We have Bacardi, Cruzan blackstrap, diplomatico, bounty dark, plantation 3 star, sailor jerry, smith and cross, kraken. ... We blind tasted six different rum and Cokes, using good old Coca Cola for each of them, but mixing up the rum selection -- from bottom shelf rum (Calypso) to THE popular rum choice for rum and Cokes (Bacardi) to top shelf sipping rum and a few in between. With that in mind, what rum suits your preference? I work at a volume cocktail bar but often have a little extra time to play around with tiki and rum drinks. Hamilton 151 is the next one on my list, unfortunately I live in NC and have to find a website to ship it . A rum list wouldn’t be complete without Bacardí, especially a list of mixers. I have a feeling that you could probably sub Hamilton Navy Strength, or West Indies 1670, but I haven't had either of those yet. Hamilton Navy Strength might be a good sub for it? Here are some of the best rums over $50 (but still under $100). Mixing up a batch of daiquiris? For your safety, we left out the traditional, fiery red-hot poker that was used to heat it back in the day. Stainless Steel Martini Mixer, along with a muddler, a mixing spoon, a jigger, two liquor pourers, two kinds of cocktail strainers and lastly, a cocktail sieve. Hamilton 151. This is similar to 151, but different enough to warrant it's own space, I think. This navy-strength (meaning that the spirit is bottled at exactly 57% alcohol by volume) Jamaican rum is smoky, funky, and strong as hell. Thank you for such a detailed response really appreciate it! That Lemon Hart is ... *chef's kiss*, Smith and Cross, Hamilton 151, El Dorado 12yr, El Dorado 3yr, Hamilton 86, Bacardi 8yr, One taste of Smith and Cross and I was instantly hooked. Just like with Bourbon or Scotch , you shouldn’t drink it at cask strength of 150 proof. Aged rum is a beautiful thing. The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Do you go with white rum? There’s no denying that Rum is an integral part of any home bar. Adding ice makes this recipe perfect for the summer, but try mixing it with a spiced rum for a warming winter drink. I can't imagine a Jasper's Jamaican planter's punch with anything else. Pull up a chair, sip your Mai Tai, and study the tsantsa-covered ceiling while listening to the sounds of the Hukilau. Copyright ©2021 Designtechnica Corporation. Established in 1703, Mount Gay is by all accounts the oldest manufacturer of rum. The 10 Best Spirits For Old Fashioneds, According To Bartenders, The 10 Best Whiskies for Irish Coffee This 2021, 24 Best Glassware for Your Home Bar: From Cocktail Glasses to Whiskey Tumblers, The 8 Best Top-Shelf Vodka Brands Worth Savoring, 23 Black-Owned Drinks Businesses To Support Now and Always, Best Cheap Refrigerator Deals for February 2021, Breakfast in Bed for Valentine’s Day: 15 Accessories You Need to Prepare, The Best Coffee Beans To Buy in 2021, Reviewed. There may be other good Demerara-style options, but I don't know them. The liquor is aged at least 12 years in American bourbon barrels, blended and then re-casked to mature. But best of all, the whiskey comes through. It’s the most comprehensive guide to rum I’ve come across, in just a few pages you’ll understand the varieties of rum and have some actual examples of the different types of rum. The Manual is simple — we show men how to live a life that is more engaged. A lot of great rum comes from Barbados, and Mount Gay is a stellar example of this. Unaged or lightly aged and filtered rums like Bacardi Carta Blanca or Captain Morgan White Rum don’t have the heft to stand out in a spirt-forward drink like an Old-Fashioned. I like Neisson Reserve Speciale. 11. A Jamaican rum, Appleton Estate Reserve Blend brings together 20 aged rums (all aged at least six years) into one bottle. Article originally published by Pat Evans on August 14, 2017. Named for Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, one of the fathers of American tattooing, Sailor Jerry is a 45% ABV spiced rum that can be used in just about any cocktail you can think of. If I only had 10 I'd do something like this: Hamilton had great stuff. … ), E.S.A. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. You can use it as a replacement for whiskey in most drinks thanks to the caramel, honey, and candied fruit flavors, but it really shines in tiki cocktails or others that allow the tropical flavors in the rum to come through. A bar in Havana. Foursquare Probitas. Last updated by Sam Slaughter. Alternatives: Doorly's XO or 12, Old Brigand Black Label (see the pattern?). A spiced rum? Both a fairly limited in application, but both bring great depth. I am hoping we can elevate our rum selection. And if people attending your parties were honest, they are probably tired of rum … Unfortunately our rum selection is not great for tiki drinks. You have two options for a right proper 151, and this blows Lemon Hart right out of the water. Named after Ernest Hemingway’s beloved fishing boat and now distilled near his house in Key West, Papa’s Pilar Blonde is a perfect match for Hemingway’s favorite cocktail, the daiquiri. Or Wray & Nephew. I don't think that Scarlet Ibis and "Spanish-style rum" are necessarily coterminus, but this is what I use in any recipe that asks for a Spanish-style. