Summer's here and it's time to dust off those shorts, drag the BBQ out of the shed and get involved in some serious summertime slurpage. For me, nothing goes better with sunshine than a delicious rum cocktail and I learnt how to make them best in their spiritual home: Havana, Cuba (link here)! Here are some of my favourite cocktail recipes – get shaking!
The Mojito – Rum Punch – Frozen Daiquiri – Classic Daiquiri
The Mojito
These babies were born in Cuba, although their origins date back to the 16th century – invented, some say, in honour of Francis Drake! They're everywhere you go in Cuba but are super easy to make back home too.
Ingredients:
50 ml Havana Club 3 year old
Juice of half a lime
2 tsp white sugar
Handful of fresh mint (leaves only)
Sparkling water – to top up
Method:
1. Slap mint to release the aromas.
2. Place in highball glass, add sugar, lime and rum and fill the glass (preferably chilled) with ice cubes.
3. Stir all the ingredients together and top up with a splash of sparkling water.
4. Taste and adjust if needed – serve with a sprig of fresh mint (slapped, to release its smell!).
Rum Punch
We all love a tropical rum punch – accompany with a hot day and good friends and you're in for great evening. This recipe can be served individually or scaled up and served in a punchbowl! Perfect for parties.
Ingredients
50ml Havana Club 3 Year Old
Juice of half a lime
1 tsp sugar syrup
25ml pineapple juice
25ml orange juice
splash of soda
Method
1. Fill a tumbler or hurricane glass with ice, add all the ingredients and stir.
2. Serve garnished with a chunk of pineapple.
This list would be incomplete without a basic rum punch. This is a naked version of the recipe, so feel free to add a few bits and pieces for variation to make it your own. Flavour to taste. Combine 1½ oz of Havana Club 3 Year Old rum, ½ oz. lime juice, ¼ oz. simple syrup, 1 oz. pineapple, 1 oz of orange juice and a splash of soda in a pitcher or punch bowl. Mix well and add ice. Serve in hurricane glass!
The Daiquri – Frozen
El Floridita in Old Havana is famous for its frozen daiquiris – they invented them when blenders were introduced to Cuba! Ernest Hemingway himself used to drink there and they are all too gluggable indeed!
Make your own at home using the below simple El Floridita recipe!
Ingredients
60ml Havana Club 3 year old
25ml lime juice
2 tsp white sugar
5ml Maraschino
Method
1. Add crushed ice and blend in a blender!!
2. Serve in a chilled martini glass.
The Classic Daiquiri
The daiquiri was born in 1902 at an iron mine in a small town called Daiquiri, East Cuba. 2 engineers were searching the storerooms for a drink and found only rum, lemons and sugar…thus the Daiquiri was born!
Ingredient
50ml Havana Club 3 year old
25 ml fresh lime juice
2 tsp white sugar
Method
1. Shake all ingredients with ice, taste, and double strain into a coupette glass.
2. Service with a twist of lime zest.
