
BLUSHING ROSE
BOYSENBERRY RUM FLIP CARROT CAKE COCKTAIL, Part Deux
CARROT COLADA CASABRANCA COCKTAIL
CERSEI'S REVENGE CHERRIES JUBILEE MARTINI CHERRY RUM BALL FLIP CHOCOLATE MOJITO 
COCKTAIL OF ICE & FIRE
DRAGON'S  BREATH COCKTAIL
DRUNKEN ASTRONAUT EL PRESIDENTE > LA PRESIDENTA ENGLISH TOFFEE MARTINI FRANKENSTEIN OF HORROR CHERRY COLA ALE GRILLED PEACH RUM MIMOSA GUMDROP COCKTAIL HOT BUTTERED RUM 
HUMBLEBERRY PIE COCKTAIL
KINGSLAYER
KEY LIME PIE MARTINI, Part Deux KING CAKE FLIP LICUADOS DE MAYO COCKTAIL Mango Pineapple RUBBER DUCKY SLUSHY MERINGUE ISLAND PUNCH MIXED BERRY MOJITO MULLED APPLE CIDER PUNCH NAVY GROG  NIGHTS WATCH COFFEE TODDY OLYMPIC TORCH MARTINIPAINKILLER PEANUT BUTTER CUP MARTINI PUMPKIN EGGNOG MARTINI  REALLY DRUNK BROWN COW
RED WEDDING SOUR ROSY RAMBUTINI RUBBER DUCKY SLUSHY SAMOA COOKIE BOOZY SHAKE  SLIMY EYEBALL MARTINI
SPICED RUM POMEGRANATE FIZZ STAR SPANGLED COCKTAIL TIPSY MISS PINEAPPLE RUM COCKTAIL TIRAMISU MARTINI TRIPLE RUM PUNCH TIKI COCKTAIL 
TWISTED FAIRYTALE FIZZ
WATERMELON ORANGE COOLER WISH UPON A STARFRUIT COCKTAIL   ALL MY MOJITOS   ALL MY DAIQUIRI COCKTAILS   ALL MY PINA COLADA & TIKI COCKTAILS   What? Not enough Rum Drinks for you? OK then ... EVEN MORE RUM COCKTAILS FROM MY COCKTAIL ARCHIVES:
Almond Joy (Joy of Almonds) Martini
Apple Sauce Cake Martini
Banana Berry Coconut Martini
Banana "FUD-SICKLE" Fudgesicle Martini
Between the Sheets Valentine Martini
Blueberry Smoothie Martini
Caribbean Martini
Cherry Cola Martini
Chocolate Covered Banana Martini
Diva Boomer Martini
Eggnog Martini
High Maintenance Diva Martini
Honey Fitz Spritz Martini
Imperial Coffee Martini
Jamaican Martini, an ode to Bob Marley
Jimmy Buffet Tribute Cocktail
Love Potion #9 Valentine Martini
Mardi Gras Martini
Merry Berry Mojito Martini
Nose Picker Halloween Martini
Orange Scorpion Halloween Martini
Peach Martini
Peanut Butter Cup-A-Tini
Penuche Fudge Martini
Pieces Of Eight Martini
Pink Flamingo Martini
Pink Ribbon Martini for Breast Cancer Awareness
Pumpkin Cream Martini
Sassy Strawberry Martini
Soul Mate Valentine Martini
Strawberry Watermelon Martini
Sunset in Paradise Martini
Torched Cherry Lime Martini
Tropical Breeze Smoothie Martini
Valentine Day Proposal Martini
White Christmas Martini    Fifteen men on the Dead Man's Chest.
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.
Drink and the devil had done for the rest.
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
~ Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island   August 16th is National Rum Day.      Updated 3-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY    

Not Your Father's Beer, Big Nose Kate's Pilsner & Tombstone, A Tourist's Review

Tombstone, Tourism and Tipples of the Old West ... You Can't Get There from Here Anymore.

