The Bacardi Cocktail

As summer approaches, it’s difficult not to think of rum drinks, many of which are fairly recent additions to mixology, especially since the rise of spiced rum.  And many rum drinks arrive with the inevitable umbrella and pineapple garnish. But my approach has always been to get back to basics, and there are few classic rum cocktails as basic as the Bacardi Cocktail.  This is a classic that’s as perfect for a patio get-together, as it is for an indoor dining-room supper.

As the name implies, this drink is – or was – to be made with Bacardi rum.  In fact, in 1936 Bacardi took the matter to court.  Bars became vulnerable to a lawsuit, if they used any rum other than Bacardi, to make a Bacardi Cocktail.

I make mine this way:

The Bacardi Cocktail

1 jigger of Bacardi Rum (I prefer Bacardi Superior)

Juice of 1 lime (strained, to remove pulp)

1 tsp Grenadine syrup

Into a cocktail shaker, place the rum, lime juice and grenadine, with cracked ice.  Shake rapidly and strain into a chilled cocktail (martini) glass.  Garnish is optional but, if you wish, feel free to drop in a maraschino cherry.  My personal preference is a thin slice of lime floated on top or at the edge of the glass.

The Bitter Truth

For several years, the popularity of what I call “Bar Bitters” has skyrocketed.  Once unobtainable, ingredients like orange bitters (a drop or two makes a classic dry martini even MORE classic!) and Peychaud’s bitters (an essential for the classic Sazerac) are now far more available.  But before orange bitters or Peychaud’s bitters was a staple for any bar, there was Angostura bitters.  Aside from being used in the Old Fashioned and in the classic Manhattan, Angostura bitters have been part of at least two drinks popular in Britain and parts of the British Empire.  Here are my favorites:

Pink Gin

So called, because a drop of Angostura lends its pink color to the aromatic gin, this is NOT the same sweet, bubble-gum pink created by the addition of Grenadine.  Popular many years ago, a Pink Gin was considered a classic – and classy – afternoon cocktail.  Here’s how to make one:

2 oz Chilled dry gin

Angostura bitters

Lemon shaving

Into a chilled, small cocktail glass, place several dashes of Angostura bitters, swirl to coat the inside of the glass, and discard.  Add the chilled gin, then twist the lemon shaving (Use a peeler to remove a thin, 1-inch long piece of peel) and drop it in the glass. 

Rum and Bitters

During a visit to Peter Island (British Virgin Islands) years ago, I chartered a half-day inshore fishing trip.  I did well (except that a barracuda took half of a yellowtail I had caught), and after we docked, the boat’s owner and I had a drink at the bar of the Peter Island Yacht Club.  He ordered for both of us, and that’s where I first tasted a  Rum and Bitters.  It’s a terrific summer cocktail, and it’s deceptively simple to make:

2 oz Bacardi Gold

Angostura bitters

Lime wedge

Place two or three ice cubes Into an Old Fashioned glass, then ONE dash of Angostura bitters and the rum.  Stir once or twice and garnish with the lime wedge.

We docked, just as the sky broke loose, in one of those quick Caribbean cloudbursts.  Getting in, under cover of the bar, and enjoying a Rum & Bitters was as good as it gets!