Fourth of July and rum drinks

July 2, 1:28 PMPhoenix Drinks ExaminerMark Nothaft

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    Who knew rum is patriotic? America's first spirit again thrives.

Before appletinis and cosmos, boutique bourbon, tequila and single-malt scotches, came rum. Seems odd, but America’s first widely distributed spirit — the one closely associated with Caribbean scalawags, Jimmy Buffett and Bogart movies — was the sugar-based elixir that we now use to make mai tais and tropical punches.

Let’s drink to history this Fourth of July! At one time, the southern parts of our country and Caribbean colonies had millions of planted acres of sugar cane, and the byproduct of sugar production, molasses, is rum’s principal ingredient. Not until our country grew west and we discovered ripe conditions for corn and wheat production did rum begin to take a back seat to whiskey and bourbon.

Well, after two centuries of decline rum is back, and in a big way. Maybe it’s because of the spirit’s versatility; it’s a natural for blending with juices and cola. Maybe it is just a matter of taste. Rum is simply drinkable for an 80-proof spirit. High-end varieties such as Bacardi 8, 10 Cane, Appleton and Cruzan are full of the aromas and flavors of burnt sugar, butterscotch, and caramel and vanilla spice that make it a pleasure to drink on its own like a fine cognac or on the rocks with a bit of lime.

The Distilled Spirits Council tracks consumer consumption, and rum sales in the United States have steadily increased the past few years, inching up from less than 10 percent of total spirits consumed to more than 12 percent. If you consider the millions of cases of spirits sold each year, this number is quite significant.

And leave it to James Bond to finally validate this burgeoning trend. In “Die Another Day” he sips a mojito rather than his “shaken, not stirred” martini during the Cuban sequence. In that film, in that setting, with Halle Barry as the leading lady, there is no other call. To go further with the 007 ties, the British Royal Navy for more than 300 years rationed a half-pint of Pusser’s brand rum to its servicemen every day until 1970. I haven’t been able to find the 80-proof Pusser’s for awhile, but AJ’s Fine Foods still carries the 95-proof. It is delicious, smooth, eminently drinkable.

This time of year simply lends itself to savory rum drinks. We’re dining outside and even considering slipping into the pool. The rum classics include the mojito, mai tai, piña colada, hurricane, daiquiri, planter’s punch and zombie. Here are a few recipes to consider for your Fourth of July festivities. Remember to use fresh and high quality ingredients.

PINA COLADA
2 ounces pineapple juice
2 ounces coconut cream
2 ounces silver rum
1 teaspoon shredded coconut
Ice
Pineapple wedge for garnish
Maraschino cherries for garnish
Preparation: Combine juice, cream, rum and coconut in a shaker with ice and stir (shaking milk makes bubbles). Strain into a cooler glass filled with ice and garnish with pineapple wedge and cherry.

HAWAIIAN CARESS
2 ounces silver rum
2 ounces pineapple juice
Splash maraschino liqueur
1 teaspoon grenadine
Ice
Pineapple wedge for garnish
Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with pineapple wedge.

BEACH COMBER
2 ounces light rum
1 ounce orange liqueur (triple sec or Cointreau)
1/2 ounce grenadine
1 1/2 ounces sour mix
Ice
Sugar
Lime wedge for garnish
Preparation: Combine rum, orange liqueur, grenadine and sour mix in a shaker with ice and shake until very cold. Moisten martini-style glass with lime wedge and line rim of glass with sugar (invert onto plate of sugar). Strain into glass and garnish with lime wedge.

CLASSIC MAI TAI
1 1/2 ounces gold rum
2 ounces sour mix
1/2 ounce lime juice
Splash of almond syrup (Orgeat)
Ice
1/2 ounce dark rum
Pineapple wedge for garnish
Maraschino cherry for garnish
Orchid flower for garnish, if available
Preparation: Combine gold rum, sour mix, lime juice and almond syrup into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Float dark rum on top and garnish with pineapple wedge, cherry and flower.

TROPICAL ITCH
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce light rum
1/2 ounce triple sec or orange curacao
4 ounces passion fruit juice
Ice
Half orange slice for garnish
Maraschino cherry for garnish
Preparation: Combine vodka, rum, triple sec and juice in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into double old-fashioned glass with ice and garnish with orange slice and cherry.

PLANTER’S PUNCH
Ice
2 1/2 ounces light rum
Juice of two limes
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Dash of bitters
1 teaspoon grenadine
3 ounces club soda
Lime wedge for garnish
Preparation: Fill a cooler glass with ice and add rum, lime juice, powdered sugar, bitters and grenadine and stir. Add club soda and stir again. Garnish with lime wedge.

MOJITO
(large format)
24 sprigs fresh mint
8 ounces simple syrup
16 ounces light rum
8 ounces fresh lime juice
Club soda or seltzer water
Ice
Lime wedges and mint leaves for garnish
Preparation: Muddle springs of mint in bottom of pitcher. Add simple syrup and muddle some more. Add rum and lime juice and refrigerate overnight. Strain into presentation pitcher, add club soda and stir. Serve in collins glasses filled with ice. Garnish with lime wedge and mint leaf.