Three Classic Rum Cocktails in honor of National Rum Month
August 16 is celebrated as National Rum Day in the United States. Rum is a highly popular liquor that enjoys great fandom across countries and age groups. Basically rum is produced by fermenting sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice and then distilling them. The resultant clear liquid is then aged in oak barrels. While a majority of the world’s rum is produced in the Caribbean and American countries, there is also some production in the Philippines and India.
Even if you are not a rum drinker, you’d certainly enjoy light rums that are used in cocktails. The best thing about rum is that it transforms beautifully into a tropical cocktail with the right ingredients. Almost, any kind of rum can be used to create a magical cocktail. So here are some great rum-based cocktail recipes in honor of National Rum Day:
1. Daiquiri
Daiquiri is perhaps the most famous of those rum drinks that everyone can easily make. It is tempting to open ready to drink daiquiris but there’s something about fresh daiquiris prepared with just three ingredients:
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces rum (light)
3/4 ounce lime juice (fresh)
1/2 to 3/4 ounce simple syrup
Ice cubes
Gather all the ingredients. Mix them in a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
It is important to invest in a good quality cocktail shaker if you are fond of mixing your drinks. Consider https://bestcocktailshaker.com/best-cocktail-shakers/ if you are looking to buy a new one.
Once you have mastered the basic daiquiri, you can make variations such as a strawberry daiquiris, Daiquirease, rhubarb rosemary daiquiri etc.
2. Mojito
One of the most popular cocktails of all time, the mojito is very refreshing and only requires a few basic ingredients. You can toss a great number of fruits in your mojitos too because there are really no rules.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons sugar
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
2–3 ounces club soda (to taste)
2 ounces light rum
1 lime (cut into 4 wedges)
Collect all the ingredients. Now add sugar, mint leaves and a splash of club soda to a highball glass. You will need a muddler to dissolve the sugar and release the flavor of mojito. Squeeze the lime juice and add to the glass. Also drop two wedges into the glass. Finally, add the rum and stir well, top it with ice cubes and club soda. If you like you can also garnish with a mint sprig.
Choose a premium quality rum preferably a high-end aged rum and not the spicier varieties to retain the original flavor of classic mojito.
3. Piña Colada
With its origins in Puerto Rico, even the thought of Pina Colada brings memories of summer and tropical holidays to mind. Traditional pina coladas use white or light rum whereas modern day adaptations often use a mix of light and dark rums. You can have them shaken or stirred but the original frozen pina coladas were shaken. You will require a good quality cocktail shaker.
Ingredients
2 ounces light rum
2 ounces pineapple juice
1 1/2 ounces cream of coconut
Optional: 1 lime wedge
Ice
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the light rum, pineapple juice and cream of coconut. If you prefer a slightly less sweet colada, add lime juice from a single wedge. Now shake at least for 30 seconds and when it is well and truly shaken, the drink will look creamy with foam on top.
Strain into a Mason Jar or a glass or a couple of cocktail glasses. You can garnish with pineapple wedges or maraschino cherries.
Conclusion
Whether you are a rum fan or not, there’s no denying that rum lends itself beautifully to cocktails. Rum is also ideal for tiki cocktails like scorpion bowl with fresh fruit or rum eggnogs, hot buttered rum. And who can forget the classic rum and coke combination. We hope you enjoyed these classic rum cocktails. Cheers to rum!