Photo from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Allen_Street_Tombstone.jpg My friends, Melodieann (@boomerbizcoach) and Derle stopped here in Tucson this weekend for a visit and a trip to see Tombstone, Arizona. Last year when they had visited me I had spoken of how much I loved Tombstone so we made plans. I remembered Tombstone for its Old West feel, old bordellos turned boutiques and the authentic watering holes that lined Allen Street back on my last visit in the late 90's. (That's the 1990's, not the 1890's, in case you're wondering.) Tombstone, legendary town of The Old West, one time home of such western notables as Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, The Clantons, Johnny Ringo and other heroes, villains and saloon singers, is a National Historic Landmark. That's right, the whole town. Of course it's a fairly small town these days with a population of around 1,500 folks and one short street as it's main attraction, but it's all a National Landmark. At an elevation of 4,550 feet it's also considerably cooler than Tucson and we were all looking forward to the cooler temperatures and the ability to walk the street without melting into the wood planked sidewalks. Me, because, even though I live in Tucson, I had not been back in years, Melodieann and Derle because they'd just come in from Las Vegas and Death Valley.

Sadly it was not the Tombstone I fondly remembered, the one with residents dressed in period clothing walking about, great local vittles being sold off western themed street carts (best fry bread I've ever had), historic old buildings and bordellos revamped as fun shops and the occasional and seemingly impromptu gun fights exploding out into the street enacted by dusty and appropriately garbed local actors. My first glance down Allen Street revealed an excessively groomed, too neat, too clean mock-up of a faux old mining town vista. It was more pristine than even Disney could have managed, manicured and molded into a modern lineup of mostly tourist traps, not one horse puckey in sight (despite the constant trudging of the poor stagecoach Clydesdales), not a crumb of character, not a whiff of western ambiance, not one damn gunslinger in sight. I actually looked at the street signs to see if we were in the right place.

{{PD-1923}}

All the things you wanted to see, the O.K.Corral, the World's Largest Rose Bush, The Bird Cage Theater, the Good Enough Mine and yes, even Boot Hill Cemetery are all now locked up and gated behind a ten or twenty dollar sign. You can peek in but if you want real history you'd better be prepared to pay a pretty peso or two hundred to get the real Tombstone. Allen Street is barricaded at both ends and you can ride the "Old Butterfield Stagecoach", for a price.

You might see Wyatt and Doc lounging off a side street having a smoke on their gunfight break (in fact I up and asked Doc when the next O.K. Corral fight was planned - he was cute, bonus!) but if you want to see them shoot it out you're going to shell out some silver dollars. There are a few cowboy hats and boots being sported by the locals (with shorts!?) but you're just as likely to see a biker on the bar stool next to you at The Crystal Palace and Big Nose Kate's as a grisly cowpoke. Thankfully both The Crystal Palace and Big Nose Kate's were pretty much as I remember them, except for the big screen TVs all playing, yeah, you guessed it, Tombstone the Movie. WTH? I guess we needed to be reminded where we were? Big Nose Kate's is pretty much the same as I remember, crowded, a few of those grisly cowboys seated and standing around (chatting with the bikers), rowdy, crammed with dusty western brik-a-brac but there was a singer doing top ten hits, adding to the din and making a conversation pretty much impossible.

Kate's is now serving up their own branded pilsner in souvenir pint glasses which I wanted to try. But there's no big nose on that pint glass Kate, famous bar saloon singer and girlfriend of Doc Holiday, just a modern day blond cowgirl holding a six-shooter. Another blow to history since Kate was a songbird not a gunslinger, but the pilsner was good.

I don't know if the Harley Davidson shop had anything to do with it but, as mentioned before, there's quite a few bikers hanging about. Not a negative for me as I'm an ex-biker myself and both Melodieann and Derle ride. In fact, if I lived closer, I'd feel right at home in the new Tombstone for a local happy hour and beyond hangout, but it's not a bit historical. Two of the bikers kindly gave up their table for us to sit down and have a burger, the most friendly act we encountered the whole day. (Thanks, guys!) But where did all the cowboy go??

