Posted on

Champagne Mojitos

What a way to ring in the New Year! The delectable taste of a mojito topped off with some festive Champagne. This recipe makes 2 but it can easily be made into bigger batches. Prepare the mojito portion ahead of time and just add the Champagne right before serving so that you can enjoy the party too!

Happy New Year!

 

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

 

Print Recipe

Champagne Mojitos

Course: Drinks
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. Simple Syrup (make your own with equal parts water and sugar)
  • 1/2 c. Packed Mint Leaves (plus a few extra for garnish)
  • 2 Small Limes
  • 2/3 c. Light Rum
  • Ice
  • Champagne or Sparkling Wine

Instructions

  • (If you purchased simple syrup, skip this step) In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar and water just until the sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature. 
  • Combine the 1/2 c. simple syrup with the mint leaves and lime wedges in a large glass and muddle well.
  • Add the rum and stir gently.
  • Fill two Champagne glasses with cracked ice and strain in the mixture, filling the glasses about 2/3 full. 
  • Top it off with Champagne or sparkling wine, garnish with the mint and serve.
Watch how to make them here:

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC


Posted on

Appleton Estate Rum Tasting Event

I don’t have a favorite. I love them all equally – they’re all my children.
Dwayne Allen, Chief Rum Expert, Rum Bar at the Breadfruit

We were invited to attend an invitation only rum tasting event at Rum Bar at The Breadfruit in downtown Phoenix, Arizona last Saturday. This particular tasting would cover the rums in the Appleton Estate Family.

We arrived at the Rum Bar and met co-owner Dwayne Allen, a soft spoken, personable man with Jamaican roots, who exudes an enthusiasm for the spirit of rum and appeared to have an extensive knowledge of rums in general, rum history and production. As we frequently do, we asked Dwayne if he had an all time favorite rum, and his response was “I don’t have a favorite. I love them all equally – they’re all my children.” That’s a lot of children to love. The Rum Bar normally has 108 rums to choose from – currently they’re up to 114.
The evening was a delicious and educational event. We were greeted with a glass of Kingston Rum Punch made from Dwayne’s family recipe, and served delectable treats created by Dwayne’s partner, Danielle Leoni, such as Braised Oxtail Sliders and Red Stripe Curried Prawns.

It then was time to get down to business and start sampling and learning about the Appleton Estate Rums.

We first sampled the mixing rums, Appleton White and Gold and were given three aroma sticks to dip in molasses, orange and vanilla to help our senses identify the different flavors in the rum.
We continued with a sample of the first level of sipping rums, the V/X and the Reserve. These rums are traditionally enjoyed neat, with a cube of ice or just a splash of seltzer water.

Danielle then sent out a lovely plate of Petit Fours to enjoy with the next two rums on the menu, the 12 Year Old and the 21 Year Old.

We’d tasted the 12 Year Old before and both it and the 21 Year Old were very good. Through Dwayne’s tutelage we learned to hone in on the aroma and taste differences in the different ages of rum. We enjoyed every golden drop, savoring the pairing of flavors with the goodies shown above.

Dwayne explained that rums that have been properly aged (no additives, etc.) should display and “olive line” a faint green line at the top of the rum in a glass. We witnessed this in both of the rums at this level.
As if we hadn’t experienced rum bliss already, then came the pièce de résistance – Appleton Estate Limited 30 Year Old.
Less than 1,500 bottles of this exclusive rum were manufactured and only 770 made it to the U.S. We were told that the Appleton Estate Limited Edition 30 Year Old is the oldest rum commercially available on the planet. When we learned how rare this bottle was, we prepared ourselves for a rum sampling of a lifetime!

How was it? We are certainly not rum experts or connoisseurs, but we thought it was nothing short of amazing. Absolute perfection in a glass. But don’t take our word for it. Word has it that one of the very few places you can taste this ultra elusive treasure is the Rum Bar at The Breadfruit. Stop by soon before it’s gone for good!

To find out more about The Rum Bar including their Rum Tasting Series, Flights of Rum Events, Cigar and Rum Pairings, Craft Cocktails and Rums, check out their website: Rum Bar

While you’re there, enjoy some award winning modern Jamaican Cuisine at The Breadfruit (the Sea Scallops coated with Appleton Rum and the house hot and spicy jerk rub are awesome!) Check out The Breadfruit website for more info.

Posted on

Gingerbread Rum Latte

Oh man. Can’t you just taste it? Gingerbread, coffee and rum mixed together in a delectable warm beverage. I enjoy an occasional expensive gingerbread coffee drink at this time of year and so when I found a recipe for a Gingerbread Latte and thought I’d give it a try – make a few changes AND add rum! Ahhh…the dark rum plays so nicely with the gingerbread and coffee. It’s awesome. But don’t take my word for it – give it a try!

