Like any good booze-related holiday, National Rum Day’s history is soaked in speculation, spotty claims and exaggeration.  So rather than dig up the past, let’s enjoy the present, which, per the holiday’s decree, should find you sucking down your third Hemingway Daiquiri, mojito or El Presidente.

If cocktails are too complicated at this point, sipping rum is always a fine way to go.  Zaya Gran Reserva is a good one, offering plenty of vanilla, caramel and honeyed fruit.  Don Q Gran Anejo and Hawaii’s new Kōloa Rum will also do the trick.

Whatever your preference, indulge in some rum.  But reserve at least some liver function for National Whiskey Sour Day, which is just around the corner.

Back in March, Kōloa won two silvers (for dark and gold) and a bronze award (for white) at the Polished Palate Rum Festival in Ybor City, Florida. Then, in May, Kōloa scored a gold medal for its dark rum at the Rum Renaissance Festival in Miami.  Needless to say, my interest was piqued.

Kōloa Dark Rum is a deep mahogany, and on the nose it gives a bouquet of molasses, vanilla and cola.  Tasted neat, molasses, vanilla and some toffee are present, plus a hint of spice.  It finishes warm and sweet, and overall very smooth, especially impressive for a rum that’s seemingly quite young (there’s no age statement to confirm the exact age).

Mixed into an añejo daiquiri and mai tai, Kōloa worked pretty well. In the daiquiri I adjusted the spirit to lime to sugar proportions to account for Kōloa’s relatively sweet taste.  The result was serviceable, but Kōloa seemed a bit out of place in the daiquiri. It fared better in the mai tai, but generally, I preferred sipping it straight.

All in all, a pretty good rum.  It’s very smooth and easy to sip straight, but powerful enough to stand up in most cocktails. As of now, Kōloa is only available in Hawaii and California, but look for distribution to continue heading eastward.

Stats:
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $33

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New York mixologist Brian Miller created the Seersucker cocktail by starting with Flor de Cana rum.  He added cinnamon bark syrup, muddled strawberry and lemon juice to complete the drink.  Served over crushed ice, it’s a nice way to stay cool during the summer months, especially if pin stripes aren’t your thing.

The Seersucker

2 oz. Flor de Caña white rum
1/2 oz. cinnamon bark syrup
1 oz. lemon juice
1 1/2 strawberries

Muddle one strawberry, then shake all ingredients with ice, and strain into a pilsner glass with crushed ice. Garnish with ½ strawberry.

Drinkers often compare Zaya Gran Reserva to Ron Zacapa 23 (Zaya was formerly distilled in Guatemala by the same company that produces Ron Zacapa), which is a compliment to Zaya, as Zacapa is a great sipping rum.  While both good, they have some noticeable differences.  Zaya has more pronounced vanilla and caramel notes and has a spicier finish, while Zacapa 23 is a bit sweeter and has some floral notes. They’re both very good, but different.  Now onto the details:

In the glass, Zaya Gran Reserva has a deep mahogany hue with touches of gold.  On the nose you’ll find deep vanilla and caramel, plus sweet brown sugar and some molasses.  Sniff closely and you might pick up hints of cocoa.

The first taste is sweet vanilla and caramel, with some honey, and you’re reminded that Zaya, like many aged rums, spent time in bourbon casks.  There are some light flavors of fruit behind the pervasive vanilla.  On the palate it’s full-bodied and velvety.  The rum coats your tongue, doesn’t burn at all and finishes smoothly.

While perfectly competent as a sipping rum, and marketed as such, Zaya Gran Reserva can hold its own in a cocktail, especially those calling for an aged rum.  Aged rums can also work well in traditional whiskey drinks, like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan, if you’re so inclined.

Zaya Manhattan

1 1/2 oz Zaya Gran Reserva Rum
1/2 oz Carpano Antica
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass.

Final Thoughts

Zaya Gran Reserva is a fine rum.  It’s very sweet, with intense vanilla and caramel flavors, but I still enjoy it on its own in a snifter.  Regardless of your usage preferences, for the modest price of about $30, it’s a great addition to your booze collection.

