Holiday Rum Punch Recipe

When most people think 'punch,' they think 'fruit,' 'Hawaiian,' or '...and Judy.' Even if they think of an alcoholic punch, they probably think of another drink that's just been spiked. This doesn't have to be the case, though. In fact, punch can be a combination of festive, boozy, and tasty that can take your holiday party to the next level. We've found a great example of a delicious punch recipe over at Esquire, and we recommend you blow your friends away by making it for your holiday party.

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Bambu Rum: Muddle Me

We just learned about Bambu - no, not the rolling papers, it's a white rum that's going to be launching in October. We don't have many details, but we do know about a launch party that's coming up on October 4. If you're planning to be in the NYC area on that particular Thursday (or even if you weren't planning to), you should check 'em out and get a little taste of the goods. Get the full details of the event by clicking the image on the right.

Find some more details at BambuRum.com [as of press time the site's not live, but here's hoping]

267 Infusions Arrive for Review

We've said multiple times that infusions are the next step in the evolution of booze. Don't get us wrong - we like regular flavored liquors, but the idea of having the actual fruit that's affecting the flavor of our drinks gives us that warm, comforted feeling.

We've seen 267 Infusions in the liquor store multiple times, and we've often been just this side of intrigued enough to pick it up. The question of when we'd actually try it has just been answered, however, as a box containing four of their eight flavors (that's 50% of the line for you math wizzes) has just arrived on our doorstep. Expect a full review of the bottles we received (pineapple and mango rum, as well as lemon and cranberry vodka) ASAP.

More at 267.com

Mojito Yeses and Nos

Jeffrey Morganthaler has put together a nice list of things you should and shouldn't do in relation to a Mojito, and he's onto something. Some of them are common sense for ordering them when you're out (don't ask for one when the bar is mobbed) and others will help you make your own (don't muddle the lime with the ice cubes). Check out the full list, and find Jeffrey's preferred recipe, at his site.

Well, it’s mojito season here in the northern hemisphere, which means it’s time for a little lesson for the novice and experienced mojito drinker alike. Follow these helpful hints, dear reader, and you won’t dare go wrong.

Lay 'em on us, Jeffrey

Dog Water Rum and Fruit Juice Review

We got our bottle of Dog Water a few weeks ago, and while it seems like we've been ignoring it, we've actually got a damn good reason for why the review hasn't gone live yet. Seriously. We do.

The big problem is it polarized the interns we assigned to review it. They tried the Dog Water and began fighting like cats and well...dogs. We usually operate on a consensus basis around here, folding all opinions into one review, but we weren't able to get that close with Dog Water. We guess that's a good thing - if you love it, you love it. In honor of this divide, we're posting our first-ever He Said, She Said review so you can make your own decision.

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Maui Rum Review

Maui Rum
Gold, Platinum, and Dark Rum from Hawai'i
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Website

There are some days we wish we lived in Hawai'i. Y'know, hanging out on the beach, maybe some surfing, plenty of tropical drinks. Oddly enough, this is especially true during the winter, where it's been kind of cold and rainy and, well, cold. Luckily, we were able to pipe in a little slice of the tropics over the last few days in the form of Maui Rum. We've been whipping some tropical drinks of our own (with no umbrellas...we've had enough of those this winter).

So how did our three bottles of Maui Rum compare to our hopes?

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Appleton Estate Reserve Rum

We're kind of behind the curve on this one since it was released a couple weeks ago, but we found out there's a new Appleton Reserve rum that's been released. We really liked the Appleton V/X we had a while back, and we're looking forward to getting our hands on the reserve.

Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum announced the launch of Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum in the U.S. Appleton Estate Reserve is a blend of 20 marks of rums hand selected by the industry’s first female master blender, Joy Spence, from the world famous Appleton Estate in Jamaica.

“Appleton Estate Reserve is a great addition to the Appleton Estate range of rums available in the United States,” said Joe Murray, National Brand Manager, Appleton Estate Jamaica Rums. “It has received international acclaim and been celebrated throughout the world, so now it’s time for American consumers to taste this wonderfully handcrafted rum.”

