Looking for a reason to celebrate? Make a spirited toast on August 16th for National Rum Day and celebrate the third most popular spirit in blended beverages and cocktails!
There are so many delicious recipes that will conjure up images of tropical sandy beaches and fruity drinks with brightly colored umbrellas. Here we’ve got a few rum cocktail recipes – both light and dark – to spice up the day.
Sparkling Watermelon Mojito
Watermelon and rum are a great summer combination. This makes the perfect light and refreshing beverage.
Ingredients
3 oz watermelon juice
1 ½ oz white rum
¾ oz (or more to taste) simple syrup
½ oz freshly squeeze lime juice
5-10 mint leaves
3 oz pinot grigio
Start by muddling the mint leaves in a short cocktail glass or small mason jar. Add in freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, watermelon juice, and the white rum. Stir to combine. Top it off with ice cubes and then add in a few splashes of bubbly pinot grigio.
The Classic Pina Colada
A festive cocktail favorite that will quench anyone’s thirst.
Ingredients
2-½ ounces of white or gold rum (dark rum will give more depth and character)
3 ounces of unsweetened pineapple juice
1 ounce of coconut cream
Crushed or cubed ice
In a blender, pour in the rum and then add the unsweetened pineapple juice and coconut cream. Add about a cup of crushed ice or 5 to 6 ice cubes and blend on high. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with any fruit you have on hand.
Hurricane
A sweet and fruity cocktail with New Orleans origins.
Ingredients
2 ounces of dark rum
2 ounces of light rum
1 ounce of passion fruit syrup
1 ounce of fresh lemon juice
Ice
Orange slices
Maraschino cherries
In a shaker, add the light and dark rums, the passion fruit syrup, and the lemon juice with ice. Shake until frosty and then pour into a tall hurricane glass filled with ice. Garnish each glass with the orange slices and maraschino cherries.
C.M. Spiceberry
Prefer your rum with a hint of spice? Try the “spiceberry,” a cocktail that infused with the sweet taste of strawberries and coconut.
Ingredients
1-¼ ounces of spiced rum
3 ounces of strawberries
1 ounce of coconut cream
1 scoop of crushed ice
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high. Pour into a glass, garnish with a fresh strawberry, if desired, and serve with a straw.
The Southside
A simple cocktail to truly appreciate the flavor profiles of rum.
Ingredients
2 ounces of dark rum
1 ounce fresh sour mix
8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
To make the sour mix: Boil ½ cup of water and stir in ½ cup sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Let the syrup cool and add ½ cup fresh lemon juice and ½ cup fresh lime juice.
Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake vigorously, slightly bruising the mint. Pour into a glass, garnish with a lemon or lime wedge and serve.
