Rum cocktails

[ratcheer]

I had a wonderful drink at Commander's Palace in New Orleans, yesterday. I do not know the proportions, but I do remember the ingredients the menu stated it contained:

Crescent City Cooler

• Cruzan rum infused with guava
• Peychaud's bitters
• Lime juice
• Ginger ale

I don not know if the guava infused rum is a ready made product or if they made it, themselves.

Tim

[Rughi]

Holy Cow!
I didn't list the lime! It's key to the drink.
I've been squeezing a full tiny round lime per drink, which is probably about the same as 1/2 a standard lime.

Funny that this thread was pulled out of its slumber yesterday, as just Friday night I was goofing around with some rum.

I was working on versions of a Rickey (spirit, lime, sugar). It seems many famous rum drinks are slight manipulations of a Rickey, usually with the addition of a fruit juice or maybe a liqueur. In fact, Tim's recipe of the Hemingway Daiquiri is really just a famous name on a Rum Rickey.

I had both Myer's Dark and a generic amber rum on hand. I found I like dark rum tempered with some of the amber in this drink (as most rum cocktails choose to do). To play up the molasses angle, I used 1/2 of the sweetener as brown sugar and 1/2 white sugar. Here was the mix I preferred:

3/4 ounce Myer's Dark Rum
3/4 ounce amber Rum
2/3 tsp brown sugar
2/3 tsp white sugar
splash of water
cherry to garnish

As is my custom, I shook the bejeezus out of the mixture in a shaker to chill and froth the drink.

This base seemed to substitute the water with a splash of pretty much any fruit juice well. I tried and liked it with orange, lemon and peach. Adding coconut and/or pineapple juices pretty much would land you on famous tiki drinks.

Roger

[texascarl]

I forgot to mention - in my rum punch recipe, add a bottle of sparkling wine. I use Cava or WA state Chateau Ste. Michelle blanc de blancs because I usually have those on hand.

Tim, the cooler sounds good, I'll have to get some mangos. Everytime I go to Commander's I make a point of trying something new, but I always have a Ramos Gin Fizz there. Plus turtle soup and the bread pudding souffle.

[ratcheer]

Carl, it wasn't mango, it was guava. But I understand, I always confuse those two, too.

Tim

[texascarl]

Uh oh. I know where to buy a mango. Guava's = mystery.

[Jono]

While in Jamaica this past week I had ample opportunity to try various tropical delights....some favorites...Dirty Banana, Tropical Breeze, Jamaican Delight, Hummingbird....of course Red Stripe lager....

It was hard to see all the bottles poured in the drinks...but here is recipe from a Jamaican Cocktails sheet at the Duty Free shop that appears close:

Dirty Banana

1 oz Banana Cream
1 oz Coffee Cream...(or Bailey's)
1 oz Appleton Rum....(or whatever Rum you prefer)
> the bartenders added clear syrup too <
ice...another recipe uses 2 scoops ice cream.

Blend and shake
________________
Hummingbird

2 oz Appleton Rum...
1/2 oz Tia Maria
1 oz Banana Cream
2 oz Pineapple Juice

[Jono]

Also...I came across this:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/522380

The Original Trader Vic's Mai Tai

Juice of a large lime
2 ounces Appleton Estate Extra (the rum you have)
1/2 ounce orgeat syrup
1/4 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce orange curaçao

"Shake like the dickens with plenty of crushed ice, and pour into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a spent lime shell and sprig of mint. I find it to be a well balanced drink, but if you find it too sweet then ditch the rock candy syrup, and maybe 1/4 ounce of the orange curaçao."

[TomH]

Jono,

It is my experience from drinking dirty bananas and hummingbirds over several years in Jamaica there is no standard recipe (even the same bartender will sometimes vary (either because of available ingredients or personal whim - after all this is Jamaica - no problem mon). I will say that it has been our experience that these drinks should be made with a real banana rather than flavored with banana infused rum creme or banana liquers. Here is a basic recipe with some variations that we use:

Dirty Banana

1 medium banana
1 1/2 - 2 oz. Rum Cream (Bailey's Creme with a splash of rum can be used if not available)
1-1 1/2 oz. Tia Maria (or Kaluha)
(Note - I never really measure these, just pour to get the taste I like)
Simple syrup or table sugar to taste
milk or cream
add ice & blend

Hummingbird (My personal favorite alcohol based milkshake)

1 medium banana
1 oz.Tia Maria (Kaluha can be substitued)
1 oz. rum cream (Bailey's Creme with a splash of rum can be used if not available)
1 oz rum (Appleton's preferred) (some bartenders use vodka instead or in addition - some leave out the extra rum or vodka)
(Again, I don't measure these - just pour until I think it's right - sometimes adjust after blending)
strawberry syrup (We frequently use fresh strawberries if in season - if they aren't super sweet I will use a little sugar too)
milk or cream
add ice & blend

[Jono]

Yes...they did add real banana to the blender...my ommission.