Cocktail Recipes

Mixology Monday: Rum!!!

Matt Robold — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:42:53 GMT

It's that time again. Time to hunker down and join the rest of the cocktail blogosphere in celebrating our monthly libation worship. This month's MxMo (graciously hosted by Blair over at TraderTiki.com) is one I couldn't miss. No really, how bad would I look if I - the host of RUMDOOD.com - did not participate in the MxMo with RUM as the topic? Somewhere there is a giant computer crunching the numbers to make that determination, but it may take a few years before the sheer magnitude of badness will be calculated. Let's just settle on, "The Dood would look pretty bad if he skipped the rum MxMo."

Now, you would think that this being a rum blog, a Mixology Monday focussed on rum would be ideal. How much easier could it get?

In reality, there was a great deal of pressure pushing down on me to make this a good entry. My reputation is at stake...but what to write about? I'll be completely honest here...it was a little daunting when I went to pick a rum to write about and ended up staring at this:

That picture is actually a little old...it's missing about 6 bottles (I have an addiction and BevMo and Hi Time Wines are enablers). All told, there are 54 rums on my shelf as of Sunday night...and no, I did not decide to do a tasting of all of them.

As I've mentioned before, one of the benefits of writing reviews of rums is that - sometimes - makers of rum (or their marketing firms) will contact you and ask if you'd like some samples (with the idea being that you will then turn around and write a review of the sample). I recently received samples of Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole (look for a review later this week) and their Pure Cane Syrup. While thumbing through the marketing materials included in the package, I stumbled across a recipe for a "Depaz Midnight Mojito". A mojito! There we go! It's getting in to the summer months, and I just so happened to have a package of fresh mint sitting in my refrigerator, begging to be used in a refreshing cocktail.

Most people make mojitos with white rums. Oronoco, Matusalem Platino, Flor de Cana White, Bacardi Silver (ew)...all make great mojitos. Personally, I don't drink a lot of white rums, and there's only so much room on my shelf, so I tend to dabble with the gold rums. Because of this, the idea of a "midnight" mojito made with a non-white rum didn't scare me one bit.

Per Depaz, a Midnight Mojito is thus:

Depaz Midnight Mojito

8-10 Fresh Mint Leaves
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Depaz Cane Syrup
1.5 oz Depaz Blue Cane Amber Rhum

Squeeze fresh lime wedges into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and all remaining ingredients into the cocktail shaker.

Shake vigorously. Strain contents into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Pretty basic mojito recipe...I have all of the ingredients...and it gives me an excuse (like I need one) to use my mojito set! Of course, I didn't follow it to the letter. No mentioning of muddling the lime and mint? SACRILEGE!! Only 1.5 oz of rhum? No no no no no...none of that will do. Plus, no one really uses or even needs fresh lime juice anyway.

JUST KIDDING! Put away your bar knives! I'm talking to you, Jeffrey! Put it down and step away slowly...it was just a joke.

One of the key things with a mojito is the use of a muddler. I have a nice muddler that came with my mojito set, and so after tearing about 10-15 mint leaves and dropping them into my shaker along with my fresh lime juice, I went to work pounding and twisting and grinding the menthol out of the leaves and into the juice. I then added 2 oz. of rhum (that's French for "rum"), 1 oz of the cane syrup and some crushed ice (thanks to Stu & Alida for the used blender - it's already coming in handy).

I've had debates with people over the use of crushed ice for mojitos. I don't always do it, but I really think that I should for one very important reason: containment of mint bits. With crushed ice floating at the top of your glass, you very rarely end up with a mouth full of foliage as you suck down the refreshing Cuban goodness of a great mo'. When you use cubed ice, there's a higher degree of difficulty in getting a clean draw from the glass unless you cheat and use a straw.

The ingredients sufficiently shaken, I poured them into a tall glass, and then topped with soda and garnished with lime.

I have to say, the Depaz makes a really tasty mojito. I may have indulged in an additional 1 or 2 after the first one...and I may have tried adding muddled/blended banana in to one of them at some point...maybe.... If I did, it was probably excellent...

Blogtailing

Matt Robold — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:58:42 GMT

Man, I am so far behind the curve these days. With many apologies for my tardiness, I have a note from my doctor saying that moving, a death in the family, and various other sundry issues all happening within 4 weeks of each other is a reasonable excuse for not posting. Of course, I realize that my readers try to hold me to a much higher standard...but I'm kind of heavy, so they can't hold me there for long.

It's April now, and that means that tickets are now on sale for Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. That's right, you can now go get your tickets. Do it. Stop reading, go back and click on that link and get your tickets. How could you NOT get your tickets.

You still need motivation? You need incentive? You need prodding to go to New Orleans for the biggest, baddest spirits event in the US in July? Seriously?

Just check out this list of events. Check out the list of VIP's that will be speaking and delivering fantastic demonstrations on everything from this history of rum to molecular mixology. What more do you need?

