‘Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!’

Since it’s Rum Month it’s time to talk a little about rum! It is difficult to fully appreciate the depth and complexity of this fine beverage. It is so commonplace these days in our bars and homes that we forget that growing up we held it entirely as the preserve of pirates and scallywags plundering the high seas. Indeed that was the case that rum was the most popular drink of sea-faring folk. Rum originated it the Caribbean and South America and still today it remains the largest rum producing region in the world. It makes sense that since merchant fleets and pirates spent most of their time in these areas that they would adopt rum as their drink of choice.

But is the rum that these old sea dogs used to drink really the same as what we enjoy on our nights out? It is quite difficult to picture Blackbeard sitting back and enjoying a Bacardi on his day off, with maybe even a cocktail umbrella in his glass as he suns himself on deck on his tropical cruise ship!

That’s just how versatile rum is. There’s white rum, dark rum, gold rum, spiced rum and many more varieties with literally hundreds available to satisfy individual tastes. So while our pirate friends may not have enjoyed the crisp pure rums we fancy today, they would have certainly indulged in more crude varieties which most certainly would not have gone down so easy.

You really do have to pity the poor sods who didn’t have the same beautiful cocktail recipes we have available today. They really would have been able to enjoy rum in its finest form, mixed with delicious fresh fruit, served in stylish glassware and chilled ice cold.

But you never know, with all the limes in the area some unknown sailor may have felt adventurous and unknowingly treated himself to the first Mojito!

This Rum Month make yourself up some of these fantastic recipes:

Mojito:

50ml White Rum

25ml Lime juice

15ml Sugar Syrup

5-8 Mint Leaves

Soda Water

(or alternatively use a Funkin Mojito Mixer)

Glass: Collins

Garnish: Mint sprig

If you don’t have lime juice or sugar syrup you can simply muddle together brown sugar and fresh limes in the glass. So do this and add in the mint leaves and mix them all together being sure to break the mint to release its flavour. Then add ice and pour in the rum. Top off with soda water and add a mint sprig to garnish.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp77SIZOllc

Mary Pickford:

50ml White Rum

25ml Pineapple juice

10ml Grenadine

Glass: Martini

Garnish: None

Fill a martini glass with ice and water to chill. Add the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly for 30 seconds. Throw out the ice and water in the chilled Martini glass and double strain the mix from the shaker.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-my8LDG80A

Pina Colada:

50ml White Rum

1 x Funkin Pina Colada Mix

Glass: Hurricane

Garnish: Pineapple wedge

Add the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly for 30 seconds. Fill the hurricane glass with ice and add in the mix from the shaker. Add a pineapple wedge for garnish and serve!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjFZ5c7YgxA