As for The Crystal Palace, thank heavens, it's still the great bar and restaurant I remember, no Faro or gambling of course, but "STILL SERVING GOOD WHISKEY & TOLERABLE WATER", and pretty decent burgers and food. And the barmaids are in period garb, boobage and all.  This was where I  spied the promotional tablecards for the Not Your Father's Beer and, eschewing my planned order of a shot of some local "Red Eye", I  ordered a bottle.

Yes, it did taste like root beer and at the back you got the ale. The first couple of sips were pretty good. Then, slowly the sweet began to become too much, even for me and I didn't finish the bottle. Derle barely touched his (sorry D), and Melodieann quit a bit before I did. It was not badly priced, even in a tourist town, $13 plus tip for three bottles and I'm glad I tried it. But no six packs of this particular craft beer will be taking up space in my home bar.

Despite the controlled attempts to extract as much dinero from the tourists as possible, we did have a good time in Tombstone. Mostly thanks to The Crystal Palace and Big Nose Kate's, a couple of beers, some friendly bikers and our own good humor. But if you're heading to Tombstone for a glimpse of the Old West and some history be prepared to pay dearly for the privilege or just skip the tourist ideas and have a decent burger and a drink at The Crystal Palace or Big Nose Kate's, the only bits of Tombstone that seem to be still standing, then head on south to Bisbee.

Tombstone may be "The Town Too Tough To Die" but it does seem to have done a disappearing act.   ADDENDUM: One really great thing about our visit, nearly every other shop on Allen Street had a bowl or a bucket out filled with fresh water for the dogs! It was a wonderful thing to see and told me a lot about the people who live in Tombstone and their attitude towards the pets of guests. I thank each and every one of them for their kindness and consideration in this matter, even though I did not have Pixel with me I know she is welcome in Tombstone   And one more thing, I may not have been happy as a tourist BUT I could really be extremely happy living in Tombstone. If you get off Allen Street you will see a truly quaint, neat and adorable small town of really great, historic and period homes. I suspect that the people are wonderful to have as neighbors as well.
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BLACKBERRY BOURBON FIZZ COCKTAIL RECIPE

 

It was a really beautiful and COOL night and I wanted to sit on my deck, watch the hummingbirds fight over my feeder and enjoy the rare cool Tucson summer evening with a cocktail.  The only problem is, I had not planned a cocktail recipe and hadn't done my usual ingredient shopping.  But, you know, I had some blackberries and other goodies and I did have a fully stocked bar. In fact, I'm a little ashamed to admit how fully stocked my bar is! Just so my visitors won't think I have some kind of a drinking problem, I stock most of my bottles behind the bar. Most folks just don't get cocktail blogging at all! But I digress.

I quickly grabbed those blackberries, a nice little dram or two or bourbon, some blackberry brandy, pasteurized egg white and tossed the whole shebang in my blender.

Darned fine little cocktail on the spur of the moment, if I do say so myself.

Give it a try!

BLACKBERRY BOURBON FIZZ

INGREDIENTS

2 Oz. Blackberry Brandy

1 Oz. Bourbon

1/2 ounce lemon juice

8 Blackberries

1 Oz. Pasteurized Egg White

Club Soda

TOOLS: Blender, Cocktail Shaker, Old Fashioned Glass

GARNISH: Lemon Twist

DIRECTIONS:

Pour everything into a blender and blend until it’s smooth and thoroughly mixed.

Transfer this to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake for 30 seconds until chilled and foamy.

Pour into an Old Fashioned (aka Rocks or Low ball glass), express the oils from a lemon twist onto the top then drop in the twist and serve.

