(Bermuda) Rum Swizzle

Saturday was one of the sweatiest days in recent memory. On one hand, it served as a fine instrument for purging the rotten alcohol in my tired bloodstream. On the other, comfort could be found only in an air conditioned breeze. Boat drinks were in order - exhibiting in one glass the feeling of tropical waters and the kiss of an ocean spray.  

I like to think that the inherent social nature of cocktails reveals an entirely alternative angle to the term “boat drinks.” It seems to me that booze notoriously eases the inhibitions of two complete strangers toward some manner of solidarity. And this solidarity (permit me to stretch a bit) can best be described as two people having that existential feeling of "being in the same boat;” hence, boat drinks.

Anyway, I'm not a tiki-bartender. But I do admire the occasional indulgence of these exhilarated flotillas of alcohol and juices. One of these attempts has been with the Rum Swizzle. 

To clarify, the addition of Gosling's or other Bermuda rum would require the salutation of "Bermuda" Rum Swizzle. But one mixes drinks with the bar that he/she has (something former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld might have been inclined to say) and I was fresh out of Bermuda rum. Life goes on. 

Rum Swizzle

- 2 oz of rum (I use Myers's Jamaican Dark Rum)
- 1 oz of fresh lemon juice
- 1 oz of fresh orange juice
- 1 oz of pineapple juice (preferably fresh)
- 1/2 oz of falernum
- 1 oz of simple syrup
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Glassware: pint glass

Pour 2 oz of dark rum into the pint glass.

Pour in 1 oz of fresh lemon juice.

Pour in 1 oz of fresh orange juice.

Pour in 1 oz of pineapple juice.

Pour in 1/2 oz of falernum.

Pour 1 oz of simple syrup and Angostura bitters.

Add ice and stir a dozen times.  Garnish with a cherry and a lime wheel.  Enjoy.

As usual, I’ve pulled a combination of recipes. One recipe for the Rum Swizzle came from Dale Degroff's legendary book The Craft of the Cocktail and the other recipe at DrinkBoy.com. It's a very bright cocktail that couldn't quite taste the same without the exotic spice of the falernum. Some sites seem to suggest grenadine is an acceptable substitute. Resist this assertion. The falernum makes the drink.

So as my friend (and professional renegade) Virginia Lee say: “boat drinks!”