Do you find yourself so busy and stressed that you can't take the 3 minutes it usually takes to mix a cocktail and you want to find a way to knock that time down to one minute? Yeah, me either, but this could still be fun.

It's the One Minute Mojito from FineLiving.com. Seems to me the muddling would push things over that one minute mark, but maybe not. The recipe is after the jump, but you can also watch this video that shows you how to make it.

Cockspur Bajan Crafted 12 Year Old Rum is 40% abv. / 80 proof and made in Barbados. It is made from a select blend of the oldest rums reserved at the Cockspur distillery. The color is a pronounced coppery gold that grabs your attention immediately.

Just like the color, the aroma grabs your attention forcefully. Not overwhelmingly strong, but deep and aromatic. it starts dry and then develops a dash of sweeter notes. Complex as I have ever experienced in an aged, molasses based rum, and like it's baby brother the Cockspur Five Star, unique and unusual in the nose. This is one of those spirits which I had to keep thrusting my nose into the glass and smell deep and say to myself, "What the hell are those spices? What's happening here!" So much is going on that I was completely confused at first. Mace, banana, cinnamon (not cassia), dark toasted brad, sweet purple plums, fine molasses, bourbon, hints of vanilla that became stronger over time, and a woody oakiness that balanced it all.

The taste is light, dry, and fine. This is definitely a sipping rum meant for a snifter or on the rocks. Mixing this with anything would be a shame, no a crime. The flavors are those of the aroma but muted, a dash of water or on the rocks brings them out more, but it still stays nicely dry with just enough sweetness in the background to keep it from being too dry. this is a rum for when you want something elegant, without it being too overwhelming. A perfect after dinner dram to wind down a long day.

Rum, Rhum, Ron, Cachaca, Aguardiente... The Rum family is a large one. The only thing you can say they have in common is their ancestry. They are all descended from Great Granpa Sugar Cane in one way or another. Sugarcane juice, sugar cane syrup, or molasses (which is a by product of cane sugar manufacturing) are the only things that rum may be made from.

Rum first came about back in the days soon after the discovery of the Americas. Sugar cane was imported and planted and the processing of sugar from its juices began. Molasses, a byproduct of sugar manufacturing was either thrown away or used as fertilizer when some slaves drank some of the waste molasses that had been sitting in the sun and rain for a few weeks ad had fermented into a sweet/sour 'beer' that was highly flavored but only mildly alcoholic. first only slaves drank this crude 'rum beer' but it came to the attention of the plantation owners and soon they started playing around with distilling it and rum was born. By 1651 it was already in widespread production and documents from Barbados, what may be the home of rum, show that 'rumbullion' aka 'kill devill' as it was known, was a fiery and cheap spirit.

Over the years rum came to be made wherever sugar cane was processed into sugar. Every sugar cane plantation also became a rum distillery as a way to make money off of the waste products. Soon more care was used during the process and fine rums were being made. The high temperatures, fast fermentation, long aging in barrels, and other factors of the tropics made rum become a spirit unique from any others being produced. The intense flavors were so different from the other spirits of the time like cognac, fuller and sweeter.

Cockspur Five Star Rum is 40% abv. 80 proof and is made in Barbados. The color is a light yellow gold. The aroma is full, dry, and strong up front with up front spices and warm honey tones. It is absolutely delightful and unique from many other rums I have tried. A soft, sort of a sweet, almost cognac aroma develops as it opens up with light hints of clove, allspice, and mace. Finally just a wee dash of fine molasses peeks through pleasantly. The Cockspur Five Star has a most engaging aroma without being overwhelming.

The taste follows the nose. Dry at first with a hint of sharpness, that rapidly warms up on the tongue, with the slight spices and a touch of sweetness coming through. This develops slowly on the tongue over the long, slow finish. This rum is in the light amber/gold range in taste and would be suitable for premium cocktails, or plain in a snifter or on the rocks when you want a spirit that is more on the dry vs. sweet side. I look forward to trying some of their other products.

We already know that although it's creamy and delicious, eggnog might be one of the worst Holiday cocktails out there. However, there are a few others that you might want to avoid just to get a jump start on those health- and weight-related New Year's Resolutions:

• White Russian, made of coffee liqueur, vodka, and cream, it has 863 calories!
  
• Mudslide, which is basically a White Russian with the addition of Bailey's Irish Cream and chocolate syrup. No wonder it's 851 calories.
• Hot Buttered Rum Latte exceeds the recommended daily intake of sugar by 36 grams.
• Chocolate Martini is probably the least evil on the list because "chocolate is healthy." It's also 438 calories.
• Admittedly, we had never heard of the Blushin' Russian, and wonder why not because it has delicious Amaretto in it! Oh yeah, maybe because we'd rather take 404 calories as a Big Mac.
• Mulled Wine is bad?!?! We were crushed, but if you make it yourself and cut back on the sugar, you'll do better than the usual 356 calories and 40 grams of carbs.
• Eggnog, surprisingly, is lower than the previous half dozen drinks with only 343 calories, but we think it's evil comes from the fact that you drink at least one every night, everywhere you go, from Thanksgiving to New Year's.
• Brandy Alexander has 297 calories. Oh well. There goes another luscious creamy drink.
  