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Maui Rums Arrive for Review

We're big rum fans around here, and we're always excited to try out something new in the Kill Devil family - hell, we're even thinking about taking another stab at our arch rival Screech. We won't have to do that anytime soon, however, thanks to a package containing three bottles of rum shipped all the way here from Hawaii. Introducing Maui Rum, formerly known as Braddah Kimo's, in Gold, Platinum, and Dark varieties.

We're excited to try them out - here's the info we could find at the Maui Rum site:

Braddah Kimo's "triplets" all lined up in a row! They make him proud. Maui Dark Rum, introduced back in 2005, has become one of the best selling Dark rums in Hawai'i, winning critical acclaim along the way. It makes a killer Mai-Tai. - Maui Platinum Rum, successor to Braddah Kimo's Mo'Bettah Silvah Rum, is a smooth mixing rum for any tropical drink recipe. Bring your own umbrella. - Maui Gold Rum, successor to Braddah Kimo's Mo'Bettah Gold Rum, is a smooth sipping rum, but more refined than the original. Aged in American Oak barrels which formerly aged Jim Beam Bourbon.

Who Let the Dog Water Out?

We got an interesting email this week about a drink called Dog Water. Apparently it's a rum-infused liqueur that's created in Harlem, and it's in competition with another drink we've never heard of called a nutcracker. We looked it up at Urban Dictionary and apparently it's a "Summertime alcoholic mixed frozen drink, usually mixed by people at home and sold on the street and by word of mouth. Different flavors include Nutcracker, Finding Nemo, and Spongebob." Damn we feel white and nerdy.

Anyway, we'll be getting in some sample bottles of Dog Water sometime soon, and we'll let you know what this bitch tastes like.

Dog Water™ is a RUM-BASED mixed drink that is FUSED with FRUIT JUICE BLENDS to create a UNIQUELY SMOOTH recreational beverage. From first sip to last drop, Dog Water™ is the preferred choice of the next generation of drinkers. It comes in a variety of flavors with a host of attractive colors, and there is no harsh aftertaste. Divas and Dons alike have rallied to applaud this new drink sensation. EXPERIENCE ONE TODAY…Dog Water™ mixed drinks… a breed apart and grown enough to bark about it.

Cachaca Dave Hits the Big Time

For a while there, we were starting to think we got our wires crossed on the whole Cachaca thing. We'd been reading and hearing all sorts good things about Leblon, but when we finally got a chance to review their Cachaca, it kind of left us cold. Don't get us wrong, it wasn't horrible, but after the glowing reviews we wanted more.

Maybe the reason we were so unfazed by the whole Leblon thing was the fact that we'd tried Fazenda Mae de Ouro cachaca before we had our first sip of Leblon. When we compared them we thought it had a cleaner taste, less bitterness, and an overall better Caipirinha experience. So we wondered why weren't they getting similar props to Leblon? Then we remembered that one brand has a multi-million dollar budget behind it, and the other doesn't have much more than the passion and dedication of its importer.

Dave Catania, aka Cachaca Dave, from Fazenda Mae de Ouro is the hardest working man in show business (OK, cachaca business), and it's nice to see him get some recognition like the blurb from Food and Wine magazine that names him a "Tastemaker" of 2006. Check out the snippet - Dave's the third one down - and learn more about the drink that's going to make him the Sydney Frank of Cachaca at Caipirinha.us.

Leblon Cachaca Arrives for Review

We've been drinking so much Cachaca lately we're thinking we might turn Brazilian. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if we woke up one morning speaking Portuguese with that extra-shorn feeling in our bathing suit area, but that's beside the point. We've heard some pretty good things about Leblon Cachaca, but we haven't tried it yet. Luckily, we just got our hands on a cute little bottle of the stuff and we'll be reviewing it as soon as we can.

See below for some quick info from LiveLoveLeblon.com:

Made in Brazil from the first pressing of fresh sugar cane for a lively fruity nose. Then lightly aged in cognac casks in France for an ultra smooth taste.

Leblon Cachaca is the perfect mixer for any cocktail, from the Caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil, to twists on classics like the margarita or cosmopolitan.

