LocoNut is a straight-up coconut infused variant of Captain Morgan’s perennial spiced rum. The coconut imagery hits you over the head early with a coconut shaped and styled bottle that even smells like a coconut itself (yes the bottle is like a scratch and sniff sticker). The best way to serve it is by shaking well with ice in a metal shaker and serving as shots. I recommend enjoying the shot a bit at a time versus downing it in one go: the coconut and milky flavors work well with the spiced rum base and the low 20% abv makes this a refreshing and easy to handle after dinner sipping drink. I actually made the shot for my wife and her friend that she was going out with for the night, and they both LOVED the easy drinking nature of the shot and it’s pleasing flavors. Another way to enjoy LocoNut is to mix 2 parts of it in an ice filled shaker with 1/2 part Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, serving in an ice-filled cocktail glass. This gives the drink a bit more kick and standard Captain Morgan notes.

Overall Captain Morgan’s LocoNut is a pleasing take on spiced rum that is easy and fun to drink, especially for for those who get turned off by straight liquor or liquor heavy cocktails. Plus, Loconut retails for about $15, so it is a safe bet when it comes to diversifying your home bar and bringing home something everyone will enjoy.

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I had the new Facundo Eximo on the rocks and it immediately instigated a flood of experiences that I only have with the best of the Whisky world. Eximo’s nose is highly reminiscent of top quality cognac with a rich spiciness of nutmeg notes and hints of barrel char. The palate is deep, complex, and heavy with a sweet spiciness with cinnamon coming to the forefront accented by the nutmeg found in the nose and vanilla notes lingering on the surface. Eximo finishes with a deep and pleasant sweetness with spice that bites back a bit and a deep character that begs for another sip.
Facundo Eximo has found itself comfortably in my home bar right next to some of my favorite Whiskys and it is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks, which makes perfect sense it has been barrel aged for over a decade, just the same as my other favorite barrel aged drinks. Expand your horizons and pick up Facundo Eximo for your next after-hours sipping liquor.

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For the Atlanta Falcons, I had to concoct something that represented the inner ethos of a team that is the underdog by default and striving to defeat the looming colossus before them. They are feisty and hungry yet never cocky or overbearing like the Patriots; they have no superstars other than Julio Jones yet their line up of average yet driven players have been propelled by superb coaching and a ravenous fan base. At their core the Falcons are a long shot and a risky bet yet everyone seems to be rooting for the spunky and engaging little guy.

Just like the Falcon’s coaching strategy and their season as a whole this Grilled Grapefruit Paloma takes a bit of effort but you will be rewarded with a top-tier cocktail in the end. You will need: 2 parts Hornitos Plata Tequila, 1 part fresh lime juice, ¾ part ginger sage syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, grapefruit beer to top the drink plus Grapefruit Sage sprigs.

Combine equal parts sugar and water with 1 ginger slice and 4 sage sprigs and bring to a boil to create ginger sage syrup. Allow the mixture to cool, combine all ingredients except grapefruit beer in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain the mixture into a highball glass filled with ice and top with grapefruit beer. Garnish with a grilled grapefruit slice.

For the Patriots I decided to not focus on the team as a whole for the inspiration of my cocktail but instead use the enigmatic leader Bill Belichick for the source of this creative endeavor. How do you create a crafted cocktail for a man who cuts off the sleeves of his hoodies AND wears it in front of a national audience? How do you fashion a custom creation after a leader who is not on “Instachat” or “Snapface”?

The answer is simple: A plain ole rum and coke. Belichick is a simple man with simple taste, yet he demands nothing short of excellence. Since Belichick accepts only the best of everything around him delivered in simple elegance I used the superb Cannon Beach Distillery Rum as the base of this simple yet brilliant cocktail. Cannon Beach Rum is amazing and if you want to try something a bit different make sure you give their un-aged and award winning White Rum a chance. If you are not near the distillery go to Crafted Life to get it delivered to your door.

For this Super Bowl game go for the unorthodox and create a custom cocktail for your favorite team, and if you need help serve up one of my hand crafted options.

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There are many variations of this drink but at its core it is a classic prohibition favorite that would comfortably find itself in the hands of countless ne’er-do-wells across the nation as they secretly protest temperance in the only way they could; by imbibing some of the greatest liquor the world had to offer. To make my version of this classic add 2 parts Havana Club Añejo Clásico, ¾ part Sweet Vermouth, ½ part Campari, and 2 dashes bitters to an ice-filled metal shaker, stir well and strain over an ice filled glass.

