barbados rum

#RumForTheHills: HBG Rum Blend 1

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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Y’alllllllll. I did it, I decided to make a Rum blend to use in Punches, Swizzles, and other large format Tiki drinks and today, I’m pretty pumped to present it to you.

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Ok, let’s talk.

  1. “Whuuuuuuut gurl? Why do you need to make a blended Rum when you can just use a split base in a cocktail?” Excellent question! I did it for a couple of reasons: Firstly, I love having a premade Rum Blend on hand so I can just use it without thinking about the specs. Secondly, when things sit together in a bottle for a few days/weeks, the flavors “marry” together and groove a bit more.
  2. “Ok Cool gurl, which Rum made you start thinking about making a blend?” Hamilton 86 cause I’m obsessed with it. Hamilton 86 is very dark and has notes of leather, tobacco, fruity goodness and I’m digging it for these colder months.
  3. “Hamilton 86, got it. Then what?” Well, despite what I just said about loving the darkness of Hamilton 86 I wanted to add some top notes of potent funkiness and immediately thought, “RUM FIRE!” Yes, this overproof funky beast is super potent and great in long format cocktails.
  4. “Anything else?” I added Plantation Barbados 5 cause it’s an easy Rum and would add some length. Then added Denizen Aged White to further lighten and dry out the blend.

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I’m gonna give the recipe to y’all in parts not ounces/ml so you can make as much or as little as you want.

HBG Rum Blend #1

  • 2 parts Hamilton 86 Demerara Rum
  • 1/2 part Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum
  • 1/4 part Denizen 3 Year Aged White Rum
  • 1/4 part Rum Fire

Combine ingredients and bottle. Use this blend however you like but I’d recommend in a Swizzle, Punch or large Tiki drink.

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Cheers and happy blending!

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Putting Raspberry Syrup to Work: Double ‘R’ Punch

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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Alright y’all, it’s the first day of autumn and at this point I have to admit something: no matter what season it is, I want a Tiki drink. Adding to this constant desire is the bottle of Raspberry syrup I made last week, which goes SOOOO well with Rum. So no matter what the weather, as long as you’ve got Raspberry syrup, Orgeat, and Rum, you could really get into this Punch.

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The thing about Raspberry syrup is that it can totally be used in place of Grenadine. I was reading through tons of recipes from the Prohibition era and there was actually a high number of instances where Raspberry syrup was called for or used as a Grenadine sub. The other thing I found interesting was that almost all of these recipes used Brandy or Rum as the base spirit.

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Hell yeah. Rum. Rummmmmmmmmmm. I’m starting to think that my brain is automatically like, “but how can I put ingredient ‘x’ with Rum?”

And note my new (vintage) Planter’s Punch glass! Isn’t it cute? So cute! And appropriate since I am using Jamaican Rum in this recipe! (Thank you Denizen Merchant’s Reserve!)

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I think the process went something like this:

  1. I was like “Ok, the Raspberry syrup is both sweet and tart and goes well with Lemon & Lime, so lets start there.”
  2. Then I wanted Orgeat to help smoooooth things out cause there was a lot of acid happening with the juices + syrup.
  3. But then I wanted anise so I thought Absinthe + Peychaud’s for extra spices and depth
  4. Finally the Rums: Plantation Barbados 5 for smoothness, Denizen Merchant’s Reserve for the funk to dry the drink out a bit.

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…Mint for aroma and cause it’s so pretty with the red color of the drink. Same reason for using a Blue umbrella: colors are important when creating drinks! It’s like you’ve made a tiny, albeit temporary work of art!

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Double ‘R’ Punch

  • 1 1/2 oz Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum (Sub a smooth, aged Rum)
  • 3/4 oz Denizen Merchant’s Reserve 8 Year Rum (Sub Jamaican Rum)
  • 1/2 oz Raspberry Simple Syrup
  • 1/4-1/2 oz Orgeat*
  • 1/2 oz fresh Lime Juice
  • 1/4 oz fresh Lemon Juice
  • 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
  • 8 drops St. George Absinthe Verte
  • Garnish: Mint sprig, Tiki Umbrella

Combine ingredients over ice and shake. Double strain into Planter’s Punch glass or Collins glass over crushed ice and garnish.

*Totally depends on your Orgeat. I’m using homemade Orgeat and it’s not as sweet as something like B.G. Reynolds Orgeat. I’d recommend starting with 1/4 oz, taste the drink, then add more if needed.

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This photo is really making me wanna escape to a tropical place…like right meow.

Cheers and have tons of fun with your Raspberry Syrup drinks!