Don't leave off that last twist of the lemon on top of the foam, it masks the raw egg smell that can affect the taste of your cocktail!  And quit wriggling your nose at the egg, eggs add a wonderful silky mouth feel and texture to a cocktail that can't be imitated! Trust me and try a few of my other Egg Cocktails too!

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HUMBLE BERRY PIE MARTINI COCKTAIL RECIPE

Once upon a time my mom would make a Humble Berry Pie, at least that's what she called it. It was usually a combination of mixed berries, mostly raspberries, blackberries and, her favorite berry of all, Boysenberries. I loved this pie but it always came with her standard lecture about humility. We got pie but we had to be humble to eat it. I was willing to be humble long enough to eat my piece of pie, then I reverted back to being the cocky little brat that was my norm.

Now, there is a real, historical humble pie (not a berry in it though) and the word “humble” itself comes from the Middle French word “nomble,” which translates to “scrap." The humble pie of history was a Medieval savory dish servants made from the scraps of the master’s table, topped off with a crust and baked up as a pie. I guess the masters didn't leave too many berries on the table.

How berries ended up in mom's pie is something she took to the great beyond. Sadly, I never though to ask her. Though there is an old country saying to “eat humble pie”, meaning cockiness gets its comeuppance, and my mom was quite fond of that saying, as well as berries. She even passed both tendencies down to me, but did not pass her pie baking abilities down with them.

This is where my cocktail skills came into play. My cockiness is probably why the pie gods have cursed me with the inability to make a decent pie. Nope, can't bake a good, homemade pie to save my un-humble self which is probably why I have created so many pie cocktails. So, no successful baking of my mom's Humble Berry Pie for me. But the booze gods love me. In fact they have blessed me with the talent of turning culinary chaos into cocktail creativity, thus my mom's Humble Berry Pie lives on as a very delicious (and dare I say Un-Humble?) drink!

HUMBLE BERRY PIE

MARTINI

INGREDIENTS:
1 Oz. Berry Vodka
1 Oz. Spiced Rum
1/2 Cup Mixed Berries*

1 Oz. Half & Half

2 Dashes Lemon Bitters

1 Tbsp. Honey

GARNISH: Baked Pie Crust & Sugar Rim,

Assorted berries

TOOLS: Blender, Coupe glass

DIRECTIONS:
Rim a cocktail glass with crumbled, baked pie crust and sugar then chill glass.

Add all the ingredients to a blender with 1/2 cup of ice and pulse until nice and smooth.
Pour into your chilled glass, garnish with the assorted berries and serve.

*Frozen berries are fine, in fact they will help chill the cocktail when blending.

VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS & DIRECTIONS.

Enjoy!
But be humble about it.

Updated 3-2021

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

PALOMA TEQUILA COCKTAIL

You might think the margarita is the favorite drink of Mexico, but that isn't the case. When you go out drinking with the locals it's not a margarita they order but a Paloma. Margaritas are for the tourists.

Now there's nothing wrong with a Margarita, in fact, I love them, but when in Rome - or Mexico in this case - you should always try to drink what the locals drink. It's not only polite, it broadens your happy hour horizons.

Paloma means "dove” in Spanish and it's said that creator Don Javier Delgado Corona, owner of La Capilla in Tequila, Mexico, named the cocktail after a popular song of the same name. I don't know if this is true, I wasn't there, but I don't really care. All I really care about is whether the drink tastes good and the Paloma does.

Often made with Jarritos, a grapefruit-flavored soda found all over Mexico, I personally think the Paloma is best made with fresh grapefruit juice and I happened to have several nice grapefruits given to me by a friend who grows his own. They were really small, and kind of ugly, but their juice was sweet and pink and delicious. I immediately decided the Paloma was the way to go and so ... I went.

