Summer
is the season for backyard barbecues, beach blanket bingo,
and cool pool parties—which means it's also a time for
frosty cocktails to help beat the heat! Frozen rum drinks
like daquiris, piña coladas and mai tais are traditional summer
standbys that can turn even a boring afternoon on the front
porch into a festive occasion.
A
couple weeks ago, the good folks at SailorJerry.com
sent us a promotional sample of their Sailor Jerry Spiced
Navy Rum. (One of the perqs of being a magazine editor is
that you sometimes get stuff for free!) The pirate-style
packaging and accompanying shot glasses were nifty added
extras, but I was most interested in sampling the rum itself.
With the mercury rising here in the Northeast, the bottle
seemed like a perfect excuse to have a few friends over
for cocktails.
I
gathered the gang this past weekend, when temperatures were
in the low 80s under sunny skies. After a hearty meal of
burgers and dogs on the back deck, it was time to crack
open the Sailor Jerry and see what was in store. The first
sip went to ATOMIC contributor Kevin Brown, who writes our
"Another Round" cocktail column. "It's excellent," he said,
taking a second taste of the rum straight up.
"It's
smooth and a little sweet, but that's a good thing." ATOMIC
regular Frank Dellario, who built a home tiki bar for our
second issue, concurred.
"Do
you have any pineapple juice?" he asked, devising a recipe
in his mind. "Coconut milk? Fresh limes?" Er…no, no and
no. I promptly handed him a twenty and sent him to the grocery
store for supplies.
Frank's
impromptu cocktail creation was delicious indeed, but too
complicated to recreate here. Instead, we offer a few suggestions
for classic rum drinks that can help keep you cool when
the thermometer starts to soar!
The
Tiki
(courtesy of
SailorJerry.com)
Mix
all ingredients except Curacao with ice and shake well.
Pour into a Collins glass and float the Curacao on top.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge, orange slice and a cherry!
*Curaçao is an orange-flavored liqueur made from the
dried peel of bitter oranges found on the Caribbean island
of Curaçao. It may be based on any white spirit, though
molasses (cane) or grape are the most likely, and it comes
in a range of colours, including blue.
Mai
Tai
Originally invented by the infamous Trader Vic, there are
now countless variations to the classic Mai Tai, many made
with both dark and light rum. This is a basic dark rum recipe
that's easy to make.
Combine
all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
Strain into a cocktail glass and serve with a cherry. For
a frozen variation, add a splash of pineapple juice and
blend with crushed ice, then serve in a hurricane glass.
Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Piña
Colada
