"America's Native Spirit" is good-old
bourbon whiskey, which has roots back to the days shortly after the American Revolution, but it was rum that "fed" the colonists for years before that. So, while we're celebrating the Fourth of July this weekend it seems most appropriate that if you want to drink like those patriots who founded the country,
rum is the spirit of choice.
Rum was once the liquor of the colonies because it could survive the long import trips across the seas better than beer or wine. Drinks like Navy Grog (rum, lime, sugar and water) and Eggnog were influenced by the British and over the years others like the Planter's Punch, Black Stripe and Hot Buttered Rum became popular among the new Americans. Rum was cheap and for the most part still is and the colonies even took to importing molasses for their own New England distilleries. In a nutshell, rum fueled the revolution so to speak and if you want to get an in depth look at the spirit the best source is Wayne Curtis' book And a Bottle of Rum.
And on to some Independence Day rum cocktail suggestions... These selections are slightly more interesting and tasty than the Grog of old and many are true classic cocktails which have stood the test of time while a few others have captured our tastes recently and can be called the "new classics."
You have to love the freedom of a holiday like the Fourth of July when it falls on the weekend. You don't have to worry about going to work the next day or working two days, off for one then returning to dredge through a couple more days. No, this year the parties will start on Friday with a bang (literally) and have the entire weekend to wind up and slow back down.
I know a lot of people like to take it slow over the Fourth with a leisurely backyard barbecue, maybe some time on the beach, a little camping trip and, of course, gazing at the sky during a fireworks show. I'll get to some drinks for those people tomorrow. Today we're talking about the real party crowd, those who enjoy a shot every now and then. For these people I have three great shooters to show off your patriotism.
First off is the Firecracker (pictured). This golden shooter of tequila, Goldschlager and Rumple Minze has gold flakes floating around like tiny sparks and the bang of a 100-proof, minty liqueur with a southern background. It's powerful, bold and looks good in the glass - exactly what many regular shot drinkers are looking for.
Then I have two very similar shooters for you. Both are layered with the colors of the American flag, contain a fruity mix as they're going down and relatively gentle in comparison to the more explosive shooters. For the Fourth of July you'll be floating grenadine, vodka and blue curacao on each other in that order and with the Red, White and Blue you'll go with grenadine, peach schnapps and blue curacao. Notice the only difference is vodka versus peach schnapps for the "white" layer. The choice is a matter of whether or not you want to go a little peachy and what you have in the liquor cabinet at the time.
As on any day of the year, shots and shooters are fun but please keep in mind that you will get drunk. If you're going to have fun with this think ahead and designate a driver, call a cab or stay where you are. Summer holiday weekends see some of the highest rates of drunk driving and it's better to be safe than sorry.
