Rum

The Mojito (pronounced: moe-hee-toe) is a classic Cuban cocktail most closely tied to Cuba's famous La Bodeguita del Medio bar. This drink is extremely refreshing and is a great cocktail to order on a hot summer day or when hitting the dance floor. The basic drink is remotely similar to… [Continue]

The Mai Tai is a very misunderstood cocktail. Many people think this is a tropical fruit juice cocktail, but the reality is that this is a very strong rum based drink. The confusion comes from a hotel in Hawaii that modified the original formula in the 1950's… [Continue]

by Caroline O'Neil

Voila...the Pina Colada. I really thought that Darcy's blog needed a bit of a girlie flare so I've taken over once again. First of all, I would like to say that I am shocked that Darcy has not reviewed this drink before. The Pina Colada is… [Continue]

When you think about the Caribbean, you envision warm beaches, cool breezes and rum. With its increased popularity around the world, rum drinks are being exported from the tropics, and just not the pina colada. There are a number of great rum based drinks, including the Mojito, Rum Punch and the Pain Killer.… [Continue]

Many people love Irish cream liqueurs, like Bailey's or Bushmill's. These cream liqueurs are gentle and full of flavour, which appeals to a large section of the population. On the rocks or in a coffee, you really can't go wrong. So what makes these liqueurs so special? Well, I'll try to explain but you may be surprised to find that there really isn't anything magical about these… [Continue]

‘Tis the season to drink the egg and cream concoction called eggnog. And what better way to make a batch, because everyone should, than to look back at old newspaper articles and find a centuries old recipe to sample from, like White House Eggnog and a British Hotpot which incorporates ale and gin. Now if eggnog isn’t your thing, there are some punch recipes in this newspaper article… [Continue]

Many people have an opinion on what makes the best rum and Coke. Some people swear by Bacardi white rum, others pick a true Cuban rum and even others want a well aged, vintage rum like Mount Gay Extra Old. But what do you do for the people that just ask… [Continue]

With all the rum reviewing going on, I decided it was time to stop and take a cocktail break. I’m still on this rum kick so a cocktail made with a good rum might hit the spot. Since my last rum review was on Pusser’s Navy Rum, the obvious cocktail choice… [Continue]

by Caroline O'Neil
While Darcy was away at Tales of the Cocktail, I usurped his website and posted a couple of articles. Well, I am back by popular demand since many people suggested that I continue to do a guest blog posting. I figured that some people wanted… [Continue]

On a sweltering day, what spirit is the spirit you enjoy most? If you said rum, then I like you already. If you said Tequila, I still like you, but not as much. The Tiki crazed people know it, and I doubt there are any vodka bars in the Caribbean, so rum must be the spirit of summer. That is the perfect excuse to go and buy another bottle of rum. So after a little research I decided on English… [Continue]

Here is a rum that is a popular call brand at the bar. Mount Gay Extra Old is a premium rum from Barbados which is aged for 17 years in charred oak barrels. Like the label says, it is an extra old rum which gives it the character and smoothness many… [Continue]

Here is a rum with a long history in the Commonwealth navies of the world. Only in the last few decades has Pusser's Navy Rum been available to us commoners, because it was exclusively made for the navy fleets of the world. After the British navy stopped issuing… [Continue]

It’s that time of year when we are assaulted with a new block-buster movie every weekend until the end of the summer. Many of the movies will be a waste of time because they lack character development or the story is covered up by special effects. But, there is… [Continue]

When you think Cuba, you either think Castro, cigars or rum. Well skip the first two and focus on the rum. Havana Club is the main rum producer on this tropical island and they have been producing great rum since the late 1800's. The most widely available aged rum… [Continue]

The heat and humidity have finally arrived and it is time to break out some summer sippers. The Planter's Punch is a pretty common summer drink and one that I haven't had in a very long time. I remember having one many years ago, but it was pretty basic and was probably just rum, sour mix and grenadine. Lots of grenadine. I only had one and went back to drinking beer I'm sure. But it… [Continue]

Recently I received an email question from Bryan, a regular reader of The Art of Drink. In his email he had some questions about the process for making rum and requested some information, if possible. Well, I’m always willing to answer questions, really, just email me. In this case the answer is appropriate for an article so I did a little bit of research… [Continue]

Most drinks classified as fizzes are pretty straight forward. They usually contain a spirit, club soda, some citrus juice and sugar. They are served in a highball glass with lots of ice and garnished with a lemon or lime wedge. They are a simple classic summer refresher. But once you introduce… [Continue]

The most common references you will see about the Green Swizzle, are the recipe that incorporates creme de menthe, or the quote from "The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy". It has been said, many times, that the creme de menthe version is not the original recipe and that the original "has been lost in history" or that "it never existed". These two statements I do not agree with, and I've managed to… [Continue]

As other cocktail bloggers begin writing about the approaching spring and hay fever, I'm still stuck in the great white north deep freeze. It's warmed up a good five degree's since my last post, so, with the wind chill, it's a balmy -19. Even though I don't mind that temperature, as long as it is sunny, I still feel that this has been a long winter. Maybe it's the one year… [Continue]

This is a classic cocktail that is fruity and strong with the two star ingredients being rum and passion fruit. With other fruit juices added, this drink comes out like a type of fruit punch, with a big alcohol kick. It is believed that the drink was first… [Continue]

Lychee fruit in drinks has… [Continue]

Here is another old cocktail (fancy drink), circa 1873, that is named after Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia. The drink comes from an article published in the New Orleans Daily Picayune (1873 and was created by Mr. E.F. Barry, a bartender at the Everett House hotel in uptown New York. You may remember Mr. Barry as the one of the compounders of the Moral… [Continue]

As I was perusing my local liquor store, I came across a product called Rumona, which is a sweet rum liqueur from Jamaica. I'm personally a big fan of rum, but unless you are buying aged rum, it can be a little hot and hellish to sip straight, or even on the rocks. But, a rum liqueur would… [Continue]