How about this: The Dood, himself will be there. There you go, now you've got no excuses. In fact, several of my fellow cocktail bloggers and I will be there contributing to the official Tales of the Cocktail Blog. We'll be easy to spot because instead of wandering around imbibing various cocktails and spirits, we'll be wandering around imbibing various cocktails and spirits while typing. I'm thinking this is the perfect occasion for introducing my laptop holder + drink holder apparatus. OK, I don't really have one, but it would be an awesome thing.

If you simply can't make it, or if you still need motivation, keep your RSS reader pointed to the TalesBlog over the next few months, as in addition to blogging at Tales, there will be sneak-previews of various sessions and other goodies to help entice you.

Hope I see you guys in NOLA!

Mixology Monday: Limit One

Matt Robold — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:36:11 GMT

Well, I'm not sure I'll have this in on time, but them's the breaks, as they say. Rick, over at Kaiser Penguin is hosting this month's MXMO event, and has picked the theme of "Limit One".

Rick describes this theme as

"Consume and write about your favorite, strongest drink. You know, the one that that is delightful, complex, and will leave you wanting to stay home from work the next day. It should contain at least 3oz of 80-proof spirit or have less than 1/2oz of non-spiritness."

Sounds simple enough. I mean, we all have our favorite drink of which we should never have more than one - a limit we probably all blow right by on the way to Hangover Country, Population You.

Well, I had high hopes for this week, but the ladder turned out to be a bit too short for my goal, and my hopes are vertically challenged apparently. I find myself tonight in a bit of a bind as I'm in the middle of moving. My life is currently strewn about my new apartment in boxes and bags...except for my current 47 rums. Those are already on the new shelf. I mean, you have to have priorities, and getting a couch or microwave can wait.

My post kind of got away from me, and I figured I'd just have to miss...but my friend Ashley believed in me and insisted that I make myself a Zombie for the evening. GREAT! I love Zombies! Well, the kind you drink - not the kind that drinks your brains. I quickly ran to the shelf and kitchen to put together the necessary ingredients.

Zombie

1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
1/2 oz apricot brandy
1 tsp sugar
2 oz light rum
1 oz dark rum
1 oz lime juice

Blend all ingredients with ice except Bacardi 151 proof rum. Pour into a collins glass. Float Bacardi 151 proof rum on top. Garnish with a fruit slice, sprig of mint and a cherry.

I was in the kitchen when suddenly, disaster struck. I realized that I was in an apartment with my life in boxes and no freezer...only a mini-fridge with my collection of bitters, beer, and some ginger beer. This means that I had no juice, and NO ICE. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Well, in the interest of living up to the expectations that my friends have for me, I had to do SOMETHING. So I implemented a little field medicine to brew up something with what I had. I don't know what to call it, so I consulted with Ashley once again, and based on the many lovely events currently filling my life, we came up with a name:

The Joe Cooper

2 oz dark rum (used Appleton Extra)
1 oz light rum (used Matusalem Platino)
1 oz overproof rum (used Wray & Nephew Overproof)
1/2 oz Cointreau
1 oz Blood Orange Bitters
1 tsp Demerera Sugar

Mix into a shaker, shake, pour into a glass.

I had originally intended to add some ginger beer if only because it was cold and - as previously mentioned - I lack ice. Expecting to want to throw myself from my porch upon tasting it before adding the ginger beer, I tasted my concoction...and LIKED IT. I don't know, maybe my palate isn't as sophisticated as I like to pretend to have...but this actually wasn't horrid. And if, like me in real life, or Joe Cooper in Baseketball, it seems like shit is raining upon you non-stop, just one of these babies will probably make you forget all about it...or at least not care for the next few hours.

Mixology Monday: Variations

Matt Robold — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:05:04 GMT

I had originally intended to a comparison of Mai Tai recipes - focusing on the Trader Vic's vs. Don The Beachcomber versions for this month's MXMO. That never happened. Instead I found myself with the house all to my lonesome on Saturday evening and the bottle of Mt. Gay XO called to me, begging me to write a review of it...and I yielded to its Siren Song. It's just as well, since I woke up the next morning to discover that Blair over at Trader Tiki's had done his own Mai Tai post that was probably a thousand times more impressive than anything I could have done - and he posted it at least a full day before I would have posted mine.

Do not lament however, as I do have an entry for this month's collection of imbibement-related-web-journalism, hosted by Jimmy's Cocktail Hour.

I recently finished reading How's Your Drink? by Eric Felten, which inspired me to branch out more from my rummy world of rummy goodness and get back to drinking all kinds of drinks - especially Old Fashioneds. Not being a big whiskey drinker, the Old Fashioned seemed like a great drink to get in to as pretty much anywhere you go will have decent whiskey, sugar, bitters, and fruit. I mean, it's simple, easy, and everyone's got that stuff (except, apparently, The District in Orange, CA). You can't usually say the same for rum, for which most bars leave me relegated to Captain and Coke. Over the past few weeks I've been ordering Old Fashioneds just about everywhere we go, each time with a different whiskey. And for those purists out there, sorry, but I like the garbage in my drink - and I prefer the Rye to the Bourbon. The recipe here isn't Mr. Felten's...I loaned out my copy of his book, so I don't have access to it at the moment.