The result is a bright yet complex cocktail in both appearance and palette. It has the superb base of Havana Club Añejo Clásico accented by the rooty flavor and pop of the Campari and accented with the sweetness of the vermouth that evens everything out. This drink works perfectly as an aperitif best enjoyed as the evening is winding down while you are surrounded by great friends and family in front of a roaring fire.

Take a trip back to the sheer extravagance and glamour of the 1930s by picking up a bottle of Havana Club Añejo Clásico and creating this personal take on a classic cocktail; it is something to enjoy with company as the nights turn darker and cooler.

The post Havana Club Añejo Clásico: Relive the Glamour of the 1930’s appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

First off, on its own Bacardi 8 Años is a great sipping rum; it is very scotch-like in its smoky quality with a smooth and slightly sweet finish. I enjoyed it over ice immensely and think that it is the perfect aged rum to start with if you are looking to get in to sipping rums; it is extremely balanced, complex, and drinkable. To make Bacardi 8 into an amazing Old Fashioned combine 2 parts Bacardi 8 Años, ½ part simple syrup, 2 dashes Angostura Bitters, and ice into a metal shaker. Stir or muddle well and pour over a single spherical ice cube, garnishing with maraschino cherries. The resulting Rum Fashioned is delectably complex due to the superior smooth and aged nature of the Rum with added sweetness and herb notes imparted by the Angostura Bitters.

This Rum based Old Fashioned is a truly multi-faceted cocktail that is easy drinking and satisfying in every sip, be sure to pick up Bacardi 8 Años and start cocktailing adventurously.  

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I decided to use Havana Club Añejo Clásico as the base of a Rum Mule, a modification of my standard go to; the Moscow Mule. I poured one part Havana Club club over an ice filled pure copper cup, squeezed a couple of wedges worth of fresh lime juice, added two parts chilled Barritts Ginger Beer, a dash of bitters, and stirred gently as to agitate and mix the ingredients but not cause the Ginger Beer to foam. This Rum Mule with Havana Club as a base is something of sheer excellence; the rum is velvety smooth with hints of pineapple and apricot balancing well with the fresh lime juice and the added depth of the angostura bitters. The bite of the ginger beer compliments the rich smoothness of the rum making and extremely refreshing drink that is smooth yet has a deep complexity. The cocktail finishes clean but with the added dimension of oak and vanilla notes due to the barrel aging of the rum. The Rum Mule with Havana Club Añejo Clásic at its base hosts a variety of contrasting flavors that meld perfectly to make an amazingly refreshing and drinkable quintessential summer cocktail.

Havana Club Añejo Clásico is a superb aged rum that is 40% abv and costs only about $22 per bottle. This is the perfect dark rum to keep in your liquor cabinet this summer in order to create a bevy of sun inspired refreshing summer cocktails.  

The post Havana Club Añejo Clásico — The Rum of Summer appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

The first cocktail is The Boulevardier, a classic cocktail that dates back to the 1920’s. It’s essentially a Negroni variation that substitutes whisky for gin. For this recipe, instead of using equal parts Whisky / Campari / Vermouth, I went with the Serious Eats suggestion of upping the whisky and cutting back on the Campari and Vermouth.

The second cocktail is a variation on the classic Daiquiri. Instead of light rum, I used the Plantation Pineapple Rum Stiggins’ Fancy that Limpd and I reviewed a few months ago (the idea came from a comment that I read on Reddit). I also added an egg white because the idea of a frothy and creamy Daiquiri sounded way too good to pass up.

Since I’m very pleased with how these drinks turned out, I thought I’d share the recipes with you. If you happen to make them, please let us know how they turned out. Cheers!

The Boulevardier

• 1.5 ounces of Rye or Bourbon Whisky
• .75 ounces of Campari
• .75 ounces of Sweet Vermouth
• Orange Peel
• Preserved Cherry

Pour the Whisky, Campari, and Sweet Vermouth into a tall mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 20 seconds. Strain and pour into a chilled Martini glass, or serve over a large cube of ice in an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with the orange peel and preserved cherry.

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Frothy Pineapple Rum Daiquiri

• 2 ounces of Plantation Pineapple Rum Stiggins’ Fancy
• .75 ounces of fresh squeezed lime juice
• .5 ounces of simple syrup
• .75 ounces of egg white

Pour all of the ingredients into an empty cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously without ice until the egg white gets super frothy (about 30 seconds). Add ice and shake gently for about 15 seconds to cool the drink. Strain and pour into a Martini glass, or serve over a large cube of ice in an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

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JBF Bramble

Ingredients

• 2 parts BACARDÍ Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron
• ¾ parts lemon juice
• ¾ parts simple syrup
• ¾ parts of blackberry purée

Directions

Shake all ingredients vigorously with plenty ice, strain into a highball glass then pack it with crushed ice and drizzle blackberry purée on top. Garnish with a blackberry skewer and basil leaf.