An Illustrated Guide to All Things Rum

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Rum Guide: What's in a Bottle

Hey y’all, as I was rolling through my twitter feed, I ran across this Rum Guide from Fix.com and thought it was worth posting cause: 1. I’m obsessed with Rum, 2. its got recipes for a couple of Rum cocktails and y’all know how I feel about that. (Good, I feel real good.)

Rum Guide: Dark ’N’ Stormy Recipe
Source: Fix.com Blog

From Fix:

“Molasses based rum is the most common form. This type of rum is brought to a boil and the sugar is then transferred to tanks where it crystallizes and becomes molasses. A mixture of yeast, distilled water, and nutrients is then fermented for up to three weeks…

Knowing the basic rum terminology will go far next time you are in the rum aisle. Know how to read the bottle and find the perfect rum that agrees with your taste buds. Whether drinking it neat or in a cocktail, there are qualities of rum on all spectrums. Ignore the jargon written on bottles that are just trying to pull you in, trust your research instead.”

Then they proceed to give a breakdown of the Rum categories, which is totally great info for any Home Bartender to have.

Rum Guide: Classic Mai Tai Recipe
Source: Fix.com Blog

And, I fully support anyone talking bout a tasty Mai Tai recipe! Cheers and may your Rum education be factual and deeeeeeep.

Winfred Bumbry Punch

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

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Soooooo, woah. I feel like a whirlwind of things have happened! We returned from our holiday in Tulum, Mexico to Brooklyn and then it was Thanksgiving week which meant parties, parties, and feasting and several batches of Punch! AAAAAAAAAAH.

However, I would never complain about an opportunity to create a new Punch, especially not one with such exciting ingredients.

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I created this particular batch for a Friendsgiving party with some of my oldest friends. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I met many wonderful people in Birmingham, AL where I lived for 10 years. I played in bands with these people, threw dance parties with these people, and they became my crew.

At one time or another, myself and some of these wonderful people moved here to NYC and now we’ve all been pretty tight for around a decade. We have a group text that has been named several ridiculous things (Autumn Boyfriends, Looty Sweater Clurb, 10 Red Dancing Lady emojis in a row), but is currently named Winfred Bumbry.

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Here are the cast of characters for Winfred Bumbry Punch: Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey + Smith & Cross make up my fave split base of all time. Ruby Port + Plantation Barbados 5 for length, greater depth, and cause Port is SO GREAT IN PUNCH. Lemon Sherbet cause I’m obsessed, LITERALLY OBSESSED with making classic Punches, and classic Punches frequently have Sherbet as an ingredient.

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Don’t forget the Nutmeg! It’s the only Punch garnish you’ll ever need.

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There were 7 people at our Friendsgiving party and we drank ALL the Punch. ALLLLLL OF IT. But hey, my friends are big drinkers so one could probably serve 8-9 people with this Punch.

Winfred Bumbry Punch

  • 1 1/2 Cups Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey
  • 1 1/2 Cups Navy Strength Rum (Preferably a blend of Demerara and Jamaican Rums)
  • 1 Cup Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum
  • 1 Cup Ruby Port
  • 1 1/2 Cups Lemon Sherbet
  • 6 cups Club Soda + 1 large Ice block* for the Punch bowl
  • Garnish: freshly grated Nutmeg
  • Glassware: Tea Cups or Punch cups

Combine Whiskey, Rums, Port, and Lemon Sherbet in an airtight container. Stir ingredients and chill for a few hours or overnight. When serving, add an Ice block and Club Soda to Punch bowl. Grate Nutmeg over the top of the Punch bowl and serve.

*You could freeze water in a Quart size tupperware overnight and use that as the Ice block if you don’t need to be fancy. Personally, I don’t need to be fancy.

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Cheers to all y’alls Holiday Parties!

 

 

DD’s Cider Punch

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

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It’s that spoooooky time of year! The time for sizzling dishes, ghoulish wishes, and festive gatherings. Seriously, if you’re throwing any kind of Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos/Harvest/I Love Autumn party, you can’t go wrong with Hot Apple Cider Punch!

I created this Punch last Friday for a party my illustrious girlfriend was attending that night. Being deep into Apple season, we decided go to with Apple Cider as the base and Rum as the main spirit. Let’s jump into the recipe.

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You’ll need spices. I recommend getting Mulling Spices that contain Allspice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Star Anise, Cloves, Black Peppercorn, and Orange peel.

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You’ll need spiced liqueurs. I wanted to pump up the Allspice, so I included some St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram. Then I wanted to add the luxurious sensuality of Bénédictine D.O.M. which has notes of honey, citrus, saffron, cardamom, ginger, and is super silky.

