September 17 – Bushwacker

Blendz

Rum has greatly benefitted from the explosion of flavoured spirits, with perhaps vodka being the only alcohol that has enjoyed the expansion more. There are certainly some interesting rum-based selections out there. Here are some worth looking out for:

Cajun-Spiced Rum

Mrs. Sip picked this up for me while she was recently in New Orleans and today’s drink has inspired me to finally crack the bottle open and give it a shot. The Cajun Spiced Rum hails from the Old New Orleans Rum Distillery, which Mrs. Sip got to enjoy a tour of. We’ve all heard of spiced rums, but Cajun-spiced? Well, that’s a whole different story. If the spices do for my drink what they do for chicken, seafood, and other eats, then I think we’re in for some fun!

cajun-spiced-rum

Captain Morgan: Tattoo/Bite

The Tattoo blend of blackberries, jalapenos, and black pepper is delicious and gets my endorsement for a cheaper but delicious rum. There are mixed reviews, but Mrs. Sip and I grabbed a bottle for our room in Las Vegas recently and made short work of the liquor. As for Bite, Ma and Pa Sip brought this back from one of their travels and put it out for a party shortly thereafter. It didn’t last very long once folks got a taste of the lime-infused spirit.

Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum

Recently, I picked up a bottle of Bacardi Torched Cherry Rum, which was quite delicious with its chocolate overtone. As a bonus, attached to the bottle was a sample size of Bacardi Dragonberry Rum (soon to be presented on The Sip Advisor). I can’t wait to try this spirit, which is said to be a mix of strawberry and dragon berry fruit. I’ll keep you little sippers updated!

Malibu Fresh/Red

I’m looking forward to trying both of these Malibu offerings. Fresh combines coconut rum with mint and I think this would be perfect for mojitos, while Red adds tequila to the coconut rum the company is best known for. I like how Malibu is working hard to try different flavours and I hope they continue to pursue this route in the future.

Malibu-Red

Ron Miel Honey Rum

As a fan of honey whiskey, I can only assume that honey rum would also fare well with my palate. That lingering sweetness that honey-flavoured alcohols offer is the perfect finish to a cocktail sip and works nicely to dull the sometimes harsher tones of the liquor (whiskey or rum) itself. The added essence also makes them fun to play with in the mixology world.

Whistling Andy Hibiscus-Coconut Rum

I’m not entirely sure who Whistling Andy is, but I like his gamble of putting hibiscus and coconut together. Mrs. Sip brought back with her some hibiscus leaves from Egypt a number of years back, which we used to make juice. Now I’m thinking we should use what’s still left of the shrubbery to blend our own infused rums! Things are about to get messy!

whistling_andy_rum

Anyone else notice the perfectly placed bikini butt in the background!

Redrum

This brand infuses the liquor with mango, pineapple, coconut, and berries, which must hit the tongue from a number of different directions. I’m very curious as to how it all comes together, so if anyone wants to send me a bottle for a through taste analysis, you know where to find me. Seriously, just because it’s murder spelled backwards doesn’t scare this hombre.

Sweet Georgia Belle

This product offers an interesting blend of peach and mango, as part of a rum liqueur. Perhaps it is meant to mimic the taste of a debutant, but that sounds like the company would be bordering on some serious legal implications. Let’s just assume they got wild and crazy and threw the two fruits together hoping for the best. I hope for that, too!

Drink #260: Bushwacker

Bushwacker Drink Recipe

  • 1 oz Rum (I used Cajun Spiced)
  • 0.75 oz Kahlua
  • 0.75 oz Crème de Cacao
  • Top with half Coconut Cream and half Milk
  • Garnish with Coconut Shavings and Chocolate Sprinkles

What rum blends out there have you tried and thoroughly enjoyed or have come across and want to try, willing to give up your first born child to taste the beautiful elixir? Don’t worry, you’re far from alone!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
The Cajun Spiced Rum is quite tasty with a slight twist on the usual spiced rum concept. Between all the ingredients, you get hints of chocolate, coconut, coffee and spiced rum, all combining to make a very nice drink.

June 27 – Redneck Zombie

Dew-mocracy

We’re back to rocking and rolling with our Mountain Dew challenge and I’m having a lot of fun exploring and researching unique alcohols. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride, thus far, as well!

Captain Morgan Tattoo

While I’m not exactly sure what “Caribbean heat” means, other than the pitch speed of Dominican baseball players, I am intrigued by the idea of a Spiced Rum that leaves a little tingle. According to ads, the liquor is infused with blackberries and dashes of jalapenos and black pepper.

Captain Morgan Tattoo

Malibu Red

This alcohol would be quite similar to the Captain Morgan Tattoo, with coconut rum subbed for spiced rum and with tequila advertised as the “heat” portion of the mix. No ambiguity here! I like the experimentation the Malibu folks are willing to do, never happy to just rest on their laurels.

G’Vine Gin

This would be France’s take on gin. I love it when different countries take a shot at alcohols that are generally associated with one location. England is known for their large collection of gin options, but why can’t France play too? This libation strays from the typical juniper gin and subs in the rare green grape flower. Rare doesn’t always means good but it always means expensive!

G'Vine Gin

Absolut Exposure

I found Absolut Exposure in the Copenhagen Duty Free (hands down the best Duty Free store I’ve ever been in), where it was listed as a “Traveler’s Exclusive”. Usually exposure would be a bad thing; either meaning you got caught naked or died from hypothermia or something. In this case, it means honey melon and lemon grass… sounds about as fun as the naked thing!

X-Rated Fusion Liqueur

I could take this conversation down so many dirty paths, but you know me, I like to keep things classy (don’t look above)! This alcohol combines vodka with exotic fruits like blood oranges, mangos and passion fruit. It comes in a hot pink colour and targets women, but I don’t mind girly drinks.

Drink #178: Redneck Zombie

Redneck Zombie Cocktail

  • 1.5 oz Bacardi Limon
  • 1 oz Blue Curacao
  • Top with Mountain Dew: Voltage
  • Garnish with Pepperoni Stick and Pickle Slice

We’re close to the end of the Mountain Dew challenge and I’m still going strong. Perhaps it’s because I’m actually a redneck zombie. Or maybe I’m just having too much fun!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
This drink was pretty good. It was perfect for a warm summer afternoon and looks neat with the Blue Curacao and the Mountain Dew I used is also blue. Given the name, I decided to get a little crazy with the garnishing, grabbing a Pepperoni Stick and Pickle Slice to literally spice things up. The Voltage Mountain Dew was tasty with a blueberry flavour that didn’t overwhelm, but was very refreshing.