The Blue Hawaiian is akin to the Pina Colada, based on rum and cream of coconut and promising a little taste of tropical paradise. The big difference is the color: as the name suggests, it’s blue. Specifically, it’s the color of a sparkling pool on ... READ MORE]]> The Blue Hawaiian is akin to the Pina Colada, based on rum and cream of coconut and promising a little taste of tropical paradise. The big difference is the color: as the name suggests, it’s blue. Specifically, it’s the color of a sparkling pool on a clear, sunny afternoon.

Unlike unmixed alcoholic drinks, cocktails are about visual appeal as well as taste and kick. Even without a cocktail umbrella and a pineapple-cherry garnish, this cocktail has it all.

Blue Hawaiian

• 1 ounce Blue Curaçao
• 1 ounce white rum
• 3 ounces pineapple juice
• 1 ounce sweetened coconut cream

There are a few options for how you mix this drink. You can shake everything with ice in a shaker, then strain it into the glass. Or you can leave the ice in when you pour it into the glass. You can also put the ingredients and the ice into a blender and make it a blended drink.

Chips

You know what goes surprisingly well with this drink? Salt and Vinegar potato chips. Or Salt and Pepper potato chips. Actually, just about any kind of good kettle chips will give you a nice salty/starchy contrast to this drink, which is somewhat filling on its own, thanks to the coconut cream.

Eggnog has been around for a very long time, in both its alcoholic and non-alcoholic forms. It’s most associated with Christmas, but has traditionally been served throughout the season from Halloween to New Years. It’s very filling and therefore probably best served at parties with ... READ MORE]]> Eggnog has been around for a very long time, in both its alcoholic and non-alcoholic forms. It’s most associated with Christmas, but has traditionally been served throughout the season from Halloween to New Years. It’s very filling and therefore probably best served at parties with munchies rather than along with meals.

It’s an ideal drink for premixing pitchers to keep guests happy all night long. Always make both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pitchers of it, unless you’re absolutely sure all your guests go one way or the other. One final tip about serving eggnog: have another drink entirely on hand. Some people don’t like the taste and others need to avoid the amount of cholesterol this drink gets from the eggs. It is possible to make low-fat and vegan versions of this drink by using low-fat dairy, egg substitute and/or a vegetable milk such as almond.

Traditional Eggnog recipe

This makes a little over two quarts.

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup brandy
• 1/3 cup dark rum(or bourbon)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 2 cups of whipping cream
• 2 cups milk

Refrigerate all the liquids and get them very cold before you make the drink. Beat the eggs at medium speed until they’re very frothy. Gradually add the sugar, vanilla and nutmeg as you continue beating. Now turn the mixer off and stir in the whipping cream, milk, brandy and rum. Chill it until you’re ready to serve. It’s best to keep it chilled at all times. Garnish each individual serving with the nutmeg sprinkled on top and a cinnamon stick.

The non-alcoholic version is exactly the same, except you leave out the alcohols. You can add rum flavoring if you want that taste.

The Hot Buttered Rum is a perfect drink for autumn or winter. It belongs next to a nice fire, or out on the deck on a crisp, clear evening. It would even work around a campfire. Whatever the setting, a Hot Buttered Rum makes you ... READ MORE]]> The Hot Buttered Rum is a perfect drink for autumn or winter. It belongs next to a nice fire, or out on the deck on a crisp, clear evening. It would even work around a campfire. Whatever the setting, a Hot Buttered Rum makes you feel more cozy.

The Hot Buttered Rum

There are several variations on this recipe. The simple version:

• 2 ounces of dark rum
• cinnamon stick
• 1 pat butter
• 1 slice lemon peel
• Boiled water

Put the cinnamon stick, lemon peel and rum in a mug. Fill it with boiling water (leave a spoon in the mug so the glass won’t break from the heat). Float the butter on top, then stir it in. Or serve it with the butter floating and let your guests stir it in with their cinnamon sticks.