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Ingredients:

• 2 parts BACARDÍ Superior Rum
• 4 lime wedges
• 12 fresh mint leaves
• 2 heaped tsp of caster sugar
• 1 part soda water/club soda
• Sprig of fresh mint to garnish

Directions:

Gently press together the limes & sugar. Bruise the mint leaves by clapping them between your palms, rub them on the rim of the glass and drop them in. Next, half fill the glass with crushed ice, add the BACARDÍ Superior rum & stir. Top up with crushed ice, a splash of soda and a sprig of mint.

The post The Perfect Triple Crown Drink: Sour Seer Sucker Mojito appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

I’m as guilty as the next person of seeing someone get a tequila rocks or vodka neat and passing judgment, but that all changed when I had the pleasure of sampling Mount Gay Black Barrel rum. I was in the camp that rum should be used for Tiki style drinks, but then again I’d only had garbage rum that required copious amounts of sugary mixers to hide the taste. Needless to say I was skeptical when I was told this rum could replace whiskey in classic drinks like a Manhattan, but sure enough it did and it was better than an original (disclaimer: I don’t like whiskey based mixed drinks, just a couple cubes). Then came the moment of truth, rum neat. Swallowing my initial gag reflex, as all my prior mistakes were trying to escape, I took a sip, held it in my mouth and reluctantly took it down, but for the first time in my life this reluctance stemmed from enjoyment. A door was opened and there was Gene Wilder singing to me, “come with me / and you’ll be / in a world of pure imagination.”

I suddenly had a lot of living to do and next up was to take on my arch-nemesis, tequila. My tequila experience is different from rum in that I’ve had ones I’ve regarded as nice, such as Patron, but I was left speechless by the tequila a friend chose for me to sip. It was as though it was a new type of liquor altogether and my biggest regret of the night was that I can’t recall the name on the bottle in that dark basement bar.

And while my life was forever changed during this week span and my palate awakened to flavors never before experienced my love of scotch persevered. It’s not just the taste, but also the accompanying historical aspect. It’s like reading old literature where the historical context is equally as important to the words on the page. A glass of Syndicate 58/6 over a single cube tells a story of slightly fruity notes on the tongue. While the story of re-discovered casks in Edinburgh and a recipe dating back to the early 1800s stimulate my mind.

Experiment with different liquors and don’t be scared to spend a little more money. No matter what you’re drinking at the end of the night you‘re only going to be left with the memories of the evening. So you might as well go outside your comfort zone and try new spirits and learn about their rich history along the way.

The post Enjoy Your Liquor Neat (Or On The Rocks) appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

It must be taken for as a pudding, although it is prepared in the same way as a regular omelette. The cookbook, Belgian Cuisine, describes Rum Omelettes as, ”a simple dish, much liked by gentlemen”.

You will enjoy this classy dessert and get to practice the impressive skill of flambéing…

Rum Omelettes:
Eggs 3
Milk 2tbs
Salt 1/2 tsp
Caster Sugar 2tbs + 1tbs
Rum 15ml + 20ml
Butter 2tbsp

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, 2tbs sugar and 15ml of the Rum. Beat till the sugar dissolves, the more you beat, the lighter and fluffier your omelette gets.

Melt the butter in a preferably non-stick pan. Pour in the egg mixture and evenly spread around the pan, cook over a medium-low flame. Jiggle and shake the pan, side to side, to prevent the omelette from sticking.

When the omelette is cooked, and just a tiny bit slimy on the top, fold the omelette over. Now be quick, sprinkle the omelette over with the tablespoon of caster sugar. Turn your heat up to high and pour the rum over the omelette and some onto the pan so that it splutters. Let the flame from your range ignite the spluttering rum. Let it flambé and immediately put it in your plate whilst it is still alight.

If you possess an electric cooking range, use a flame torch, match or lighter to ignite the rum. Heating the rum beforehand will make it easier.

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To help celebrate, we wanted to share two new recipes for our fans to enjoy this weekend.  While we could go on about the fundamentals of enjoying the rum neat or in simple cocktails, we gave both of these drinks a shot and felt that the spirit was well defined and enhanced in their own, unique ways.  Working with BACARDI and Mount Gay Rums, we have for you two recipes, one using the clear rum Bacardi Superior, and the other using the dark Black Barrel rum from Mount Gay.  What better way to celebrate than with a drink or two and different types of rum?

