Rum is a spirit that is Passover-friendly, so we can sample rums & make a couple of simple rum cocktails…a Daiquiri & a Grog. No beach required!
Flourless Chocolate Walnut cookies are one solution to the challenge we bakers face when trying to work within the rules for Passover, i.e. not using barley, oats, rye, spelt, or wheat as ingredients. Those same ingredients feature prominently for whisky and bourbon expressions. So what’s a trying-to-follow-Passover-blogger do?
How about review something 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 reviewed Bully Boy rum, so now we'll compare two types of rum I had in my kitchen…Bacardi Superior white rum and Brugal Añejo Superior dark rum.
Then, just for grins & giggles, I'll make simple rum cocktails from them and review those as well. Good times!
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Bacardi and Brugal Rums
At home, April 22, 2019
Bacardi Superior
Tasting Notes
- Nose: light white sugar, light citrus, hint of almond
- Taste: sweet white pepper, hint of almondin the middle, light vanilla
- Finish: alcohol warmth lingers with white sugar and a touch of almonds
- Comments: great as a mixer; alone, flavors are muted
Brugal Añejo Superior
Tasting Notes
- Nose: dark brown sugar, oak, hint of lemon, light caramel
- Taste: strong sugar cane taste (unrefined sugar syrufollowed by dark woody notes, like chewing on a piece of sugar cane, light body
- Finish: cane notes linger along with a hint of baking spices
- Comments: I didn’t know what to expect, so the contrast between the dark sugar cane influence and a woody darkness is striking
Using rum in cocktails
The tasting notes above were a good start, but most of the time rum is used as a mixer rather than had straight.
In looking for recipes for simple rum cocktails, I came across Supercall.com’s 8 Easiest Rum Drinks. Two looked especially enticing to me, a classic Daiquiri, and Grog (say it with me now in your best pirate voice, “Arrrgh!”).
Both these cocktails used the same three ingredients, rum, lime juice, and simple syrup, so comparing the differences between the Bacardi white rum and the Brugal dark rum would be easier.
Make a simple syrup
Both the Daiquiri and Grog recipes used Demerara Syrup, made with brown demerara sugar instead of standard simple syrup. It's an easy replacement, as simple syrup is just equal parts water and granulated sugar.
The benefit of using demerara syrup was that it brings an undertone of molasses to the syrup, allowing it to really enhance the rum flavors in the cocktails.
Demerara sugar is similar to turbinado sugar (or coarse sugar) like Sugar in the Raw. Since that's what I had on hand, I made that substitution.
Turbinado Syrup
Special Equipment
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- ½ cup turbinado sugar, like Sugar in the Raw, see Recipe Notes (3-3/4 oz, 107g)
- ½ cup water
Procedure
- Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Immediately take the saucepan off the heat.
- Let cool, then pour into a container (something clear to show off your nice golden syrup) and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Recipe Notes
Make a Daiquiri & Grog rum cocktails
The method for both a Daiquiri and Grog are very simple...put all the ingredients in a shaker and...well...shake, shake, shake!
Daiquiri
Special Equipment
- martini shaker
Ingredients
- 2 oz white rum, like Bacardi white rum (4 Tbsp, 60ml)
- ¾ oz turbinado syrup, (1-1/2 Tbsp, 22ml)
- ¾ oz lime juice, (1-1/2 Tbsp, 22ml)
Procedure
- Add all ingredients to a martini shaker filled with ice, shake 20-30 seconds.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer (to remove any ice particles) into a chilled lowball glass.
Recipe Notes
Grog
Special Equipment
- martini shaker
Ingredients
- 2 oz dark rum, like Brugal Añejo (4 Tbsp, 60ml)
- ¾ oz lime juice, (1-1/2 Tbsp, 22ml)
- ½ oz turbinado syrup, (1 Tbsp, 15ml)
- 1 oz water, (2 Tbsp, 30ml)
Procedure
- Add all ingredients to a martini shaker filled with ice and shake 20-30 seconds.
- Pour into a lowball glass and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
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. Passover is almost over.
Arrrgh!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
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