8 Red Leg Spiced Rum Cocktails You Can Easily Make at Home!

Image credit: Blake Acaster

For the uninitiated, crafting a well balanced cocktail at home can be an overwhelming task! Why even bother when you can crack open a crisp wine for your next house party? There’s always a time for wine, but we’re also firm believers in the merits of making something for your guests, and it doesn’t have to be complicated! Using minimal ingredients, a small shopping list and the smallest stock of equipment, you too can be the life of your next house party! We’ve teamed up with Red Leg Spiced Rum and Franklin & Sons mixers to show you just how easy it can be to make some delicious beverages! 

Franklin & Sons have a vast array of mixers to elevate your cocktail game without adding stress to the crafting of your drink or breaking the bank. Spiced rum provides a fantastic base for low-ingredient cocktails, as they’re full of spices and sugars that might otherwise be lost in a “simple three ingredient cocktail.” Red Leg blends their aged rum with sweet vanilla and ginger, and these deliciously layered flavours form the basis for today’s cocktails.

You can find Red Leg Spiced Rum Here: Master of Malt - £23
ABV: 37.5%
Size: 700ml

You can find Franklin & Sons here: Franklin & Sons Shop

Making Cocktails at Home

Making cocktails at home doesn’t have to be difficult, and you don’t have to spend crazy money to do it! Here’s some equipment that might be useful, and some cheap alternatives that will work perfectly fine on your kitchen counter: 

• A cocktail shaker is ideal, but in a pinch it can be replaced with a strong mason jar. 

• Strainers are essential behind a busy bar, but at home, you’ll do just as well with a mesh sieve. 

• Many cocktails need to be stirred with a bar-spoon, but using the long end of a normal spoon should do just fine. Pro Tip: Chopsticks do a wonderful job at stirring down a drink. 

• Crushed ice - cubed ice, a bag and a hammer will do wonders.

• Lovely glassware is great, and use the recommended glasses in this article as a guide, but use whatever you have at home. It’s supposed to be fun.

• Simple syrups. These can be store-bought but are cheaper to make at home. Simply combine equal parts sugar (white, brown or demerara) with hot water and dissolve. You’ve got a homemade syrup ready to impress! Fresh is always best.

Without any further ado, here’s… 

8 Simple Cocktails you Can Make At home

Caribbean Mule 

Image credit: Blake Acaster

This crisp, refreshing twist on the classic mule cocktail will keep your thirst quenched all summer long. Rum, lime and ginger beer is about as timeless a cocktail as you’re likely to get, and using a good spiced rum is a way to add complexity to the classic cocktail without overpowering it. For the best mule, always always use fresh lime, and muddle them into the glass to extract not only the juice from the lime, but the oils from the zest for added character. 

Ingredients: 
50ml Red Leg Spiced Rum
4 Lime Wedges 
Franklin & Sons Ginger Beer

Method:
Muddle the limes in a copper mug (or a “mule mug”) and then add ice. Add the rum and fill with Franklin & Sons Ginger beer. Pull all the ingredients through with a spoon and serve. 
Optional Garnish: Mint and lime.

Spiced Ginger Julep

Image credit: Blake Acaster

Keeping up the theme of frosty classics served in unique vessels, this Spiced Ginger Julep is sure to leave your guests wanting more! Franklin & Sons’ Mandarin and Ginger soda adds a delightful freshness to this drink that one might not find in a classic julep, without skipping out on any of the alcohol content. Vanilla, ginger, mandarin and mint is a match made in pirate heaven! 

Ingredients: 
50ml Red Leg Spiced Rum 
Handful of Mint
Franklin & Sons Ginger and Mandarin

Method:
Add all ingredients to a tin mug (or Julep Mug) and fill with crushed ice. Mix well to incorporate the mint and serve once ice cold and frosty. 
Optional Garnish: Mint Bouquet. 