Old Fashioned

2 oz Rye or Bourbon Whiskey
1 Sugar Cube
1 dash Bitters
1 slice Lemon
1 Cherry
1 slice Orange

Combine the sugar cube, bitters, and 1 tsp. water in an old-fashioned glass. Muddle well, add blended whiskey, and stir. Add a twist of lemon peel and ice cubes. Add slices of orange and lemon and top with the cherry

The concept of the Old Fashioned wasn't new to me...drinking it with the prescribed Whiskey was though. What I used to keep myself warm with was a variation of the old-timey cocktail made with - what else? - rum. I don't know if this is the "according to Hoyle" recipe for a Rum Old Fashioned, but this is the one I used Saturday night after completing my review.

Rum Old Fashioned

2 oz Rum
1 tsp sugar or simple syrup
1 dash Bitters
1 Cherry
1 slice Orange
1 slice Lime

Combine the sugar/syrup, bitters, and rum in an Old Fashioned glass and mix well. Add the cherry. Add ice. Add the orange, squeeze and add the lime. Top with a splash of soda. Clink, Drink, Repeat.

Since this cocktail is a variant of a whiskey cocktail, I recommend a whiskey-ish rum for the task. On Saturday I went with Mount Gay Extra Old (which is excellent in this drink), but I have been known to make it with Matusalem Gran Reserva or Flor de Cana 18 Year Old. Any of the 3 work really well (you could also use Appleton Estate V/X, Extra, or Reserve), although the Matusalem is probably my preferred base.

Cheers!

Holiday Imbibements

Matt Robold — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:04:54 GMT

It's the Holiday Season^TM and of course that means that we all need some Holiday Cheer^TM. What better way to get your cheer than from a few good libations? Can you think of any better way? I didn't think so!

One of my favorite things about the holidays, ever since I was a kid, was hot, spiced apple cider. The apples, cinnamon, and other spices, all warmly working their way down your gullet in the cold weather....there's just something so relaxing and wonderful about it, that it just begs to be improved with rum. So for the past couple of years I've been experimenting with my own cider recipes to figure out the best way to be merry and warm that doesn't involve plane tickets and beaches.

Below are 2 recipes to help you out with your holiday merriment. First up is my recipe for Rum Apple Punch. I would call it "cider", but outside of the US no one calls it cider...cider in Britain (I've been informed repeatedly) is what we Americans refer to as "Hard Cider". So, out of deference to my buddy, Rich, in "The West Country" (where cider is a religion), I've titled this a "punch". The great thing about this is that it requires no crock pot or all-day steeping of ingredients (although you can do it that way and it's still pretty great). All you'll need is a pot, a stove, and a ladle.

Second is Mrs. Dood's Rumaccino recipe, crafted with great care at numerous parties in our very own kitchen.

Dood's Rum Apple Punch

1 quart apple juice (if you're in the USA, use Martinelli's Apple Cider, which is the best "soft cider" known to man)
2 cinnamon sticks
8 cloves
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (preferably from Tahiti or Madagascar)
1 Tbsp crushed orange peel (fresh)
1 oz gold rum (preferably Jamaican - I use Appleton Estate V/X)
1/2 oz spiced rum (preferably Foursquare from Barbados)

Combine all ingredients into a pot (quart-size will do, obviously).

Do some extra crushing of the orange peel with the handle of a spoon to release more of the oils and flavor into the juice.

Heat over low flame for approx. 30 minutes, or until your kitchen and surrounding rooms smell like warm apples and cinnamon.

Serve in mugs with an extra ounce of rum, preferably Jamaican gold again, although I find that Flor de Cana from Nicaragua works wonderfully, as does Zaya from Guatemala. You'll probably want some method of filtration to serve this as there's a bit of particulate. Either a fine strainer or some cheesecloth will work (or I suppose you could put all of the spices into a spice ball or wrap them in cheesecloth for the steeping if you want to be clever about it).

And from the desk of Mrs. Dood...

Rumaccino

1 bottle Frappacino Light: Mocha Flavor
8 ice cubes
1 oz coffee rum (Brinley Gold)
1 oz Kahlua
1 oz Bailey's
1 oz Cruzan Rum Creme
3 small scoops vanilla ice cream

Place ingredients in a blender, set to "Ice Crush" or "Crush Ice" or "Pulverize Frozen Water" and blend until smooth. These quantities make what should be 2 cocktails. While this doesn't possess the same immediate warming qualities of the punch, the rich decadence of the drink more than makes up for it.

Well, there you have it. Here's to a happy, safe, and rummy holiday season.