• At 210 calories, Irish Coffee is the slimmest of the cocktails, but let's not get crazy. It's still 210 calories that you could down in 20 seconds (you'll also burn your mouth, but that's not the point, now is it?)

Looking for a holiday eggnog with a slightly different twist? If so, you might be interested in checking out this one created by Chef Guillermo Pernot, the concept chef at Philadelphia's Cuba Libre. It's on the menu at the restaurant through the end of December, but if you don't happen to be in the area, they've happily offered us the recipe so that Slashfood readers can make it at home. It makes two quarts and can be stored for up to a week in the fridge.

I can honestly say I've never had hot egg nog. I've had egg nog-flavored hot drinks at places like Borders, and I wonder if this is similar at all (probably not).

This recipe over at FineLiving.com comes from the 70s book The Nashville Cookbook. I've always avoided making my own egg nog because it always seemed too difficult (yes, yes, I like egg nog from the store), but this recipe doesn't seem too hard at all. I see Martha Stewart making her eggnog every year on TV. I wonder if she's ever had this?

Cherries Jublie is one of those foods that I've heard of but never had, like Baked Alaska or Pig's Feet or Mutton. Is Cherries Jubilee something that you set on fire, or is it the name of a stripper from some movie or TV show I once saw?

It's something you set on fire! Flambeed, to be exact. A cherries and liqueur dessert that is often served over vanilla ice cream. Here's a recipe from WhatsCookingInAmerica.net, and here's another variation from CooksRecipes.com.

Santa Teresa Orange Rhum Liqueur is 40% abv. / 80 proof and is made in Venezuela. Santa Teresa makes some of the finest rum in the world. Their Santa Teresa 1796, a fifteen year aged rum, is one of the best rums I have ever tasted. I first tried it a few years ago when I was spending some time in Los Rouqes. A group of islands off the coast of Venezuela that is known as one of the best scuds diving spots in the world. The sea there is an intense turquoise color that has to be experienced to be believed and after a day there spent out on the water I would have a sundowner of Santa Teresa 1896 on the rocks to unwind.

So it was with great pleasure to see a bottle of their orange liqueur on one of my favorite liquor stores shelves. Santa Teresa rum AND Oranges in a liqueur? I couldn't wait to try it. A little research showed that the liqueur is made with two year old rum that then has orange peel added to the casks and macerated for an additional length of time to infuse the flavors.

The color is a deep amber with almost a burnt orange tinge. The aroma starts off with the unmistakable smell of Santa Teresa rum. A rich, bold, sweet and smooth rum scent, overlain with complex orange notes. Then hints of sweet, ripe fruit and spices; with a salty tang that reminds me of a fresh ocean breeze. An absolutely wonderful aroma.

The taste I rich and smooth as well. A big hit of that delicious aged rum mixed with orange zest rolls across your tongue. You can taste hints of the oaken casks it was aged in as well as vanilla notes and complex spices abound. There are some nice pepper tones and a touch of bitter orange pith in the long finish that leave a pleasant, delicate, warm burn at the back of your throat that slowly fades away until you have just a memory of the taste lingering on the tip of your tongue.

When I was a waiter at a pizza place about 20 years ago, I'd often have customers come in and order a strawberry dikery. Yeah, that's how they pronounced it. I wanted to punch them in the face, but it was usually a woman who said it and my mom raised me to be nicer than that.

Today is National Daiquiri Day, so I thought I'd take this Thursday Happy Hour post to point you to some recipes around the web. Like this one over at Recipezaar. Or maybe this one for a Lime Daiquiri at AllRecipes. And, of course, a recipe for a Strawberry Daiquiri at Vegetarian Fun. A few recipes, actually.

If you are more concerned about spending time on your patio this summer than spending time in the kitchen, this super-simple recipe I came across for Lime Sorbet Margaritas might be exactly what you are looking for since no blender is required. Even better - you can tailor this drink to your own preferences by changing the flavor of the sorbet, or replacing the tequila with rum, vodka, or your favorite liqueur.

Lime Sorbet Margaritas

(recipe adapted from Real Simple Magazine)

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
1/4 cup sugar
2 pints lime sorbet (though any flavor can be used)
1/2 cup tequila

Rub the lime wedges around the rims of 8 stemmed glasses. Place the sugar on a small plate. Turn each glass upside down and dip the rims in the sugar to coat.

Place 2 scoops of sorbet in each glass and pour 1 tablespoon of tequila over the top of each. Serve with a spoon.

Note: They also recommend having soda or seltzer available to replace the tequila so kids have have their own version of this drink as well.

Now that you have been hearing for a couple of days about the Second Annual Clément NYC Cocktail Challenge and the St. Clémentine Sour I thought you should have a chance to taste it. Check back here on Slashfood to find out more about the competition. Cheers and have a great weekend!


St. Clémentine Sour
Created by Jonathan M. Forester


2 Oz. Clément Première Canne Rhum Agricole
3/4 oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
2 oz. fresh squeezed Clementine orange juice (or Satsuma, Mandarin, or Tangerine. Approximately the juice from one Clementine)
1 oz. fresh squeezed Lemon juice (Approximately the juice from half a lemon.)
1/4 tsp. of Stirrings Blood Orange bitters (If using Regan's or Fee's Orange Bitters then just 1 dash / 1/8 tsp.)