Or you can get fancier, in which case you should really just make up a pitcher at a time and save yourself some labor.

• 1 bottle of dark rum
• 1 stick of butter (let it sit out until it’s soft)
• 2 cups of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• a pinch of ground cloves
• a pinch of salt
• boiling water

Put the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt into a bowl. Cream them together with a mixer. Refrigerate until the mixture is almost firm. Spoon two tablespoons of the mixture into each of twelve small mugs. Fill the mugs to the halfway point with the rum (should use about three ounces of rum in each mug), then fill the mug the rest of the way with boiling water. Stir well and serve.

Fruit & Bread

When deciding what to eat with a Hot Buttered Rum, think bread and fruit. Dishes based on either or both of those will go well with the drink. A pancake or waffle breakfast for dinner is wonderful with it. Try apple cinnamon pancakes to shake things up a little. For a snack with your Hot Buttered Rum, try brie puff pastries topped with any kind of fruit preserves or jam you like.

The Hurricane is a very sweet rum-based fruity cocktail that originated in the French Quarter in New Orleans. It’s traditionally served in a  – you guessed it – hurricane glass, but because New Orleans law permits people to leave bars with drinks in hand, New ... READ MORE]]> The Hurricane is a very sweet rum-based fruity cocktail that originated in the French Quarter in New Orleans. It’s traditionally served in a  – you guessed it – hurricane glass, but because New Orleans law permits people to leave bars with drinks in hand, New Orleans bars often serve it in a plastic cup.

The Hurricane

The traditional recipe is very simple:

• One part dark rum
• One part white rum
• passion fruit syrup
• lime juice

Shake with ice, then pour over ice.

Other recipes add an ounce of orange juice or amaretto, or a tablespoon of Grenadine, or even gin or vodka. Unlike, say, a dry gin martini which is considered to be a perfect recipe already, this is one of those cocktails people like to add their own signature twist to. Your perfect Hurricane may differ from someone else’s.

Drinks as sweet and fruity as the Hurricane are best drunk alone or served with traditional bar snacks, like nuts or pretzels. Salty cheeses work, too. Hurricanes also work well as an after-dinner drink served in place of dessert. If you want something more complex, try Wild-Mushroom Nachos without the Roasted Tomato sauce (tomato acid and lime juice can cause instant heartburn).

The official version of a Cuba Libre is just rum and coke with optional lime. But don’t knock simple. Some of the best cocktail recipes only include two or three ingredients. When you find two bold, complementary flavors, why complicate things with a lot of ... READ MORE]]> The official version of a Cuba Libre is just rum and coke with optional lime. But don’t knock simple. Some of the best cocktail recipes only include two or three ingredients. When you find two bold, complementary flavors, why complicate things with a lot of other stuff? Plus, it’s easy for any bartender to make.

Cuba Libre

• 2 ounces of light (white) rum
• The juice of a half-lime (fresh is best)
• Cola (diet works, if you prefer)

Put ice cubes into a highball glass. Pour the lime juice over them. Add the rum, then fill to the top with cola. Stir, garnish with lime wheels or wedges and serve.

Zesty Citrus

The Cuba Libre pairs well with anything that tastes good with cola, which is just about everything. Some of my preferred suggestions include a nicely seasoned lemon chicken with garlic mashed potatoes or spicy shrimp skewers with lime and jerk seasonings. For an appetizer or party snack (this drink is great served by the pitcher), try citrus-ginger crab cakes.

You could think of the Painkiller as a more grown-up version of the Piña Colada. This cocktail recipe uses dark rum instead of light, and adds orange juice and nutmeg in place of the cream, making it a little more tart and sophisticated. But the ... READ MORE]]> You could think of the Painkiller as a more grown-up version of the Piña Colada. This cocktail recipe uses dark rum instead of light, and adds orange juice and nutmeg in place of the cream, making it a little more tart and sophisticated. But the easy-going tropical pineapple and coconut flavors still dominate.

