Traditional Island Rum Recipes With a Twist

Jahde Marley is a wine and spirits consultant who was named a Rising Black Voice in Wine by Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2020. She joined our team over the summer to present “In Honor of Rum,” a virtual seminar that brought together leading experts from around the world to discuss the unique contributions various Caribbean islands bring to the cultivation and distillation processes of rum.

The panel included Trudiann Branker, master blender at Mount Gay in Barbados – home to the world's oldest running rum distillery; Audrey Bruisson, global marketing for Rhum Clément in Martinique; Christelle Harris, director of marketing for Hampden Estate in Jamaica; and Cybille St. Aude, a Haitian American chef and author, who spoke about Clairin.

Jahde Marley is a wine and spirits consultant who was named a Rising Black Voice in Wine by Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2020. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JORGE REYES

Ms. Marley’s passion for rum inspired her to share a list of cocktail recipes that include the brands discussed by the panelists. The following recipes are her take on the traditional rum flavors that are unique to each Caribbean island.

.

Jamaica
Hampden Pimento Punch

Hampden Rum is the star here, with the pimento playing a supporting role. This punch is kissed by the essence of sorrel, giving the cocktail a magenta hue.

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Hampden Estate Rum
⅛ oz allspice dram, pimento liqueur or pimento wine
¾ oz sorrel syrup
1 oz fresh lime juice

Sorrel Syrup:
1 cup water
5 dried sorrel flowers
3 ginger slices, freshly cut about quarter-inch by 3 inches
1 cup sugar

Preparation: Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Give it a quick shake and strain into Collins glass over ice. Garnish with a slice of ginger and lime.

Sorrel Syrup: Bring sorrel and ginger to boil in the water over medium to high heat. Lower to a gentle boil and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and then incorporate the sugar, stirring until it dissolves. Allow the syrup to cool. Place into a Mason jar and store in the refrigerator.

Barbados
Mount Gay Corn n’ Oil

The original drink was layered, not shaken, and its name was inspired by the way the slick black rum of Barbados would float on top of a heavier falernum layer in the glass. This twist blends everything together, resulting in a deep amber hue.

This drink is also a bit heavier than the original. The idea is to really play up the char of the Mount Gay Black Barrel with a touch of mollases. Falernum — which is a liquid blend of spices that can include ginger, lime and allspice — adds depth to each sip.

Ingredients:
2 oz Mount Gay Black Barrel
½ tsp molasses
1 oz falernum
¾ oz fresh lime juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Lime twist for garnish

Preparation: Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Give it a quick shake and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Top with two dashes Angostura bitters. Garnish with a lime twist.

Martinique
Rhum Clément Ti’ Punch

Almost clear with a lime tinge — the ti’ punch is one of those drinks that is zippy and refreshing, on the lighter side.

Ingredients:
2 oz Rhum Clément Premiere Canne Rum
¾ oz simple syrup
½ small lime
Lime wheel or orange twist for garnish

Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Preparation: Add the rum, syrup and the juice of a freshly squeezed lime into a glass. Stir, add ice and garnish with a lime wheel.

Simple Syrup: Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Turn off heat and dissolve 1 cup sugar.

Clockwise from top left: Rochelle Oliver is founder and managing editor of Island and Spice magazine; Jahde Marley served as moderator for “In Honor of Rum;” panelists included Christelle Harris for Hampden Estate in Jamaica; Audrey Bruisson for Rhum Clément in Martinique; Cybille St. Aude, chef and author, who spoke about Clairin; and Trudiann Branker for Mount Gay in Barbados.

Haiti
Spicy ‘Pango’ Punch

This pango rhum cocktail is all kinds of yellow — the color coming from the infused fruits of pineapple and mango. But in this recipe, those fruity flavors play a supporting role to some serious heat. If spice isn’t your thing, you can make this drink without the addition of Scotch bonnet peppers.

Ingredients:
2 oz Clairin, unaged
½ oz mango juice
1 oz pepper-infused pineapple juice
½ oz fresh lime juice
Pineapple wedge for garnish

Pepper-Infused Pineapple Juice:
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup pineapple juice

Preparation: Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Give it a quick shake and strain into Collins glass over ice. Garnish and serve.

Pepper-Infused Pineapple Juice: Slice the Scotch bonnet pepper into sections. Place the pepper and its seeds into the pineapple juice. Allow the mixture to rest between one and two hours. Strain. You can preserve the remainder in the refrigerator up to the expiration date listed on the pineapple juice container.