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I waffled on a vieux or a blanc, but I think that the vieux gets a little more widespread love in Tiki. The Best Rums for Mixing to Turn Any Night Into Island Night By Sam Slaughter January 23, 2021 There’s no denying that Rum is an integral part of any home bar. Here is a link to the 15th best Mixing Rum on my 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rum Countdown: #15: Pusser’s Blue Label Rum “… The Pusser’s website encourages you to add cola to the rum, making the assertion that the rum flavour will push through the cola creating a delightful cocktail. Rum was a staple of the Revolutionary War-era diet, making its way into punches, nogs and, of course, flips. 7 of the Best Rum Mixed Drinks You'll Ever Have. Scarlet Ibis. The Best Rum for Old-Fashioneds First, let’s eliminate, or at least discourage, certain styles of rum for use in Old-Fashioneds. Barbancourt 8. Alternatives: Dr. Bird, Hamilton Pot Still Gold or Blonde, Worthy Park, or Hampden Estate. Aged in Kentucky oak barrels, the rum’s floral and fruity notes are balanced by smoke and vanilla. The word on the street is that rum is the next big trend in the world of spirits. To make choosing a little easier on your end, we’ve rounded up a list of the best rums for mixing cocktails below. If I had to rebuild my rum, bar from scratch, however, it would look something like this. Cranberry juice and rum is a classic choice. The result is a sophisticated drink that still has some sea-side Carribbean flair. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. Tiki culture is a celebration of tropical escapism. If you're only familiar with cheap rums sold by the handle, you might think the category is pretty one-dimensional, best consumed with Coca-Cola, shot by shot or hidden under layers of fruit juice. All rights reserved. Its complexity and strength allow it to shine through with stronger mixers like ginger beer. A white-sand beach. Published: October 25, 2017 Post navigation Instead water it down to about 70 – 80 proof to get the best sipping experience. Buy Smuggler’s Cove and read the rum section. All Barbadian rums, these form the backbone of most Tiki drinks I make, and Foursquare's rums are really the standard by which I judge all other rums, rightly or not. But, they all over-deliver in quality and character. Coming in at a whopping 63% alcohol by volume, Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum is not something you use heavily. It’s easy to see why. Apple Cider. Made in the Philippines, Don Papa Rum is for those that like things a little sweeter. The cheap rum brand is almost synonymous with rum and its low price tag doesn’t take away from its distinct flavor. Hamilton 86. The Single Barrel Rum is a Cruzan classic created from a variety of vintage rums aged for up to 12 years, then held for an additional year in a new oak barrel. For the real rum connoisseurs — or big-spenders — we suggest this 1824 premium rum from Angostura. Dark, aged rum is perfect on its own, while white rum works its magic in classic cocktails such as the daiquiri. Ever heard of a Dark and Stormy? Pour up one of these, and you'll feel like you're there. Jamaican pot distillate and Barbadian Coffey distillate. Also, I love Bacoo, from the Dominican Republic – and it’s not too expensive! The 13 Best Valentine’s Day Chocolates to Buy Online Right Now, The Best Places to Buy Chocolate-Covered Strawberries On Valentine’s Day. Then go with a white rum. It all boils down to what you want to do with it. We have Bacardi, Cruzan blackstrap, diplomatico, bounty dark, plantation 3 star, sailor jerry, smith and cross, kraken. Hamilton 87 (also known at White 'Stache). Hamilton Pot Still Black, maybe. Light gold and slightly sweet with strong citrus notes, Papa’s Pilar is perfect for kicking classic clear rum cocktails up a notch. We don’t boss you around; we’re simply here to bring authenticity and understanding to all that enriches our lives as men on a daily basis. Mixing it into drinks in small amounts gives the drink a kick and livens things up a bit. Where the rum and Coke often goes bad is the ratio of the two ingredients. Gay Black Black