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

Print Recipe

Gingerbread Rum Latte

Oh man. Can’t you just taste it? Gingerbread, coffee and rum mixed together in a delectable warm beverage.
Course: Drinks
Servings: 2
Author: Rum Therapy

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Steam milk slowly over low heat and whip with wire whisk until frothy.
  • Add gingerbread syrup and rum to milk while warm.
  • Pour coffee in mugs, then add the milk, gingerbread, rum mixture.
  • Top with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon and garnish with a cinnamon stick.


Find more rum recipes here:

Rum Recipe Picture Directory
Rum Recipes by Category

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

Posted on

Eggnog Rum Bread

I admit I like a little eggnog during the holidays. Just a small taste and usually with a little rum (or bourbon) in it, but the taste reminds me of the holidays. So, when I ran across this recipe, I thought it might be an excellent way to make use of the inevitable half used carton of eggnog that we usually and regrettably end up getting rid of after the holidays.

The bread with the butter rum glaze

The recipe makes more of a bread than a cake and the bread by itself is not overly sweet. I added a Butter Rum Glaze to it and the glaze is quite sweet, but can be omitted if you’re looking for more of a breakfast or brunch bread. I got the initial recipe off of allrecipes.com, and after reading the reviews, made a few changes – like using REAL rum instead of rum extract!! Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Eggnog Rum Bread

The recipe makes more of a bread than a cake and the bread by itself is not overly sweet. I added a Butter Rum Glaze to it and the glaze is quite sweet, but can be omitted if you’re looking for more of a breakfast or brunch bread.
Course: Holiday Rum Recipe
Servings: 1 loaf
Author: Rum Therapy

Ingredients

Bread Ingredients:

Glaze Ingredients:

Instructions

Bread:

  • Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
  • Beat together the eggs, eggnog, rum, olive oil, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
  • Add butter, stir until smooth.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add to eggnog mixture and stir. Pour into lightly oiled pan.
  • Bake bread for 40 to 60 minutes. Test center with toothpick. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Wrap tightly to keep it fresh and moist.

Glaze:

  • To glaze the bread, combine the sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.
  • Add the eggnog or cream, rum, vanilla extract and nutmeg and beat with a mixer or by hand, until smooth and creamy.
  • Drizzle over bread, sprinkle with a little nutmeg and serve.

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

Posted on

White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages, Jost Van Dyke

We visited Jost Van Dyke on a week long sail trip to the BVI’s in 2010. The day we spent wandering the beautiful White Bay enjoying Rum Therapy in every bar from One Love to Ivan’s made us realize we’d like to spend more time there. We began to research accommodation possibilities for our recent trip and decided to rent a cottage at White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages.

Jost Van Dyke is a mere 3 square miles and the smallest of the four main islands of the British Virgin Islands. It’s hard to find the exact number of full time inhabitants, but it looks to be less than 300. We realized before booking our trip that this could be a very quiet and relaxing week and reveled in the idea of walking lazily through the sugar white sands of White Bay. Jost is also home to some of the Caribbean’s best beach bars, including the infamous Soggy Dollar and Foxy’s, so we knew it would be an interesting week!

copyright Rum Therapy
Since there was just two of us on this trip, we opted for a Cottage, which comfortably sleeps two. We flew in to St. Thomas, took a ferry to West End Tortola and went through customs, then caught a ferry to Jost Van Dyke. We grabbed a taxi from the dock and made our way to the cottage.

copyright Rum Therapy
Papaya Cottage

White Bay Villas 4 (600)
Bedroom in Papaya Cottage

White Bay Villas 5 (600)

Living Room

White Bay Villas 7 (600)
Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, oven and stove

White Bay Villas 8 (600)
copyright Rum Therapy
Gorgeous view of White Bay from the deck of Papaya

So, would we stay at White Bay Cottages and Villas again? Heck, yeah. We stayed there the first week of November and here are a few things we learned:

1. Our Cottage (Papaya) was simple, comfortable and clean. It was big enough to spend the day hanging out, reading and relaxing, but just a short hike away from gorgeous White Bay.
2. Food can be ordered through Bobby’s Market on Tortola and sent over on the ferry. There is at least one small market in Great Harbour, but the provisions are limited.
3. Air conditioning was really nice at night at that time of year and we were thankful that Papaya had a small bedroom unit.
4. The porch of each Cottage overlooks beautiful White Bay and is an excellent place to enjoy your meals (the Cottages have a full kitchen and a grill) or just sit and read while enjoying some Rum Therapy….
5. Bring a good bug spray to stave off the no-see-ums that come out after dark.
6. Jost Van Dyke is very hilly, which adds to it’s beauty, but if walking up and down hills is difficult for you, be sure to rent a jeep for your time there. We rented a jeep for two days to see the rest of the island, but will probably rent it a bit longer when we go back.
7. Bring some cash. Credit cards were accepted at the bars and restaurants we visited, as well as the car rental agency; however, there are no ATM’s on Jost and cash was needed for taxi’s and the ferry back to Tortola.
8. Most of the bars/restaurants were open by the end of our stay there, but some close down for a while during slow season, so be sure to take that into consideration when planning your stay.
9. Thad, the on-site manager, was very helpful and can give recommendations on what to see and do while on Jost.

copyright Rum Therapy
There are many things to experience on Jost Van Dyke and surrounding islands and one of the best things about staying here was that you could do as much or as little as you wanted! Watch for upcoming posts on some of our experiences while on Jost Van Dyke!

White Bay Villas 9 (600)
The very best part of our visit? Just watch and listen….

Other Jost Van Dyke posts you might be interested in:

Rum Therapy On Jost Van Dyke

Barhopping On Jost Van Dyke

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

Foxy’s Tamarind Bar

The Soggy Dollar Bar

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke


copyright©Rum Therapy
 Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

Posted on

Creamy Candy Cane Rum


If you like rum, peppermint and chocolate, you’ll love the taste of this creamy drink!
It has a great holiday look and a better holiday taste!

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing delicious rum recipes!

Print Recipe

Creamy Candy Cane Rum

If you like rum, peppermint and chocolate, you’ll love the taste of this creamy drink! Great holiday look and taste!
Course: Drinks
Author: Rum Therapy

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. Vanilla Rum
  • 2 oz. White Chocolate Liqueur we used Godiva
  • 2 oz. Cream
  • 1 oz. Peppermint Schnapps
  • 4 oz. Lemon Lime Soda we used 7up
  • 1/2 oz. Grenadine
  • Candy Cane
  • Sprig of Mint

Instructions

  • Pour rum, white chocolate liqueur, cream, peppermint schnapps and lemon lime soda in a shaker over ice.
  • Gently shake until frothy. Strain into and garnish with martini glasses, a candy cane and a sprig of Mint.
  • Right before serving, pour the Grenadine down the inside of each glass, shaking any remaining droplets over the top of the drink. Serve immediately.
  • For a lighter drink, substitute milk for the cream and use a diet soda. Hey, gotta save room for the other goodies!


Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

Posted on

Rumbullion! Spiced Rum

We received a small box in the mail yesterday from the UK liquor distributor Master of Malt containing a sample of one of their newest offerings, Rumbullion! Spiced Rum.

copyright Rum Therapy
copyright Rum Therapy
Rumbullion! is described on the Master of Malt website as a cockle-warming spiced concoction from Professor Cornelius Ampleforth, based on the kind of rich, full-bodied rums the seafaring fraternity would have enjoyed centuries ago. At the core of this fabulous winter warmer lies a blend of the very finest high proof Caribbean rum, to which was added creamy Madagascan vanilla and a generous helping of zesty orange rind. A secret recipe was followed, and the Professor finished his hearty tipple with a handful of cinnamon and cloves and just a hint of cardamom.

copyright Rum Therapy
copyright Rum Therapy
We opened the sample and sniffed, immediately detecting the pleasant aroma of orange, vanilla and a hint of cinnamon. Over ice we took a sip, letting the warm spices wash over our tongues. This certainly would be a good sipping rum for the cold winter months. In the Professor’s own words: “’tis a most heart-warming tipple that will surely see off the Winter blues. Whilst this is rum, it’s certainly not a rum thing by any means and I recommend you enjoy it neat, or with ice and squeeze of fresh lime.”

We found the taste to be very pleasant with a nice long finish. We are certainly not rum experts, but we enjoyed it quite a bit and found ourselves wishing we had a much bigger bottle in front of us! Guess you could say our cockles were warmed!!

The full size bottle is really good looking, and in the words of Master of Malt: Rumbullion! proudly flaunts its maritime inspiration with a label that bears a hand-drawn illustration of a Navy grog tub, emblazoned with the words: “The Queen, God Bless Her”, and just like all of the fine spirits in Professor Cornelius Ampleforth’s arsenal, each bottle is wrapped in crinkled brown paper, wound with twine and sealed with black wax. Ordering information

On a side note – Master of Malt is in the UK, so unfortunately the shipping is costly to those of us in the US, but they offer a Premium Rum Tasting Set that would make an excellent gift for anyone wanting to sample different rums before buying full sized bottles. Be sure to check them out!