• 1 ½ parts Bacardi superior
• 1 part Goya guava nectar
• ¾ part fresh squeeze lime juice
• ¾ part coffee scented simple syrup*
• 5 cilantro leafs
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions: Place all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and shake until the ingredients are well combined, then strain the mixture through a small mesh strainer or tea strainer into a cocktail glass. Garnish with freshly grated espresso bean.

* To make the coffee scented simple syrup, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil, blanch 1 cup of espresso beans into the water for approximately 30 seconds, strain the espresso beans, add 1 cup of sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Preparation – The night before serving, freeze two large blocks of ice. Either a quart container or something larger will work.
Ingredients

•  1/2 cups sugar
• 2 quarts water
• 1 quart lemon juice
• 2 quarts Mount Gay Black Barrel (w tried it with Extra Old as we drank all the Black Barrel)
• 1 quart Remy VSOP
• 4 ounces peach brandy – Sub Peach

Instructions: In a large bowl, stir together 1 quart water and the sugar until dissolved. Add Rum, Cognac, Lemon Juice and remaining Water. Stir until the color is consistent. Add the large blocks of ice as you can procure. Let the punch sit in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with Lemon Wheels.

The post It’s Time to Celebrate Rum appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

A classic drink often seen on the hit show Mad Men, the perfect rum old fashioned is a great way to end the day, combining the cleansing citrus of orange and the deep molasses of good aged rum.  For this recipe, we recommend the Mount Gay Extra Old, a classic dark rum with amazing flavor and perfect for this classic cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 1 short glass
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• 1/2 Jigger of simple syrup
• 2 Jigger of Mount Gay Extra Old Rum
• 3 ice cubes/1 shaped ice block
• Orange twist

To start, we recommend chilling the glass while collecting ingredients by filling it with ice.  Once ready and properly chilled, dump the ice and add 1 dash of bitters.  Swirl this around the glass to coat the sides evenly, coming up about 2/3 to the top.  From here, add a 1/2 jigger of simple syrup and first jigger of rum, and stir together for a few seconds.  Add the second jigger of rum, then the ice and stir one more time.  Layered flavor is the name of this drink.  Finally, take the orange twist, spritz above the glass and rub the peel on the inner edge of the glass before garnishing.

A simple cocktail with amazing layers of flavor, we recommend relaxing with it in your favorite chair overlooking your domain.

The post The Perfect Rum Old Fashioned appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

When I was first exposed to this rum, I was in Barbados at the distillery for a tour.  It was on my honeymoon.  At the time, I didn’t know I loved rum, but then I was exposed to Extra Old, to something other then the moonshine quality I had been buying before, and my eyes were opened wide.  I was hooked on this delicious spirit, and might go as far as to say it was my true introduction to the finer sides of alcohol sampling and enjoyment.

Now, I highlight this trip for a reason.  I came back from Barbados with a few bottles for my enjoyment, and then my marriage went sour, and I looked at these bottles with a sort of sad reminder.  It was not their fault, but they sat on my shelf neglected from my enjoyment throughout the period of separation.  Ironic isn’t it?  Some might dive further in, but I held back as I didn’t want to ruin that amazing memory of discovering this rum.  I ended up passing off the bottles to a friend as I rebuilt my life.

Fast forward a year, and I feel it’s time to open that door again.  I had been craving a sipping rum, especially as the temperatures were climbing, and knew exactly which bottle was going to fulfill that craving.  Enter in a brand new bottle of Mount Gay Extra Old, added back in its place on my shelf.

Opening it again, the gentle floral notes are present, with a slight vanilla and dark caramel favor revealing itself with the taste.  Hints of bourbon linger on the undercurrent, and the final reveal is almost amber honey in characteristics.  The taste is warm at first, perfect for the cool evenings on my patio, and the spike from the alcohol in the back of the jowls are subdued by that caramel and vanilla note.  The final bitterness remaining rolls off with a hint again of bourbon.

I missed this rum.  By no means is it the most complex flavored fum, but fits extremely well with my goal of wanting a classic sipping rum on my shelf.  Priced right as well, it’s a solid staple for any bar and can provide a solid base to classic cocktails, or just be served clean on the rocks or neat.  During the summer, a sliver of lime would do wonders to keep the mouth clean and crisp.

Is it what I remember?  Yes, in every way.  It hit the right notes of that memory for me, gave me that fulfillment that I sought in the flavors and simplicity.  I love this rum with 3 rocks, sitting on my patio taking in the sun with my dog by my side.  It’s a welcome closure to long days.

