London’s very best rum cocktail recipes

Try out these new and exotic takes on the old classic…

With National Rum Day fast approaching (put it in your diaries people, it’s on August 16th), we’re spoilt for choice on where to kick back and celebrate.

We don’t need to ask why we’re celebrating the versatile drink – whether diluted with coke, shaken into a Daiquiri or mixed into a punch, rum is undoubtedly a crowd favourite. The question however, is where to celebrate and with which delicious cocktail.

Here are four of our favourite new serves, from Aqua Nueva, Nightjar and the trendiest new East London pop-up: Tiki Bordel…

Flotante cocktail at Aqua Nueva

Ingredients:
80ml Zacapa 23
50ml lime juice
50ml pineapple juice
6 dashes of absinthe
30ml Giffard passion fruit syrup
20g sugar
20ml Visciolata Cardinale

To Serve:
Chilled rocks glass
Cubed Ice
Slice of dried pineapple, to garnish
Mint sprig, to garnish
Viola flowers, to garnish

Method:
Add the rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, absinthe, passion fruit syrup and sugar to a cocktail shaker, and shake well until the ingredients are completely combined. Next, add the cubed ice to the chilled glass, and strain the drink through a Hawthorne strainer and a small fine sieve positioned over the glass. Pour the Visciolata Cardinale over the top of the cocktail gently, so it floats. Finally, garnish with the pineapple, mint and viola flowers.

Chairman’s Mai Tai

20ml  Chairman’s Reserve Finest
20ml  rhum Clément Canne Bleue
10ml  Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
15ml  lime juice
20ml of eucalyptus, orgeat & orange peel tincture
mint
1 dash of Angostura bitters
Garnish: 1 orange wheel

Method: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, then add ice. Shake well and strain into a glass full of fresh ice.

New York Zombie

40ml  Appleton Signature Blend rum
5ml  Wray & Nephew overproof rum
5ml Smith & Cross rum,
5ml Luxardo Maraschino
20 ml fresh grapefruit juice
10ml  Falernum (home made syrup – recipe below)
10ml  grenadine
6ml  absinthe Pernod
3ml  Angostura bitters
cinnamon

Garnish:
Lime, sugar cube & fire

Method:
Add all ingredients, except the Wray & Nephew, to a cocktail shaker, then add ice. Shake until well chilled, then strain into a tiki mug full of fresh ice. To create the garnish, take half of a lime and press out the juice in a citrus squeezer, creating a small cup. Add a sugar cube and gently pour Wray & Nephew onto the sugar. Gently light the cube. When the flame is out the drink is ready to enjoy. Note: the flame is not necessary to enjoy the drink!

Falernum Recipe:
Bring 250g white sugar and 250ml water to the boil with the zests of 10 limes, 8 cloves & 1 star anise. Once boiled, let cool. Add 250ml of white rum and 1.25ml almond essence & let infuse for 24 hours. Strain.

Jaguar at Nightjar

Ingredients:
30ml Ron Zacapa 23 with Tiger Nut infusion
15ml Hennessy Fine de Cognac
15ml Ginger liqueur
12ml Pedro Ximinez Sherry
15ml Colombo spiced orgeat
Fresh orange & lime
35ml fermented palm drink

Method:
Shake and strain all the ingredients and top up with palm drink.