THE PALOMA

INGREDIENTS:
2 Oz. Tequila
1/2 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 Oz. Agave Syrup
2 Oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice
Club Soda

GARNISH: Sea Salt and Sugar for rim, Grapefruit slice, Lime twist

TOOLS: Two saucers or dessert plates, Highball (tall) glass, Bar spoon

DIRECTIONS:
Add some grapefruit juice to a saucer, in another saucer combine one tablespoon of the sea salt and one tablespoon of sugar.
Dip the rim of your glass in the grapefruit juice and then into the sugar and salt combination.
Combine the tequila, lime juice, agave syrup and salt in your highball glass.
Fill the glass with ice.
Add the grapefruit juice, stir then top off with the soda.
Stir again, gently, then garnish a grapefruit slice and a twist of lime.

Enjoy - like I did!



NOTE: Please be aware that grapefruit juice can have negative interactions with certain medications.

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CHIPOTLE WATERMELON MOJITO Cocktail Recipe

  Living in Arizona can be a challenge, especially in the summer when our temps hover in the triple digits. And that old chestnut, "it's a dry heat" doesn't apply during Monsoon season where nature adds humidity to those high temperatures! One needs a tall, chilled drink for some relief from that kind of weather and I had some watermelon .....

CHIPOTLE WATERMELON MOJITO

INGREDIENTS: 1-1/2 Oz. White Rum
1/2 C. Watermelon, Cubed
1/2 Lime, Sliced then Quartered
5 - 6 Fresh Spearmint Leaves
1 Tbsp. Simple Syrup
3 Dashes Chipotle Sauce
Club Soda
Crushed Ice

GARNISH: 1 Watermelon chunk, 1 Lime wheel

TOOLS: 1 Long (tall) glass, Muddler

DIRECTIONS:
Add the watermelon, lime, mint leaves and simple syrup to your tall glass and muddle to release the juices and the aroma of the mint.
Add your rum and your favorite chipotle sauce (I like Cholula), give the cocktail a quick stir.
Fill the glass with ice.
Top off with the club soda.
Add a straw and garnish.

Why the hot sauce when it's already too hot outside? Because watermelons taste great with a little hot sauce and hot sauce actually helps cool your body down.

Yep. It's that easy! Sadly I was forced to drink mine in my air conditioned house ...



Enjoy and Cheers, M'Dears!  

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CHERRY BASIL MOJITO Cocktail Recipe

  I had a few fresh cherries left over  from my Cherry Peach Whiskey Rickey and I wanted something quick and easy to whip up because I was hot, tired and ready for a cocktail. I needed something tall, cool and really refreshing which was also pretty easy and nothing is more refreshingly easy than a Mojito.

I also wanted to console myself because, once again, my work schedule had precluded me from attending Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. I was feeling very sorry for myself indeed. Cherries and rum are a great way to put paid to the doldrums, especially if you add chocolate covered cherries (and leftover peaches from my Grilled Peach Rum Mimosa) to the mix!



Within minutes I was ensconced on my deck sipping away and feeling way considerably less sorry for myself. If you need a little pick-me-up from your doldrums try this drink!



CHERRY BASIL MOJITO

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 Oz. White Rum
1/3 C. Fresh Cherries, Halved and Pitted
Fresh Basil Leaves
2 Dashes Chocolate Bitters
3 Tsps. Mint Infused Sugar°°
Fresh Lime, Sliced and Quartered
Club Soda
Crushed Ice

GARNISH: Sprig of Basil, Homemade Maraschino Cherry

TOOLS: Pint or Collins glass, Knife, Cherry pitter, Muddler, Bar spoon

DIRECTIONS:
Place the cherries, basil, mint sugar and limes in your glass and muddle together with a cocktail muddler (or the handle of a wooden spoon) until the cherries have released their juices.
Add the white rum and stir.
Fill your glass with ice then top the drink off with club soda and stir again.
Garnish with a sprig of basil, and or mint, add your Maraschino cherry to the rim and serve.

Enjoy, and remember this one next time you have cherries and need to chill out! P. S. If you like Mojitos and pineapple check out how to make my Grilled Pineapple Mojito on my YouTube channel.  
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