August is National Rum Month and National Rum Day is celebrated on August 16. In honor of this aged spirit, here are six rum-infused cocktail recipes from resort and hotel bars to commemorate the holiday:
Moon Club Mojito: Moon Club – Atlantis, Paradise Island
Bahamas vacation mecca Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island just opened the Moon Club in July 2013 — the resort’s newest bar just off the casino, which is the largest in the Bahamas. Moon Club serves up killer rum cocktails, including the signature “Moon Club Mojito” with Bacardi Black Razz, raspberries, mint leaves, fresh lime juice, club soda and sugar topped with mint caviar. Guests of Atlantis can enjoy the Moon Club Mojitos alongside the bar’s state-of-the-art aquarium featuring a marine habitat with Moon Jellyfish directly behind the bar, designed by renowned architect Jeffrey Beers.
Moon Club Mojito Recipe:
2 oz. Bacardi 8 Rum
1.5 oz. Simple Syrup
3 Lime wedges
10-12 Mint leaves
Method:
In a highball glass lightly muddle limes and simple syrup then add mint leaves (remember to slap the mint leaves before adding). Fill glass with crushed ice and rum. Stir well. Squeeze lime wedge and drop into drink and add a splash of soda. Garnish with 3 mint leaves and two straws and serve.
EBK Flirt. Photo courtesy of the Mayflower Renaissance.
EBK Flirt: Edgar Bar & Kitchen – The Mayflower Renaissance, Washington, DC
The Mayflower Renaissance’s Edgar Bar & Kitchen opened in December 2012, as Washington DC’s newest dinning & lounge scene offering cleverly crafted cocktails and locally inspired plates. The restaurant serves guests an “EBK Flirt” concocted with Bacardi, St. Germaine Elderflower, fresh lemon juice and Pinot Noir.
EBK Flirt Recipe:
1.5 oz (6 count) Bacardi
1.5 oz (6 count) St. Germaine Elderflower Liquor
½ oz (2 count) Lemon juice
½ oz (2 count) Simple Syrup
Method:
Add Bacardi, St. Germaine Elderflower, lemon juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker and shake 20 times. Strain into an iced high ball and top with Kim Crawford Pinot Noir. Garnish with lemon twist. **Do not stir wine into cocktail.
Frozen Bligh’s Blood Mojito. Photo courtesy of Cotton House.
Frozen Bligh’s Blood Mojito: Beach Café & Bar – Cotton House, Mustique
The Beach Cafe & Bar at the Cotton House — the only luxury resort on the island of Mustique — is touted as having the largest Mojito menu in the Grenadines. One of those cocktails is the “Frozen Bligh’s Blood Mojito,” made with Captain Bligh’s Rum, blood orange puree, lime, mint leaves, Demerara raw brown sugar and a splash of soda.
Frozen Bligh’s Blood Mojito Recipe:
2.5 oz. Captain Bligh’s Rum (St. Lucian Rum)
4 oz. Blood Orange Puree
2 Slices of Fresh Island Limes
8 Large Fresh Mint Leaves
1 oz. Teaspoon Demerara Raw Brown Sugar
Soda Splash
Ice
Method:
Muddle the fresh lime, 6 mint leaves and Demerara sugar in a Mojito glass. Fill a martini shaker with ice. Add Bligh’s Rum and blood orange puree. Blend until frozen. Pour in the frozen mixture of ice, rum and puree over the top of the lime mint mixture. Splash the top with soda and garnish quickly with remaining mint sprig.
JD Special. Photo courtesy of Harmony Hill villa
JD Special: Harmony Hill villa – Tryall Club, Jamaica
Harmony Hill villa is a private oasis at The Tryall Club offering the finest in Caribbean living. Nestled over 350 feet above sea level on seven acres of tropical splendor, the seven-bedroom villa features panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea, deep valleys and a golf course. The villa’s Bartender Jerome Dellon prepares a refreshing “JD Special” cocktail with Appleton VX Jamaica Rum, June plum juice, lime juice, mango, melon and cucumber that can be best enjoyed taking in the picturesque vistas from the private patio.
JD Special Recipe:
12 oz. Appleton VX Jamaica Rum
6 oz. June Plum Juice (http://bestjamaica.com/june-plum.html)
1 oz. Lime Juice
8 slices of fresh mango (cubed)
1 handful of ice cubes (6-8 cubes)
4 cubes of melon
4 thin slices cucumber (as garnish)
Method:
Combine all liquids and fruit in a blender and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes and blend so it forms a frosty texture and is almost frozen. Serve in a hurricane glass and garnish with fresh cucumber and melon cube.
Sunset Passion Colada. Photo courtesy of Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort.
Sunset Passion Colada: Sunset Grill – Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort, St Thomas, USVI
Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort in St. Thomas is a premier accommodation option in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The resort’s Sunset Grill is an open-air restaurant overlooking the harbor that serves up specialty frozen cocktail drinks with Caribbean and American fare. One of its signature cocktails is the “Sunset Passion Colada,” which is made with Bacardi Gold Rum, Passion Fruit puree, Pina Colada mix and Passion Fruit mix.
Sunset Passion Colada Recipe:
1oz of Bacardi Gold Rum
1oz of Passion fruit puree
1oz of Pina Colada mix
¼oz of Passion fruit mix
½ cup of ice
Method:
Pour Bacardi Gold rum, pina colada mix, passion fruit mix, passion fruit puree and ice in a blender. Blend until ice is completely crushed and ingredients are fully combined. Once blended, add a splash of dark rum and Bacardi select float for presentation and color.
Mount Gay Eclipse Rum. Photo courtesy of Mount Gay.
The Ocean House Southside: Ocean House, Rhode Island
The Ocean House in Rhode Island serves up the Ocean House Southside – the “official cocktail of Watch Hill.” This popular rum-laced drink is served at all the resort’s dining and beverage outlets (Seasons, Seasons bar, Club Room, Verandah, Seaside Terrace, Dune Cottage) and includes Mount Gay Rum, fresh lemon, mint, simple syrup, Fever Tree Bitter Lemon soda, and a Myers Dark Rum float. It is the perfect beverage to enjoy on the veranda, overlooking the resort’s croquet court, with the ocean beyond.
Ocean House Southside Recipe:
Wedge of Lemon
3 mint leaves
4 oz of simple syrup
1 1/2 oz of Mount Gay Eclipse Dark Rum
¼ oz Myers Dark Rum
Garnish with a lemon wheel
Method:
Muddle a wedge of Lemon, 3 mint leaves, 4 oz of simple syrup, 1 1/2 oz of Mount Gay Rum, add Ice and shake, pour into highball glass. Top with Fever Tree bitter lemon soda float, ¼ oz Myers Dark Rum, garnish with a lemon wheel.
Top photo credit: Moon Club Mojito. Photo courtesy of Atlantis Resort.
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