The original recipe was developed by Daphne Henderson, who ran a bar called The Soggy Dollar in the British Virgin Islands. It’s still a secret, but the Pusser Rum company came up with this version, which apparently tastes much like the original.

The Painkiller

• 2 ounces of Pussers Navy (Dark) Rum
• 1 ounce Cream of Coconut
• 1 ounce of orange juice
• 3 ounces of pineapple juice
• Sprinkle of nutmeg

Shake everything but the nutmeg, then strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top. You can tweak the ingredient ratios to your taste.

Go complex

This cocktail goes great with complex flavors. This chicken terriyaki recipe is a bit less sweet than some others, and with the addition of sesame seeds and red pepper flakes, you get a taste that’s delicious but hard to pin down, and a perfect complement to The Painkiller. Another delicious option is Smoked Salmon with 5 Peppercorn Crust. For a snack of finger food to go with your Painkillers, you can’t beat Thai Basil Rolls with Hoisin Peanut Sauce.

The Piña Colada is a summertime classic that deserves more respect than it gets. It may be sweet and it may be palatable to people who don’t drink much or are just starting, but it’s a wonderful treat for seasoned cocktail lovers, too.

The classic recipe ... READ MORE]]> The Piña Colada is a summertime classic that deserves more respect than it gets. It may be sweet and it may be palatable to people who don’t drink much or are just starting, but it’s a wonderful treat for seasoned cocktail lovers, too.

The classic recipe is simply one part white rum, one part coconut cream and three parts pineapple juice, and it’s delicious. But there are some other options.

Piña Colada

• 1 jigger of white rum
• 1 ounce of dark rum
• 1 jigger coconut cream (Coco Lopez is the best choice – whatever you pick, just avoid coconut milk)
• 1 ounce of heavy cream
• 3 ounces of pineapple juice
• 1 dash of Angostura bitters

Put everything in a blender, adding ice if you like, and blend it for about 15 seconds. Pour it into a hurricane glass and garnish with a slice of pineapple and/or maraschino cherry. This is a great drink for parties, especially if you have non-drinkers among your guests – the non-alcoholic piña colada tastes awesome.

Salad!

Honestly, the Piña Colada goes with just about any food. But one really great snack or appetizer to pair with it is fried plantain chips – the recipe I’ve linked here is not at all sweet, and the salty, starchy contrast with the drink is a lot of fun. For a meal choice, dinner salads work well with this somewhat heavy drink. Check out hoisin chicken salad or spinach salad with strawberries.

There are quite a few recipes for the Mai Tai out there. Both “Trader Vic” and “Donn the Beachcomber” claimed to have invented the Mai Tai, but their recipes aren’t really all that similar. When you order a Mai Tai these days, you’ll most likely ... READ MORE]]> There are quite a few recipes for the Mai Tai out there. Both “Trader Vic” and “Donn the Beachcomber” claimed to have invented the Mai Tai, but their recipes aren’t really all that similar. When you order a Mai Tai these days, you’ll most likely get a version with orange or pineapple juice. The original Trader Vic’s Mai Tai used no fruit juice but lime, and the Donn the Beachcomber version used grapefruit juice. Therefore, neither original recipe was as sweet as what you usually get in restaurants today.

Trader Vic’s Mai Tai

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce white rum
• 1 ounce dark rum
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 ounce orgeat (almond) syrup
  1/2 ounce orange curaçao
• mint sprig
• pineapple spear
• cherry
• lime wedge
• crushed ice

Combine the orgeat syrup, orange curaçao, the two rums and the juice from your lime in a shaker. Add a generous scoop of crushed ice. Shake everything vigorously and then pour the mixture into a highball glass. Spear the pineapple, cherry, lime wedge and mint sprig on a toothpick and garnish.