Welcome back to my life, old friend.

To learn where to buy Mount Gay rums, and their history, head to www.mountgayrum.com.

The post A reintroduction to Mount Gay Extra Old Rum appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

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Not all that long ago, Mrs. G-LO left me home alone with The Boys (aka our two sons) on a Saturday night so that she could attend a bridal shower / bachelorette party for my future sister in law in Atlantic City. As luck would have it, The Boys were a bit tired that night, so both of them were asleep by around 9PM. Since I knew that Mrs. G-LO would be out for quite some time, I decided to take advantage of the situation and sat down to finally review the two Papa’s Pilar Rum samples shown in the above photo which I received from RoBro Marketing.

Although I have always been a fan of a well crafted Rum cocktail, I can’t say that I’ve spent much time drinking it straight, so when I started to do a bit of research about these Papa’s Pilar Rums (i.e. a bit of Googling), I was curious to see how they would hold up on their own. Here is what I was able to find out:

• Pilar was the name of Ernest Hemingway’s boat, a customized 1934 Wheeler Playmate Cruiser.
• The Papa’s Pilar Rum brand was co-created in 2009 by Miami advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
• There is no Papa’s Pilar Rum distillery. The Rums used to make Papa’s Pilar are sourced from distilleries in Florida, The Caribbean, and Central America.
• Papa’s Pilar Blonde and Dark Rums are created using a Solera aging and blending process that involves aging in Bourbon barrels and Port wine casks followed by finishing in Spanish Sherry casks.

At around 9:30, I started nosing the Papa’s Pilar Blonde and was instantly intrigued by the aromas. As I have already mentioned, I don’t have any experience with Rum tasting, so I quickly decided to recruit Limpd for some help and a second opinion. After a quick round of back and forth text messages, Limpd popped over at around 10:30 to assist with the review.

Here are our results…

Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum

• ABV: 42%
• Appearance: Pale blonde color that reminded us of a Pinot Grigio or perhaps a Ginger Ale. Lots of thick slow moving legs form after giving it a swirl in the glass.
• Aroma
  • Limpd: Slightly medicinal with a witch hazel or menthol like quality. Once you get past the alcohol, it turns sweet with hints of simple syrup, vanilla, and caramel.
  • G-LO: Very sweet and citrusy with lemon and lime zest, vanilla, whipped cream, and light brown sugar.
• Taste
  • Limpd: A fair amount of cinnamon and black pepper spice at the onset. Syrupy sweetness kick in at mid-palate. Ends with a lingering Red Hot candy finish.
  • G-LO: Light and somewhat watery mouthfeel. A bit of alcohol burn at the start. Once you get past the alcohol, you get a vanilla buttercream sweetness. Lemon zest shows up at mid-palate along with a mild chile pepper heat. It all comes together in the end, i.e. vanilla creaminess, citrus, and a bit more heat. Medium finish with a lingering light brown sugar and vanilla sweetness.

Conclusion: We both found the Papa’s Pilar Blonde to be much more interesting than we expected. Most white Rums that we’ve tried straight tend to be a bit one dimensional, but this stuff has a delightfully layered flavor profile which we’re sure has a great deal to do with the Solera process. We could totally see ourselves sipping this Rum on occasion, or using it to create a really delicious cocktail.

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Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum

• ABV: 43%
• Appearance: Antique copper or chestnut color. Again, lots of thick slow moving legs form after giving it a swirl in the glass.
• Aroma
  • Limpd: Medicinal at first followed by toffee, cinnamon, and vanilla.
  • G-LO: Rich and aromatic with hints of dark brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and dried fruit. Very Banana’s Fosterish.
• Taste
  • Limpd: Tastes a lot like the aged rums that I’ve sampled. The Port Wine and Sherry influence is readily apparent. A little woody with sweet vanilla, cherries, and then a little licorice showing up in the finish which doesn’t last very long.
  • G-LO: Somewhat thicker mouthfeel with a touch of oiliness. Very sweet with an almost nutty quality. I’m thinking roasted hazelnuts. Mellow and easy drinking with just a hint of cinnamon bite showing up in the finish. Picked up some dried figs in the aftertaste.

Conclusion: It’s funny how expectations work! We thought for sure that we would have preferred the Dark Rum over the Blonde Rum, but it turns out that the opposite is true. While there was absolutely nothing wrong with the Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum, we both found it to be a touch too sweet for our taste.

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I guess when it comes to Papa’s Pilar Rum, the gentlemen preferred Blonde.

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