Flavored Rums

[Susan in FL]

I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to expand my tastes and try some different rum. Mount Gay is our "everyday" brand, and what I meant was that I wanted to try some premium rums, such as what some of you connoisseurs enjoy. What he thought I meant was flavored rums, and he brought home a zillion miniatures of flavored rums, like different brands of coconut, banana, mango, orange, vanilla, spiced, raspberry, lemon, pineapple!! Oh my. So it looks like we will be having some happy hours at home tasting and experimenting. Please recommend some recipes for rum drinks, to use these up.

If flavored rum is anything like flavored coffee or beer, where I enjoy different kinds but not flavored ones, I am S.O.L. I'm usually a purist about things like this and I'm afraid I shouldn't expect much.

I am posting this under The Ministry of Rum, but if it is thought to be a request more appropropriate for the Cocktails forum, I hope a host or somebody will transfer it there. Thanks.

[Ed Hamilton]

Don't despair you can post this in another forum by just copying this post but there are a lot of uses for flavored rums. I pour them over desserts, ice cream, fruit and flavored rum is one of my favorites when I'm in the states where I can get ice cream.

I also like to keep a few rums around, flavored included, for friends that don't appreciate the better rums. I also use flavored rums in cake frosting, brownie mix and depending on the flavor, use flavored rums with simple mixers like ginger ale. There are a lot of cocktails recipes and I have no doubt the regulars in Fine Spirits and Cocktails will give you some more ideas.

[Susan in FL]

Thank you, Ed! Good ideas. Now I am wondering about perhaps some uses with savory foods, as well. Maybe marinades?

It is nice to "meet" you. I think this is the first time I've made your acquaintance. I clicked on your Ministry of Rum link, and will be going back. It looks like there and in your books I could find everything I ever wanted to know about rum and more. I ordered The Complete Guide to Rum.

I am curious; where are you that you cannot get ice cream? ...Sadness would be upon my heart.

[Ed Hamilton]

I live on a sailboat in the Caribbean most of the year, but I usually spend time in the states, especially during hurricane season, which is fast approaching. Ice cream, the unthawed variety, is available in the French islands but since my freezer isn't cold or big enough to do a container of ice cream justice I forego that pleasure. But there are plenty of other things to indulge in like pastries, that don't need refrigeration. I also make fresh fruit pies, and of course there is plenty of good rhum, rum or ron, depending on where I am.

For marinades the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. For dessert, pour flavored rum over sliced bananas and keep in the refrigerator a few hours. Sautee in butter, then add a little brown sugar to caramelize the bananas. Pineapples work well also, and sometimes, I grill marinaded pineapple slices on the grill after I've grilled fish or something and the grill is still hot.

Pies are also better when the filling has been soaked, as it's put in the islands, in rum overnight in the refrigerator.

But I have to admit that the flavored rums sold in the islands are generally a lot better than most of the bubble-gum-wrapper-tasting flavors that I've tried that are sold in the states with a couple of notable exceptions. One of the reasons is that people in the islands know what mango tastes like, fresh from the tree with juice dripping down your arms when you bite into it, compared to those picks weeks before maturity and shipped in refrigerated boxes to foreign markets.

[Susan in FL]

Wow! By the time I read your reply, I had gone back to the web site and learned that you live on a sailboat. I sure would like to have boat drinks at your house!

We marinated sliced bananas last night, planning to saute them for dessert as you described, but were too full. We had the drinks before a Cuban style dinner, on the porch, enjoying the view of our beloved palmettos, etc. after a day of yard work, with Island music playing.

If the mangoes I buy here are picked and shipped weeks before maturity, I can only imagine how good just-picked are... I sure would love to find out. Between that and my growing interest in rum, maybe I'll change my mind about the cheap Caribbean cruises that are offered out of Canaveral.

[Ed Hamilton]

Funny you should mention bananas, I had some that were beyond ripe so I put them in a chicken marinade. I usually add some raw sugar but the sugar in the ripe bananas worked well and friends couldn't believe how good the chicken turned out. And of course there was some rum, it is a food group you know.

[Susan in FL]

And of course there was some rum, it is a food group you know.

I'm beginning to realize that!

The chicken sounds good... what a cool idea for how to sweeten something like that, and a good way to use over ripe bananas.

We sauteed the rum marinated bananas yesterday. They tasted good, but a day later was too long. They turned mushy. Two or three hours would have been much better.

[Ed Hamilton]

We sauteed the rum marinated bananas yesterday. They tasted good, but a day later was too long. They turned mushy. Two or three hours would have been much better.

Yeah, time to throw them in some chicken, pork, or ???

[suzilightning]

susan-

johnnybird just brought home two of the captain morgan's parrot bay flavored rums tonight(he found them while picking up my birthday present). mango and pineapple. he tasted them and i did a blind taste test and we both agree that the pineapple is quite good but the mango needs to be mixed - for him it will probably be in his v8 smoothie. still his favorite is the coconut which he sneaks into the theatre in a small flask and mixes with hawaiian punch.