Beachcombers' Hi-Ball 

Image credit: Blake Acaster

Did you know the classic Zombie cocktail was created by a legendary bartender (and avid rum-loving swashbuckler) who went by ‘Donn the Beachcomber’? The old recipe called for a secret blend of rum, spices and grapefruit. We’ve created this easy sipping ode to the Tiki giants of the past as a way to enjoy some of the exotic flavours of Polynesian paradise, without needing 14 ingredients and a flash blender. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
50ml Red Leg Spiced Rum 
Franklin & Sons Grapefruit Soda
10ml Grenadine

Method:
Add rum and grapefruit soda into your funkiest tall glass, filled with crushed ice. Pop in a straw and top with more crushed ice to create an ice-layer, then drizzle the grenadine over the top. 
Optional Garnish: Cinnamon, mint, grapefruit. Umbrella, cherry, pineapple. Get Tiki! Go crazy! 

Sky High Mai Tai

Image credit: Blake Acaster

Even more Tiki! With this Sky High Mai Tai, you’ll be sure to host unforgettable evenings. The classic flavours of rum, lime and almond are balanced beautifully into this summery hi-ball cocktail consisting of Red Leg Spiced Rum, fresh lime (always fresh) and the decidedly Tiki Pineapple and Almond Soda from Franklin & Sons. If you’ve tried a Mai Tai before and found it to be a little on the strong side, we implore you to give it a second chance in the form of this cocktail.

Ingredients: 
50ml Red Leg Spiced Rum 
15ml Fresh lime Juice
Franklin & Sons Pineapple and Almond Soda

Method:
Add cubed ice to a classy hi-ball glass, then simply add all your ingredients and mix with a spoon. 
Optional Garnish: Single, elegant pineapple leaf.

Light n’ Breezy

Image credit: Blake Acaster

It’s incredible how much variance you can get with ingredients as simple as rum and ginger. This time, we’re swapping out the muddled lime for the deeply herbaceous Angostura Bitters, and the much lighter Franklin & Sons’ Ginger Ale, creating an easy-going, ‘light n’ breezy’ cocktail that you’re bound to come back to again and again!

Ingredients:
50ml Red Leg Spiced Rum 
Franklin & Sons Ginger Ale 
Angostura Bitters

Method:
Another super simple hi-ball cocktail. Add cubed ice to a gorgeous hi-ball, the rum and fill with ginger ale, mix well. Dash 2-3 drops of angostura on top to create a stunning aromatic layer.

Lychee-Guava Spritz

Image credit: Blake Acaster

This surprising combination of vanilla, ginger, lychee, guava and lime has all the complexity of a high-end cocktail with almost none of the work involved. If you don’t believe us, you’ll just have to try it for yourself. Sometimes the most contrasting ingredients make the most fun cocktails, as is this case with this globe-trotting spritz that’ll equally delight and amaze your guests! 

Ingredients: 
50ml Red Leg Spiced Rum 
50ml Lychee Juice 
Franklin & Sons Guava and Lime Soda

Method:
Add all ingredients to a chilled, iced wine glass. The simplest cocktails are often the most delicious… 
Optional Garnish: Powdered Sugar painted on the glass (as pictured) 

Red Leg Daiquiri

Image credit: Blake Acaster

Classic cocktails are often much more simple than the average person expects. The Daiquri has a rich history, dating back hundreds of years and actually originating in the Royal Navy, rather than some sort of old-timey cocktail bar. The drink has stood the test of time, and Red Leg Spiced Rum adds an extra spiced kick to this simple classic. You can’t go wrong with rum, lime and sugar. 

Ingredients: 
50ml Red Leg Spiced Rum 
25ml Lime Juice
20ml Demerara Syrup

Method:
Add all ingredients to a shaker, or a mason jar. Shake hard until chilled then strain into a coupe glass.

Red Leg Espresso Martini

Image credit: Blake Acaster

Espresso Martinis are unbeatable all year round cocktails! If you’ve reached this far into this article, you’re probably ready for a brew, and we have just the tipple for you! A potent blend of spiced rum, coffee liqueur and cold brew coffee makes for a well-balanced twist on the Espresso Martini. Remember to shake hard until it’s foamy and delightfully textured. Store-bought cold brew will do the trick, but nothing beats an Espresso Martini with top-notch homemade coffee. 

