Rum Tasting + Daiquiri & Grog Recipes

Rum is nice to sip or mix into Daiquiri and Grog cocktails. It's Passover friendly, being grain-free. Make a cocktail using white or dark rum today!

Why these recipes work

• Rum cocktails are simple to make with just a few ingredients
• Use different types of rums (light vs. dark) to change the flavors of the cocktail
• Make a Coarse Sugar Simple Syrup to enhance the molasses flavor of the rum in the cocktails

The Jewish holiday of Passover challenges the creativity of many a baker.

During Passover, observant Jews will eat an unleavened bread called matzo (literally, the "Bread of Affliction"), a bland cracker-like flatbread.

Flourless Chocolate Walnut cookies are one solution to the challenge, i.e. not using barley, oats, rye, spelt, or wheat as ingredients. Those same grains feature prominently for whisky and bourbon expressions. So what's a trying-to-follow-Passover-whisky-reviewer to do?

How about review a spirit that does fall under the ok-for-Passover umbrella…rum! A product of sugar cane (and a cousin to molasses), rum is a spirit that's fine for the holiday.

I've reviewed Bully Boy rum, so now we'll compare two rum expressions…Bacardi Superior white rum and Brugal Añejo Superior dark rum.

Then, just for grins and giggles, I'll make simple rum cocktails from them and review those as well. Good times!

Simple rum cocktails

The tasting notes above are a good start, but most of the time rum is used as a mixer rather than straight (like in this Hawaiian Mai Tai recipe). For simple rum cocktails, you can make the classic Daiquiri or Grog. (Say it with me now in your best pirate voice, "Arrrgh!")

Recipe ingredients

Both Daiquiri and Grog cocktails use the same three ingredients: rum, lime juice, and simple syrup.

Ingredient Notes

Rum: We'll be comparing the differences between the Bacardi white rum and the Brugal dark rum for these two cocktails

Lime juice: Fresh lime juice is always best, but you can alway use bottled if that's what you have on hand.

Coarse sugar simple syrup: You can always make normal simple syrup - just equal parts granulated sugar and water, by weight. But to give these cocktails more flavor, we're going to make simple syrup using coarse sugar (aka turbinado sugar or raw sugar). It has a coarse grain texture, golden brown color, and subtle molasses flavor. You can substitute demarara sugar (similar to turbinado but with a more pronounced molasses flavor) or brown sugar for the coarse sugar in the syrup.

The benefit of using a raw sugar syrup is that it brings an undertone of molasses to the syrup, allowing it to really enhance the rum flavors in the cocktails.

By the way, a 1 : 1 recipe ratio of equal parts water and sugar is standard for simple syrups, but it's not set in stone. Like with chocolate ganache, you can alter the ratio to make it heavier (more sugar) or lighter (more water) as required by a recipe or for personal taste.

How to make a Daiquiri cocktail

Now that we have our coarse sugar simple syrup, let's make a Daiquiri and a Grog.

The method for both a Daiquiri and Grog are very simple. Put all the ingredients in a shaker and...well...shake, shake, shake!

We'll make the Daiquiri cocktail recipe first.

Recipe

Daiquiri

Tammy Spencer

A light, sweet drink that shows off it's rum flavor balance with a hint of lime, a Daiquiri is a tropical classic! Mix in simple syrup made with coarse sugar (aka turbinado sugar or raw sugar) to accentuate the rum's molasses flavor.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 3 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine Caribbean

Servings 1 drink

Calories 186 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  cocktail shaker
• ▢
  fine mesh strainer

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

½x1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 ounces white rum, like Bacardi white rum
• ▢ ¾ ounce coarse sugar simple syrup
• ▢ ¾ ounce lime juice

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Add 2 ounces white rum, ¾ ounce coarse sugar simple syrup, and ¾ ounce lime juice to a martini shaker filled with ice, shake 20 to 30 seconds.
• ▢
  Strain through a fine mesh strainer (to remove any ice particles) into a chilled lowball glass.
• ▢
  Serve garnished with a slice of lime. Enjoy!

Notes

For a slightly less sweet, more citrus forward drink, use just ½ ounce of the syrup.

For a Strawberry Daiquiri, muddle fresh strawberries in your shaker tin (prior to shaking) or cut the syrup ratio to half an ounce and add half an ounce of Massenez Wild Strawberry Liqueur.

Your Notes

Click here to add your own private notes

Nutrition

Serving: 1 drinkCalories: 186 kcalCarbohydrates: 14 gProtein: 1 gFat: 1 gSodium: 3 mgSugar: 12 gVitamin C: 6 mgCalcium: 2 mgIron: 2 mg

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How to make a Grog cocktail

Making Grog is similar to the Daiquiri, except with less simple syrup and the addition of water.

Recipe

Grog

Tammy Spencer

A darkly sweet rum drink that calls to mind sailors and pirates, it's flavorful and fun. Mix in simple syrup made with coarse sugar (aka turbinado sugar or raw sugar) to accentuate the rum's molasses flavor. Arrrgh!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time 3 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine British

Servings 1 drink

Calories 161 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  cocktail shaker

Display ModePrevent your screen from going dark while cooking

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

½x1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 ounces dark rum, like Brugal Añejo
• ▢ ¾ ounce lime juice
• ▢ ½ ounce coarse sugar simple syrup
• ▢ 1 ounce water

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Add 2 ounces dark rum, ¾ ounce lime juice, ½ ounce coarse sugar simple syrup, and 1 ounce water to a martini shaker filled with ice and shake 20 to 30 seconds.
• ▢
  Pour into a lowball glass and enjoy. Yo-ho-ho!

Notes

Grog can also be served with hot water, sans ice. You can even use a tiki-mug if you're feeling adventerous!

Your Notes

Click here to add your own private notes

Nutrition

Serving: 1 glassCalories: 161 kcalCarbohydrates: 8 gProtein: 1 gFat: 1 gSodium: 3 mgSugar: 6 gVitamin C: 6 mgCalcium: 1 mgIron: 1 mg

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Tasting comparison between the Daiquiri and Grog

I thought I'd like the Brugal and Grog over the Bacardi and Daiquiri (given it's aged, like scotch), so I was surprised that the Daiquiri won out for me. I really enjoyed the clean crispness of the Daiquiri and the clean rum flavor this time.

That's not to say that if a tiki-mug filled with Grog were handed to me that I'd turn it away, not by a long shot.

Both of these simple rum cocktails would be lovely to sip on a summer evening...on a beach…with swaying palms…sorry, got carried away for a moment. Or serve them with Air Fryer Huli Huli Chicken and white rice for a lovely Hawaiian-themed dinner.

Arrrgh!