"rum" news and stories

A cheeseburger in a glass, a potent PB&J, a liquid BLT -- it's time to take the sandwich into cocktail hour. Literally.

In honor of National Sandwich Day on Nov. 3, Flor de Caña rum has teamed up with mixologists to turn sandwich classics into tasty libations.

The Sandwich Cocktail menu created by the Nicaraguan rum company features "crustless cocktails" -- the Peanut Butter & Jelly, the Cheeseburger and the BLT.

Happy National Rum Punch Day!

According to one journalist, "Rum has tended to always favor and flavor rebellion" -- which is perhaps precisely why it fails to figure into the regular cocktail menu of many drinkers. Whether or not you begrudge Captain Morgan for some regrettable freshman year hangovers, rum makes a refreshing sip when combined into a variety of rum punch cocktails, with flavors set to please any palate.

Inspired by complex, fruity Jamaican flavors, Bobby Flay concocts a rum punch recipe dominated by pineapple juice, lime syrup, orange juice and nutmeg. Another Caribbean rum punch recipe follows the ingredient adage, "One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak," using a classic concoction of lime juice, simple syrup, rum, orange juice and a splash of bitters and nutmeg. Eschewing light rum for the depth and full flavor of dark rum, this boozy Puerto Rican rum punch recipe combines lime, grenadine and rum with orange liqueur and even sparkling wine. Yet another light version by Padma Lakshmi spikes the dark rum base with ginger and cilantro for a punchy sip.

Whatever your taste preferences, you're bound to find a rum punch recipe to tickle your tastebuds -- and with the high alcohol content of most rum punches, you may well find yourself imagining a tropical getaway... just be careful not to land yourself in deep water!

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Long before our beloved bourbon became America's native spirit, rum played a role in shaping the future of the U.S. with a strong molasses trade between New England and the Caribbean islands. According to author Gerald Carson, "In 1807 Boston had no fewer than forty rum distilleries...and it used to be said that for every missionary sent out to Christianize Africa, ten thousand gallons of rum went along for the more secular purposes."

Kill-devil was its most universal name, not only a slang name, but a trading-term used in bills of sale. Rumbullion was also a popular name, shortened into our modern term "rum." A description of Surinam written in 1651 says: "Rhum made from sugar-canes is called kill-devil in New England."

Seattle bartender Evan Martin won $1,250 with his tiki punch that a group of four judges declared as the official cocktail of this year's Tales of the Cocktail July 21-25 event in New Orleans. Over 150 drink recipes were submitted. Who knows whether all 150 recipes were actually created and tasted as often times with these types of competitions a few eye-catching recipes are culled from submissions to make the competition a little easier on the judges.

Judge Jeff "Beachbum" Berry admitted judging so many drinks wasn't easy, saying, "Often it came down to the originality of the garnish..."


The winner dressed itself with a garnish that looked like a guy hanging off of the drink with a cherry head, pineapple leaf arms and citrus peel dangling legs.

By the time you assemble all these ingredients you may want to spear yourself as a garnish.

Find the winning Tales of the Cocktail recipe after the jump...

The first time someone offered me a Hot Buttered Rum my mouth immediately salivated. On a cold wintry day, those three words sound divine. However, when the recipe is poorly executed and you get a glob of butter in a lukewarm mug, it's not always as good as it sounds.

Hot fatty drinks go way back to more than 200 years ago, when folks traveling by coach might stop in at a tavern to warm up, maybe having their drink warmed with a red hot poker from the fireplace. Recipes for Hot Buttered Rums can be found in several old cocktail books such as the 1862 Jerry Thomas' "Bar-Tenders Guide." Technically, this drink is a toddy with the addition of butter. The rum used would have been a darker rum aged in a barrel, so shy away from more modern style white rums and "gold" rums colored with caramel coloring when making this drink.

Here's an idea for making one that's richer and creamier than just chucking a pat of butter with spices in a hot mug of rum that ends up resembling an oil slick.