[alphaiii]

susan-

johnnybird just brought home two of the captain morgan's parrot bay flavored rums tonight(he found them while picking up my birthday present). mango and pineapple. he tasted them and i did a blind taste test and we both agree that the pineapple is quite good but the mango needs to be mixed - for him it will probably be in his v8 smoothie. still his favorite is the coconut which he sneaks into the theatre in a small flask and mixes with hawaiian punch.

I like the mango straight, on ice. For me, it's too weak (alcohol wise) for mixing, although the mango flavor is very strong and would hold up in a mix. I like it as is though. Maybe I'll give the pineapple a try too.

Cruzan mango, on the other hand, needs to be mixed. A little higher proof, but alot more alcohol taste.

Malibu mango I just didn't care for at all.

[Susan in FL]

susan-

johnnybird just brought home two of the captain morgan's parrot bay flavored rums tonight(he found them while picking up my birthday present). mango and pineapple.  he tasted them and i did a blind taste test and we both agree that the pineapple is quite good but the mango needs to be mixed - for him it will probably be in his v8 smoothie.  still his favorite is the coconut which he sneaks into the theatre in a small flask and mixes with hawaiian punch.

Happy Birthday! ...Belated by now, I'm sure. Hope you enjoyed it. Did you have a special dinner?

That's funny, sneaking something into the movies. Good idea for miniatures!

[suzilightning]

Happy Birthday! ...Belated by now, I'm sure. Hope you enjoyed it. Did you have a special dinner?

That's funny, sneaking something into the movies. Good idea for miniatures!

thanks, susan. john did take me out for dinner. here's the thread http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=48369

i actually bought him a little 1/2 pint flask. he buys the big hawaiian punch, goes into the men's room and dumps out just enough to fit the rum.... just enough to get you through a movie the length of lord of the rings...

[Susan in FL]

i actually bought him a little 1/2 pint flask.  he buys the big hawaiian punch, goes into the men's room and dumps out just enough to fit the rum.... just enough to get you through a movie the length of lord of the rings...

That is too funny about the flask, and going to the movies!

Glad you had a happy birthday.

The movies... Radio DJs are suggesting that people around here, once prepared for the hurricane, get their minds off of it and go to the movies while such things are available! I don't think so. Speaking of rum -- this is a rum thread -- we squeezed a shit load of lime juice, to have on hand for hurricane mojitos. That's one way we'll pass the time.

[Ed Hamilton]

If you have too much lime juice it freezes well in ice cube trays then store the cubes in plastic bags. You've be glad you did after the storm and your lime trees are bare. You won't see any more limes for a while.

[El Ron de Cuba]

A question, Ed,

I was down at the local brew pub Monday night, and was talking with a girl that I know from my trip to Cuba over SB '04. She introduced me to "Sailor Jerry" rum. It's spiced with a little bit of cherry essence. She bought me a tumbler of it, and I thought it was pretty interesting. I don't usually go for flavored rums (I like to taste the rum itself, I guess), but this was okay. A little difficult to get all the flavors since she had it on the rocks, but okay nonetheless.

Do you have any experience with this rum? Just wondering...

Bruce

If you have too much lime juice it freezes well in ice cube trays then store the cubes in plastic bags. You've be glad you did after the storm and your lime trees are bare. You won't see any more limes for a while.

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[alphaiii]

A question, Ed,

I was down at the local brew pub Monday night, and was talking with a girl that I know from my trip to Cuba over SB '04.  She introduced me to "Sailor Jerry" rum.  It's spiced with a little bit of cherry essence.  She bought me a tumbler of it, and I thought it was pretty interesting.  I don't usually go for flavored rums (I like to taste the rum itself, I guess), but this was okay.  A little difficult to get all the flavors since she had it on the rocks, but okay nonetheless.

Do you have any experience with this rum?  Just wondering...

Bruce

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I've heard from a couple people that Sailor Jerry is the best spiced rum they've ever had. I don't know if they tried Foursquare, but since that's not available in PA it's not an option. I'll probably end up givin Sailor Jerry a try, since I like spiced rums (well some of them). Just wondering how strong that cherry taste is. That may be offputting to me. Also, did it go down pretty well for being 92 proof?

[Ed Hamilton]

I'm not crazy about the cherry taste but if you are looking for a spiced rum, you'll get all kinds of things mixed with the rum. I prefer to add real fruit juice to my rum, but as far as they go Sailor Jerry spiced did a pretty good job blending that one. 92 proof is only slightly higher than what you normally drink and with the added sweeteners, it doesn't seem to be so alcoholic.

[El Ron de Cuba]

Okay,

Thanks for the opinions. Yes, I like "real" fruit juice a lot better, but...

It was pretty good. I don't think the cherry taste is so strong that it obscures the other flavors, but then again, I had it on ice, and it seems I don't taste things as well on ice. However, it's probably $10-15 a bottle, so worst case scenario you buy it, don't like it, and end up mixing it with coke or something. Not the end of the world! I am not a fan of spiced rums at all, but I did like this one.

Best,

Bruce

I'm not crazy about the cherry taste but if you are looking for a spiced rum, you'll get all kinds of things mixed with the rum. I prefer to add real fruit juice to my rum, but as far as they go Sailor Jerry spiced did a pretty good job blending that one. 92 proof is only slightly higher than what you normally drink and with the added sweeteners, it doesn't seem to be so alcoholic.

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