Donn the Beachcomber’s Mai Tai

• 1 jigger dark rum
• 1 ounce white rum
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau
• 3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1 ounce fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1/4 Falernum*
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash Pernod
• 1 cup cracked ice
• Lime slices
• Pineapple spear
• Mint sprig

*Falernum is a complex syrup that’s not always available in stores, and especially not in every country. Fortunately, you can make your own.

Pour all the liquid ingredients into a shaker. Fill it with cracked or crushed ice and shake for thirty seconds. Pour the mixture into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a slice of lime, pineapple, and the mint sprig.

Hawaiian Food!

The Mai Tai was born for Hawaiian food. Try Huli Huli Chicken with its flavors of pineapple, Worcestershire and ginger or Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken alongside Chamorro Red Rice and yams done anyway you like (try this recipe). For a snack, try Spam Gau Gee or  Ahi Poke.

The Long Island Iced Tea is one of the all time greats. It’s a stealth drink, like the Zombie. It goes down so easy, the high alcohol content sneaks up on you. It’s also a great pre-mixer to make in pitchers and serve at parties. ... READ MORE]]> The Long Island Iced Tea is one of the all time greats. It’s a stealth drink, like the Zombie. It goes down so easy, the high alcohol content sneaks up on you. It’s also a great pre-mixer to make in pitchers and serve at parties. Summertime is an ideal time to serve the Long Island Iced Tea, because its taste  is reminiscent of iced tea even though there’s no tea in it at all.

Long Island Iced Tea

• 1 ounce vodka
• 1/2 ounce white rum
• 1/2 ounce white tequila
• 1/2 ounce gin
• 1/2 ounce Triple Sec
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Cola to taste (about 1/2 cup)
• Lemon wedges

Fill a shaker with ice and add the vodka, rum, tequila, gin, Triple Sec, and lemon juice. Shake it vigorously until the shaker gets frosty on the outside. Pour  into a highball glass and top it off with cola. Garnish with lemon wedges or drop some lemon rounds into it, and serve.

Meat & Potatoes

The Long Island Iced Tea basically tastes like iced tea, which is pretty delicious with any meal.  Because this is a strong drink, pair it with solid meals (even a filling sandwich) rather than light salads and snacks. Try these:

• Sunday Dinner: Easy Meatloaf and Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Zucchini
• Savory steak dinner for two
• Texas-Style Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

Ever wondered what happens if you mix loads of rum with several different fruit juices and drink the results? Answer: the fruit masks how much alcohol you’re consuming, and you find yourself in a stupor. The Zombie contains 3.5 times as much alcohol as you ... READ MORE]]> Ever wondered what happens if you mix loads of rum with several different fruit juices and drink the results? Answer: the fruit masks how much alcohol you’re consuming, and you find yourself in a stupor. The Zombie contains 3.5 times as much alcohol as you normally find in a fairly strong cocktail. The restaurateur who invented the drink limited customers to two drinks apiece. You have been warned.

Zombie

• 1 jigger white rum
• 1 jigger dark rum
• 1 jigger golden rum
• 1 jigger apricot brandy
• 1 jigger pineapple juice
• 1 jigger papaya juice
• 3/4 ounce 151-proof rum
• Dash of grenadine

Mix everything except the 151-proof rum in a shaker with ice. Pour the mixture into a tall glass (preferably one of the Tiki dudes pictured here, or some novelty shaped glass – it’s just that kind of drink), then top it off with the higher proof rum. You can light it on fire if you want. Or garnish it with a pieces of fruit speared on a cocktail umbrella.

Say Cheese!

With a sweet, fruity drink, I often recommend savory flavors (check out my pairings with the Singapore Sling and Honalulu Cooler). But there’s another way to go, and it’s particularly well-suited to the Zombie: cheese! Try these recipes:

• Black Bean & Cheese Enchiladas
• Roasted garlic white cheese pizza
• Chips or veggies with buttermilk goat cheese with peppercorn dip