Episode 34: Privateer Amber rum

5 Minutes of Rum episode 34: Privateer Amber rum, rum in Colonial America, and 2 punches.

Meeting House Punch in a ceramic barrel by Johnnie Velour.

Privateer Punch

Meeting House Punch (modified)
4 oz lager beer (Red Stripe recommended)
2 1/2 oz Privateer Amber rum
1 1/2 oz white Virgin Islands rum
1/2 oz lemon juice
3 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon demerara sugar
peel of 1/2 of a lemon

Muddle lemon peel and sugar in half of a boston shaker. Let sit for 30-60 minutes, and then muddle again. Add lemon juice and stir to partially dissolve the sugar. Add the rums and stir again until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove lemon peel, fill shaker with ice, and stir in the beer. Pour unstrained into a barrel mug with 2 straws or pour unstrained into 2 old fashioned glasses (this will make ice distribution a little trickier). The original recipe posted in Potions of the Caribbean calls for 6 ounces of beer, but I feel the beer dominates too much in that formulation. Accordingly, I lowered the beer part and slightly raised the lemon juice and amber rum parts.


Privateer Punch
1 1/2 oz Privateer Amber rum
1 1/2 oz Applejack (or apple brandy)
2 oz black tea (cold)
1 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz demerara sugar syrup
1 tablespoon demerara sugar
peel of 1 lemon

Muddle lemon peel and sugar in a pint glass. Let sit for 30-60 minutes, and then muddle again. Add lemon juice and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the rum, applejack, tea, and syrup and stir again until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove lemon peel or simply strain into a double old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Stir again to chill, and make a toast.

For serving in larger quantities, simply multiply each ingredients based on number of guests.

Episode 33: Stroh

5 Minutes of Rum episode 33: Stroh 80, Frankie’s Tiki Room, Liquid Vacation and the Five-O Fireball.

A Moai that once stood guard outside of the Stardust in Las Vegas. 

Five-0 Fireball

1 oz Lemon Hart 151
1 oz Myers’s Dark rum (Coruba)
1/2 oz Appleton Special Gold rum (Appleton V/X)
3/4 oz Chambord
1/2 oz Cointreau (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/2 oz vanilla syrup
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
Dash of orange bitters (Fee’s)
2 oz club soda
1 oz 7Up (Sprite)
1/2 oz Stroh 80
1 Sugar cube

Soak the sugar cube in the Stroh rum; set aside. Combine all remaining ingredients in a hurricane glass filled with ice. Pour into a cocktail shaker, and back into the hurricane glass without shaking. Pour the Stroh on top of the cocktail, placing the sugar cube on top (use some tongs). Light the sugar cube, admire the flame, and then extinguish the flame by dunking the cube into the cocktail with a spoon. 

Episode 32: Mount Gay Eclipse

5 Minutes of Rum episode 32: Mount Gay Eclipse, vanilla syrup, substitutions, the Nui Nui, and the Coco Nui.

Newest label (as of 2014)

2nd newest label (as of 2014)

Vanilla syrup

Nui Nui

Nui Nui, garnish detail

Coco Nui (trust me, it's in there)

Nui Nui
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz fresh orange juice
1/4 oz cinnamon syrup
1/4 oz Don’s Spices (#2)*
2 oz amber Virgin Islands rum (substitute Mount Gay Eclipse)
1 dash Angostura bitters
4 oz crushed ice

Combine in the mixing cup of a spindle blender, adding the ice last. Blend for 5 seconds and pour into a tall glass. Add more crushed ice to fill. Garnish with a long, spiral-cut orange peel.

*equal parts vanilla syrup and pimento/allspice dram

Coco Nui
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz fresh orange juice
1/4 oz vanilla syrup
1/4 oz pimento dram
2 oz Koloa coconut rum
1 dash chocolate bitters
1/4 oz simple syrup
4 oz crushed ice

Combine in the mixing cup of a spindle blender, adding the ice last. Blend for 5 seconds and pour into a small coconut mug. Add more crushed ice to fill. Garnish with a long, spiral-cut orange peel.