Bonus Post - Rum Sixty Six Cocktails

While researching Monday's post about the excellent Rum Sixty Six, I came across a number of suggested cocktail recipes on their website. Now, in the interests of science I decided to try a few of them that were achievable without too much extra investment in ingredients and lined up with my own taste in cocktails.

Midnight Rum

Rum, bitters, sugar n apple

A variant on the classic old-fashioned this swaps out the standard Angostura bitters for the vivid red of Peychaud’s, which are more classically associated with the glorious Sazerac and adds in a dash of apple juice.

I was intrigued, if a little skeptical about the apple juice. The recipe is simple:

• 60 ml Rum Sixty Six
• 15ml apple juice
• 10ml sugar syrup
• 2 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
• Lots of ice and stirring

As it’s January and a distance to payday I made my own syrup and there’s no reason you shouldn’t do the same, just add 2 parts sugar to 1 part water and heat gently until it’s dissolved then leave aside to cool.

For experimental purposes I made two syrups, one with caster sugar and one with Demerara and tried the recipe with both.  The two cocktails were both delicious but markedly different.  Demerara syrup made the drink heavier with a more burnt edge to it and really highlighted the rum while the standard syrup made for a fresher, lighter drink.  The Demerara variant was more of a winter’s evening drink for in front of an open fire with a good book or an obscure subtitled French cop show while the white sugar was more of a summery, barbecue drink

Holetown Daiquiri

Just four ingredients

This uses Falernum, a Bajan rum-based liqueur containing almond, cloves and lime. Now, as a daiquiri fan I like a strong, sour hit of citrus as typified by the delicious Difford's number 1 so this using lemon instead of lime made me curious.  Another simple recipe here:

• 50ml Rum Sixty Six
• 20ml lemon juice
• 10ml sugar syrup
• 10ml Falernum
• Add ice, shake and strain

While this doesn't have the upfront hit of citrus that I usually look for in my daiquiris it is very well-balanced and the Falernum adds a nice spiciness that contrasts with the sweetness to make for a drink that slips down very easily indeed. I’ll add the cautionary note that the Demerara syrup mentioned above really didn't work with this at all.

Quite often the suggested serves for a spirit are either uninteresting or so complex you'd never bother making them, these cocktails, and the others suggested are straightforward, only needing one "special" ingredient in addition to the rum itself. I can safely say both of these will be