Lemon Sherbet

You’ll need Lemon Sherbet. You’re so shocked right? Unheard of that I would use Lemon Sherbet in a recipe.

Why Lemon Sherbet in Apple Cider? 1. It’s my fave ingredient right now. 2. Lemon gives the Punch some brightness and bite.

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You’ll need a big pot, ceramic dutch oven, or Crockpot. Simmer baby, simmmmmer.

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Everyone got their stuff ready? Awesome. (Note, the Lemon Sherbet isn’t in the photo cause I used it all!)

DD’s Cider Punch (serves 12*)

  • 70 oz Apple Cider**
  • 2 oz Lemon Sherbet
  • Mulling spices
  • 16 oz Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum
  • 4 oz Hamilton 151 Demerara Rum
  • 6 oz Allspice Dram
  • 6 oz Bénédictine D.O.M.
  • Garnish: Clove studded Apple slices
  • Glassware: Mugs
  1. Combine Cider, Mulling spices and Sherbet in pot and heat until liquid begins to simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to looooooow and simmer for around 40 mins, or until the Mulling Spices have done their thing. “Nice spice, man.”
  2. Turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting. Add Liqueurs, Spirits and heat until the Punch is hot enough to drink but nowhere near simmering/boiling. You don’t want to cook the Alcohol out of the Punch, just warm the Punch back up.
  3. Serve in Mugs with Clove studded Apple slices.

*This recipe will yeilds ~104 oz Punch (evaporation could occur), which means 12 of your friends can have ~8 oz of Punch each, that is unless they’re big drinkers…

**I started with 64 oz Cider, and thought the Punch was awesome. My girlfriend thought it might be too strong for her friends and asked that I dilute a bit. I added 6 more oz of Apple Cider for a total of 70 oz of Cider. Then it was perfect. Remember, always ask your customers what they like most.

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Oh and y’all, these two Rums together, WOOOOOOOOO-eeeeeee. Killer combo! Both Plantation Barbados 5 and Hamilton Demerara 151 are in what I would call the “Smooth” category yet both have real depth of flavour without being too overpowering. If you’re using different Rums, I recommend staying in this category.

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Cheers to you and all your holiday Party Punches!

La Petite Mort with Plantation Barbados Rum

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

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In the not too distant past, my girl Foodie Tails texted me saying, “Just got Plantation Barbados 5 and Angostura 7 Rums.” I replied with, “Oh shit!”

Seeing as I had just run out of Angostura 7, and had been meaning to get the Plantation Barbados 5 since I threw that 4th of July Daiquiri Party, I immediately ran to the liquor store. Luckily they had the very bottle I was looking for, so I bought it, ran back home and made the drink described below.

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Now, I LOVE Plantation Rums. They’re aged in used Cognac barrels and meticulously scrutinized for maximum flavour. Well y’all, the flavour is totally there. The Barbados 5 Year Rum has tropical fruits, grasses, a bit of caramel smoothness, leaves a pleasant long finish, and plays well with others.

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It REALLY plays well with the above ingredients.

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In fact, Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum plays so well with these ingredients that it’s been my new favourite Rum cocktail for at least two weeks.

La Petite Mort

  • 2 oz Plantation Grande Réserve Barbados 5 Year Rum
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 3/4 oz Honey Syrup*
  • rinse Pernod Pastis
  • Garnish: Pineapple Wedge

Rinse a double Rocks glass with Pernod and chill. Combine remaining ingredients over ice and short shake. Strain into rinsed glass over cracked or crushed ice and garnish.

*This drink is also awesome with Vanilla Bean Syrup subbed for Honey Syrup.

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Damn, so dreamy, so fulfilling, I would die one thousand of these Little Deaths.

Puccini’s Nightcap

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So I’m totally digging National Hazelnut month and using as much Frangelico in as many recipes I possibly can. Today, I’ve got another Cocktail with Plantatation Barbados 5 Year Rum, cause the flavors go really well together. Also Hazelnut + Rum seems like a win-win to me y’all!

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It’s also time to bust out the Nutmeg and grater!

Puccini’s Nightcap

  • 2 oz Plantation Barbados 5 Rum
  • 1/2 oz Frangelico
  • 1/2 oz Giffard Banane Liqueur
  • 1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry
  • 1 tsp St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (sub Pimento Bitters)

Garnish: freshly grated Nutmeg

Combine ingredients over ice and stirrrrrrrrr. Strain into coupe, grate that Nutmeg until you are feeeling it.

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Let the Hazelnut loving continue! Woo! Cheers to MBooth for including me in National Hazelnut Month!