3 Ridiculously Good Rum Cocktails That Are Perfect for Summer Boozing
Mix up these rum-spiked delights to take the party up a notch.
Tired of the same old daiquiris, Rum & Cokes and Dark ‘N Stormys? Here’s three cool new rum cocktails courtesy of Jim Meehan, a renowned bartender, booze educator and author of the The PDT Cocktail Book and Meehan’s Bartender Manual.
The Portland-based mix maestro and global ambassador for Banks Rum shared three top-notch cocktails of varying complexity that are a solid bet for summertime fun.
Five Island Flamingo
Ingredients:
· 2 oz. Banks 5-Island Rum
· .75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
· 3 oz. Pink Grapefruit Soda (Preferably Ting)
Method: Add the Banks and lime juice to a mixing glass then add ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with Grapefruit Soda and garnish with a lime wheel.
Meehan says: “This pink-hued highball was named after the iconic bird of the same color, an elegant mascot of tropical paradise. It’s a compelling alternative to a Rum & Coke: quite possibly the most popular and least interesting rum drink of all since the Coke tends to mask the flavor of the rum.”
Green Tea Punch
Ingredients:
· 1 Liter Banks 5-Island Rum
· 375ml Sencha Tea
· 375ml Mint Tea
· 300ml Lime Juice
· 250g Demerara Sugar
· Garnish: Grated Nutmeg
Method: Brew the tea, then stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Add 4 cups of ice to chill and dilute the mixture, then add lime juice and rum. Chill before serving. When ready to serve, add to a punchbowl filled with one large block of ice. Serve in punch cups filled with ice, and garnish with grated nutmeg.
Meehan says: “Punch is ideal for summer parties as all the prep can be done before the party so you don’t have to hire a bartender to work the event. It’s communal, fostering team-building (a goal for all summer get-togethers) and lower in alcohol that most cocktails, which helps mitigate overindulgence.”
The Paddington
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 parts Banks 5-Island Rum
- 1/2 part Lillet Blanc
- 1/2 part grapefruit juice, fresh
- 1/2 part lemon juice
- 1 barspoon orange marmalade
- 1 dash absinthe (St. George)
- Garnish: grapefruit twist
Method: Add a dash of absinthe to a coupe or cocktail glass. Swirl to rinse, discard and set aside. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake. Strain into absinthe-rinsed glass and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Meehan says: “The Paddington cocktail, which has been on our menu since 2008, is a hybrid of Constantino Ribalaigua Vert’s rum-based Daiquiri #3 and Salvatore Calabrese’s orange marmalade-sweetened Breakfast Martini that relies on the herbal bite of the absinthe to temper the sweet grapefruit notes. We serve it year-round, but sales surge in the summer when guests clamor for refreshing, rum-based sours and swizzles.”
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