Month: November 2018

No Problem!

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One of the patrons of the Lair, commented on this and other recipes with fruit juice as primary components, saying “This must be healthy!” and “We are getting our vitamin C!“. While the latter could be true, I’m pretty sure the former is not.

The No Problem! does consist of quite a few juices, and is relative low in alcohol.

0.5 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Fruit Juice of your choice (I’ve used cranberry or grape)
1.0 oz Pineapple Juice
1.0 oz Grapefruit Juice
1.0 oz Orange Juice
1.0 oz Coconut Rum
0.75 oz Creme de Banana

I added 0.5 oz of simple syrup to the original recipe.

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass.

Sippers

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I have mentioned, in more than one post, that I’ve never been able to drink alcohol straight.

It could be the cold, or it could be the products, but I’m sitting here sampling Appleton Estate Signature Blend and Plantation Grande Reserve 5 Year. I’m able to sip both, although the Appleton is a bit harsher.

I’m quite surprised. This gives me hope that some higher end bottles might actually be good when sipped straight!

Halekulani Cocktail

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Today I tried another Bourbon cocktail. Despite the list of ingredients, it is not my usual sugary, fruity cocktail. The bourbon and the bitters give this one a more grown up flavor. I’m not quite ready for savory cocktails, but this could be a step in that direction.

0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Orange Juice
0.5 oz Pineapple Juice
0.25 oz Demerara Syrup
0.5 tsp Grenadine
1.5 oz Bourbon Whiskey
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Favorite Rums – November 2018

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So, as I’ve had some time to try more rums, mostly in cocktails, and occasionally on the rocks, a few favorites have risen to the top.

Dark Rums
Plantation Original Double Aged Dark. To me, this is one really good, funky rum. It is sweet, so that might work for some people.

Gold or Aged Rum
Both Appleton Estate Signature Blend and Plantation Grande Reserve 5Y are really good in cocktails. I’m going to give them another go over ice. Update: I’m actually able to drink (sip) the Plantation 5Y and it is rather pleasant!

Spiced Rums
As always, it depends on what you’re looking for. For me, Bacardi Oakheart is my favorite spiced rum. Captain Morgan Private Stock is very good, but is much sweeter and that, in some cocktails will lead to an overly sweet drink.

Light Rums
Let’s face it, light rums are almost always going to be mixed. I’ve tried Bacardi Superior, Cruzan Light, and The Naked Turtle. So far, I like them starting with the Turtle, then Cruzan, then Bacardi.

Drink what you like, like what you drink…

Black-Eyed Susan

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Even with my preference for rum, I still like to branch out and try different things. The Black-Eyed Susan is both tasty and visually appealing.

2.0 oz Bourbon Whiskey
0.5 oz orange Liqueur
0.5 Raspberry Liqueur
1.0 oz Lemon Juice
1.0 oz Orange Juice
0.5 oz Lime Juice

In a cocktail glass, add the Raspberry Liqueur. Add the other ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake. Carefully pour the mixed ingredients into the cocktail glass. The raspberry liqueur is the ‘black eye’ in the middle of the flower.

Fitzwell

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I went back down the list for a cocktail that I had previously made and had enjoyed enough to tag it as “make again”. The Fitzwell came up on the list. A sweet rum-based cocktail, that isn’t terribly strong.

0.5 oz Coconut Rum
0.5 oz Spiced Rum
0.5 oz Creme de Banana
2.0 oz Pineapple Juice
2.0 oz Orange Juice

Place all ingredients into a shaker, and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and enjoy.

Bamboo Screwdriver

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The Bamboo Screwdriver is a rum variant on the classic vodka cocktail. The addition of bitters tones it down from being too sweet or tart.

1.0 oz Dark Rum
1.0 oz Orange Juice
1.0 oz Orange Liqueur
0.25 oz Lime Juice
4 dashes Angostura bitters

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a glass over ice.

Website: Reddit.com

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Reddit, for those unfamiliar with it, is a collection of forums, called subreddits. There are subreddits on almost anything imaginable. Unsurprisingly, these include topics on cocktails, liquor, and most anything else. Let’s stick to the alcohol, shall we?

Cocktails: https://www.reddit.com/r/cocktails/

Alcohol: https://www.reddit.com/r/alcohol/

Rum: https://www.reddit.com/r/rum/

Bourbon: https://www.reddit.com/r/bourbon/
Whiskey: https://www.reddit.com/r/whiskey/
Scotch: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/

Tequila: https://www.reddit.com/r/tequila/

And, if you must,
Gin: https://www.reddit.com/r/gin/

Pieces of Eight

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This is another great passion fruit cocktail. It is tart and sweet. Surprisingly, given the amount of passion fruit syrup, not too sweet.

1.5 oz Light Rum
1.5 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
0.75 oz Lime Juice
0.75 oz Lemon Juice (one variation calls for 1.5 oz to offset the sweetness of the passion fruit syrup)

Add crushed ice and all ingredients to a shaker and shake. Pour unstrained into a cocktail glass. Alternatively, place 1/2 cup of ice in a blender with the ingredients and blend for 5 seconds.

Passion Fruit Syrup

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Ripe passion fruit is circular, has a wrinkled leathery skin, and contains a juicy, pulpy flesh with small black seeds. Passion fruit syrup can be made from the juice along with sugar, and is both tart and sweet. It is used in some well known cocktails such as the Hurricane and Trader Vic Grog.

Awesome Drinks has a recipe for Passion Fruit Daiquiri this is one of my favorite cocktails.

When I started looking for passion fruit syrup, I found the Possmei brand at an attractive price. It is, however, a 5.5 POUND jug of the stuff. I bought it anyway. Don’t judge me.

Anyway, it is tasty stuff. I actually like to occasionally mix it with Sprite (and with no alcohol). It yields a sweet, but very tropical drink.