Mojito: Embrace Your Inner Cuban

We're calling it. 2006 is the summer of the Mojito. We can't seem to get away from them. Don't get us wrong - we like any drink that combines rum and lime juice, and when you throw mint in there you can't go wrong.

So, we're finally giving up and getting on the Mojito Boat, and what do we find out? After all, even though it's trendy now, this isn't some drink made up by Madison Avenue fatcats to up advertising revenue. It's a distinguished and delicious cocktail with a rich and long history, and rumor has it the Mojito was Papa Hemingway's favorite libation.

Lo and behold, just as we're celebrating our new embrace of an old drink, we get an email from Thrillist offering Mojito recipes and a chance to win a trip to Miami from Bacardi. What're the odds? Read on to find out more.

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Woman Sues Bacardi Over Rum Burn

So we keep seeing stories about this woman who's suing Bacardi over a burn she received when a fellow bar patron lit on fire a stream of 151 Rum being mixed into a drink by a bartender. Now, don't think we're heartless bastards for saying this (though we are), but we think there's something fishy about the whole thing. Yeah, we feel bad she got burned and all but is it really Bacardi's fault? If it happened in 2002 why is the suit just coming around now? And shouldn't the lighter of the rum be sued instead of the producer of the rum? What do you think - does the fact that Bacardi is the number one-selling spirit in the US have something to do with the target on their back?

A bartender, who was not identified in the lawsuit, was pouring shots when a customer lit a menu on fire and placed it in the stream of alcohol. A bottle of Bacardi 151 that was being used to pour the shots turned into a flame thrower and sent flaming rum all over Alleyne, the lawsuit said.

A telephone message left after hours at the office of Robert Dickman, Alleyne's attorney, was not immediately returned.

The lawsuit alleges that Bacardi 151 proof rum "emits a high volume of combustible and explosive vapor" which makes it "unreasonably dangerous" and defective.

Jack Tar Dark Rum Review

Jack Tar
Blended Dark Rum
Imported from Jamaica via South Africa
86 Proof (43% ABV)

We were inclined to lay off rum for a little while, especially after our Screech Rum experience, but all of the to-do about Cachaca lately has warmed up our taste buds for South American liquor. With summer coming, it's time to start thinking about frozen drinks, and rum is the building block of quite a few, including our personal favorite, the daiquiri.

We're big fans of all rums and dark rum in particular (love them Dark and Stormies), but how does Mr. Jack Tar line up against other dark rums like Gosling, Black Seal and Myers? Read on to find out.

The Color: Dark...Rum
Living up to its name, Jack Tar has a dark, molasses brown tint, reminiscent of Bourbons and other dark spirits.

The Nose: Molasses and More
The first whiff was smelled like sugar cane and brown sugar, with a slight smell of molasses. It smelled rich and complex and fruity, and didn't have too much of the alcoholic burn we associate with some lower-end rums.

The Taste: Robust
We swished it around in our mouths, and the first thought was that it was dryer than we expected. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and nowhere near as oily as we would have thought from the smell. Drunk straight, it left our tongue feeling dry and tingly, and it wasn't overwhelmingly "boozy."

The Recipes: Daiquiris Go!
We love daiquiris, and before you make fun of us, we're not talking about the strawberry-flavored ones your mom orders when you're at Applebee's. The original daiquiri was made with a shot of rum, a shot of lime juice (fresh, of course) and some simple syrup or superfine sugar, shaken over ice. They're usually made with light rum, but we mixed ours up with Jack Tar and loved the taste - we can't wait for summer.

We also liked Jack Tar on the rocks, with cola, and in Dark and Stormies (mixed with ginger ale). It made for a supremely good mixer, and we've found that rum, even dark rum, is a liquor just about everyone can agree one when you're milling around the liquor store trying to decide what to buy.

The Verdict: Thumbs Up!
We remember reading somewhere that the British Navy used to "impress" their new recruits - they'd get people drunk on rum, and throw them on ships while they were passed out. We were impressed with Jack Tar, and if left to our own devices with enough bottles of this stuff lying around, we can see how we might suffer the same fate. We wouldn't mind as long as they kept the dark rum coming.

The Site: Thar She Blows!
Learn more about Jack Tar at the Berniko site.