Stats:
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $30

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Premium Awards

Distillery of the Year – Glenmorangie Distillery
Importer of the Year – Moët Hennessy USA
Best in Show, White – Trago Silver Tequila ($40)
Best in Show, Whisky – Isle of Jura Prophecy ($70)
Best in Show, Brandy – Père Magloire 20 Year Old Calvados ($100)
Best in Show, Liqueur – Grand Marnier 100th Anniversary ($135)

“Best of” Awards

Vodka – Chase ($40)
Flavored Vodka – Rain Organics Cucumber Lime ($21)
Gin – Beefeater 24 ($30)
Rum – Vizcaya VXOP Solera  ($38)
Extra-Aged Rum – Pusser’s 15 Year Old ($55)
Cachaça – Leblon ($30)
Reposado Tequila – Trago Reposado ($45)
Añejo Tequila – El Jimador Añejo ($30) and Mujer Bonita Añejo ($25) – TIE
Mescal – El Zacatecano Añejo Mescal ($42)
Bourbon – Elijah Craig Single Barrel ($40)
Canadian Whiskey – Seagrams VO ($23)
Irish Whiskey – Bushmills 1608 ($100)
Blended Scotch – The Grand Bark Equinoxe ($55)
Single Malt Scotch – Ardbed Single Malt ($85)
Armagnac – Comte de Lauvia 21 Year Old ($35)
Pisco – Pisco O Torontel ($35)
Cream Liqueur – Godiva White Chocolate ($30)

More info here – www.sfspiritscomp.com

Despite the name, the Naked Lady cocktail is actually quite sophisticated, and an inexpensive Valentine’s date.  It’s  an aperitif with elements of the aromatic (vermouth), the sweet (grenadine, apricot brandy) and the sour (lemon juice).  The result is a well-balanced cocktail with a name that’s sure to up your street cred, like when you tell your friends about your evening at home with five, maybe six naked ladies.

Ingredients:

1 2/5 parts Bacardi Superior Rum
1 2/5 parts Noilly Prat Rouge Vermouth
1/5 part Apricot brandy
1/5 part Pomegranate Grenadine
1/5 part Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon zest

Shake all ingredients until very cold, and double strain that baby into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with the lemon zest.

With Thanksgiving nearly upon us and a slew of other holidays on the horizon, it’s time to pull out cocktails that you don’t make any other time of the year.  Drinks with ingredients like pumpkin puree and vanilla liqueur are acceptable and downright tasty during the judgment-free holidays, when festiveness trumps sensibility.

The below cocktail recipes utilize some seasonal flavors as families everywhere gear up for the holidays with a drink in hand.

Pumpkin Egg Nog

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces Appleton Estate Reserve Rum
1/2 ounce Navan vanilla liqueur
1 ounce egg nog
1 ounce pumpkin purée
4 dashes Angostura bitters
1 bar spoon real maple syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Optionally, add a topper of whipped cream.

Apple Pie Cocktail

Ingredients:

1 ounce white rum
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1 teaspoon Applejack brandy
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grenadine

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Maple Leaf

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce real maple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

Shake all ingredients with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass.

Apple Pie Martini

Ingredients:

2 ounces apple cider
1.5 ounces Navan vanilla liqueur
1 ounce vodka
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 pinch cinnamon

Shake all ingredients with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

The Black, White and Gold Bowmore whiskies were aged below sea level at Bowmore’s Islay distillery for 42, 43 and 44 years, respectively. For their trouble, the trio of bottles is predicted to sell for up to $24,000.

Other highlights include a 100 year old armagnac from Baron de Sigognac, estimated at up to $3,000, and a ceramic demijohn of British Imperial Rum sourced from the last remaining stores of the Royal Navy, estimated to go for $4,500 – $6,000.

Opportunities to procure such fine spirits are scarce, so isn’t it time to cash in your kid’s college fund and invest in your future.

[via Duncan Quinn]

The below recipes come from your friend and mine, Dr. Cocktail, and his book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.  This booze bible lists two recipes for the Fogcutter, with the earlier version of the two going something like this:

Ingredients:

1/2 ounce orgeat
2 ounces Bacardi Gold Rum
1 ounce Pisco Brandy
1/2 ounce Plymouth Gin
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce cream sherry

Shake all ingredients except sherry with ice and pour into a chimney glass.  Float the sherry on top.

Another version of the Fogcutter, found below, is the preferred recipe of famed bartender Tony Ramos, an original bartender at Don the Beachcomber.

Ingredients:

1 ounce white rum
1/2 ounce gin
1/2 ounce brandy
1/2 ounce sweet and sour mix
2 dashes simple syrup

Combine all ingredients with ice and blend.  Pour into a goblet and float some cherry-flavored brandy on top.

You might notice the ample amount of booze packed into this drink.  To quote Trader Vic himself: “Fog Cutter, hell. After two of these, you won’t even see the stuff.”

The Sidecar uses cognac as its base spirit, while the Cable Car opts for spiced rum, namely, Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum.  The Sidecar also calls for Cointreau, and the Cable Car calls for orange Curacao.  I’ve crafted this drink with both orange liqueurs, and was pleased with the results of each, but in general I stick with Tony’s original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
3/4 ounce orange Curacao
1 1/2 ounces fresh lemon sour (to create lemon sour, mix two parts fresh lemon juice with one part simple syrup)

Directions:

Shake all ingredients with ice, and strain into a cinnamon sugar rimmed cocktail glass.  Garnish with an orange spiral.