Barrel work well, as do others. There is no alternative here, and this is one of only two non-negotiable rums for me (Hamilton 151 is the other). Having a darker color and heavier body than the previous two entries, Mount Gay stands up better to mixers like Coca-Cola for a classic rum and coke, garnished with a lime wedge of course. Aged for four years, Flor de Caña 4 is clear as water and light-bodied, making it perfect for light mixed drinks, even ones as simple as rum and tonic. According to the Distilled Spirits Council, rum accounted for $2.3 billion in sales in 2019, with the ultra-premium rum category growing more than 6% year over year. Best mixed in sweeter tiki drinks versus sipped straight, let's just say this rum is meant for the serious sailors out there. Through a complex aging process, beginning with two years in bourbon barrels in Barbados and then a year in small oak casks in France, the Plantation Grande Reserve Barbados Rum is aged for three years but carries a color hinting at more. At 14 bucks a liter, it's probably the best value, ounce for ounce, of any of the rums in this list. The coconut, vanilla, and light barrel notes are enough to keep up with a bit stronger mixers as well, so grab a Flor de Caña 4 and enjoy the toasty sugar cane finish. A spirit made from a molasses or sugar cane base, it is sweet and highly drinkable. Alternatives; Doorly's Macaw (which I think is 3-year outside of the US? Craft High-End Rum Mixed Drinks With Ease. This is an excellent rum to use in lieu of whiskey in spirit-forward cocktails like the Old Fashioned. It's "white," but really aged and filtered. Barbancourt 8, or a rhum agricole blanc. What do you use the Barbancourt 8 for? The amber-colored rum is packed with tropical fruit as well as strong-layered vanilla from the bourbon aging. What would be your best 10 rums for making tiki drinks. Here are nine outstanding options to get you started on your sipping journey. ... has all the essential tools for a bartender, featuring a 24 oz. While the country teeters on the precipice of revolution, the one export Venezuela can rely on is Diplomático — arguably the best rum from South America (and inarguably the most awarded). Voodoo Milk Punch 7.5 oz Ron Zacapa 23 Year rum 2.5 oz Market Spice tea-infused Smith & Cross Navy strength rum (3 tablespoons Market Spice tea to 1 bottle rum… The Gosling’s company has had the drink trademarked in the U.S. since 1991. This nearly traditional Rum Flip mixes dark rum with a whole egg and demerara syrup for the ultimate creamy nightcap. Sub? Alternatives: any Spanish-style rum of your choosing. It is such an easy drink that bartenders—pro and amateur alike—typically dismiss the need for a balance of flavors.This results in a drink that is either "burnt" with alcohol or too sweet with soda. Unfortunately our rum selection is not great for tiki drinks. But, if I had to pick one it would be either Appleton Reserve or Coruba for something dark like Planter's punch and either Cana Brava or Plantation 3 Stars for Daiquiris and Mojitos. A Puerto Rican rum made in a style similar to Bacardi (but a few bucks cheaper), Don Q Cristal is a nice, light rum. Versatility is key with the 10 and keep the bottles between $20 and $50. My top whiskeys for cola mixing are: Crown Royal: This Canadian whiskey is on every bar, it seems, and is extremely affordable. The Rum: While Trinidad and Tobago’s Angostura is probably best known for its iconic bitters, don’t sleep on their deep bench of rums. If you want a spirit-forward cocktail (such as a rum Old Fashioned), you’ll probably want an aged rum. Taste Test: The Best Brands Of Rum For Making Rum & Coke. Their seven-year-old expression is a really solid entry. It all started in 1934 with the first Don the Beachcomber tiki restaurant, and was rejuvenated in the mid-90's with the printing of The Book of Tiki by Sven Kirsten. Right now, rum makers are bringing an ocean of new spiced rums to market—and they’re a lot better and more diverse than ever before. BEST PREMIUM BOTTLE. Regardless of how you want to use it in a drink — whether in a mojito, a Cuba Libre, Piña Coladas, or one of literally hundreds (or even thousands) of other rum cocktails, you’ll be needing a good bottle to make whatever you have planned. 100%. Instructions: In a shaker tin, muddle one whole strawberry. Ingredients: 1.5 oz rum.5 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum (float).5 oz ginger.75 oz lime juice 1 whole strawberry. The 2005 Single Blended Rum currently offers one of the best opportunities to sample the coveted brand. Blonde rums like Papa’s Pilar Blonde often make for some of the best rums for mixing as it falls into a zone of perfection standing up to its drink mate.