Ingredients: 
35ml Red Leg Spiced Rum 
25ml Coffee Liqueur
75ml Cold Brew Coffee

Method:
As above… Add all ingredients to a shaker, or a mason jar. Shake hard until chilled then strain into a coupe glass. 
Optional Garnish: Coffee Beans

You’re now armed to the teeth with eight delightful spiced rum cocktails. One bottle, infinite combinations. What are you waiting for? Call up your besties; happy mixing! 

By Miley Kendrick

The Best Rum Cocktails for Summer

When it comes to kicking back, shutting your eyes and feeling the bliss of the sun on your skin, the cocktail most people want plonked in front of them involves rum. Nothing quite captures the essence of tropical paradise like it, and with a variety of styles, it’s easy to bring your own twist.

Pool lounging, garden parties, outdoor bars, picnics or simply sat by a sunny window, these rum cocktails get you in that easy-going sun-kissed mood. We’ve included some classic favourites that are tailor made for this time of year, as well as some playful twists.

Mojito

Sometimes the obvious choice is obvious for a reason. Cuba’s favourite serve might not be quite as simple as lumping ingredients together, but with only a touch of muddling required and simple ingredients, it’s well worth it. Rum, mint and lime create the ultimate refresher; a breezy, fresh timeless favourite to cool you down and unwind.

Ingredients
50ml white rum
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp sugar/ 15ml sugar syrup
A handful of mint leaves
Soda water
Garnish: mint

 Method
Crush mint leaves with lime juice and sugar syrup. Add ice and rum, then top with soda water. Stir gently, garnish with mint, and enjoy the essence of summer relaxation.

Top Tip: Never slice or dice the mint, always crush the leaves gently to unlock all those flavoursome oils.

Strawberry & Basil Mojito

This variation screams summer. We’re swapping the mint for basil and of course if we’re doing that, strawberry is getting involved. The best method for including strawberries is via a simple syrup – see the method. The lime remains to bring that vivid tang and the basil brings that fragrant herbal sweetness. If a cocktail is ever to put a smile on your face, it’s this one.

Ingredients
50ml white rum
5 basil leaves
15ml lime juice
20ml strawberry syrup
Soda water
Garnish: basil sprig and strawberry slices

 Method
It’s very easy to make the strawberry syrup by adding water, sugar and strawberries to a pan in the ratio 1:1:1/2. 12 or so minutes of medium cooking will dissolve and infuse everything, before straining into a jar. Use once cool or refrigerate for up to a month. Other than that, it’s a classic mojito method – muddle the basil gently with the syrup and lime juice, pour in your rum whilst adding ice and top up with soda water. Delish.

Piña Colada

Another icon that we just can’t leave out. This sunny serve also involves three bold flavours working together –coconut, pineapple and rum. The Piña Colada is a perfect summer companion, blending the rich flavours of aromatic coconut cream with the tangy sweetness of pineapple juice. It’s a drink that transports you straight to a sunny beach with every sip, making it a favourite for poolside lounging or any summer gathering. Use fresh juice if possible! A proper taste of tropical paradise in a glass.

Ingredients
60ml white rum
60ml coconut cream
120ml crushed pineapple/pineapple juice
Garnish: pineapple wedge

Method
Blend all ingredients with ice until smooth. Pour into a chilled glass, garnish with a pineapple wedge, and serve. Just be aware that if your blender isn’t the best, you may need to use crushed ice.

Bushwacker

In a similar vein to the Colada is the Bushwacker. With its sweetness, the Piña Colada feels indulgent sure, but if you want even more of a dessert-style indulgent sipper, we’re gonna need chocolate. Crème de cacao, coconut cream and milk bring that boozy milkshake feel, and swapping out white for dark rum layers it up with those richer, caramelly notes. What a treat.

 Ingredients
30ml dark rum
30ml creme de cacao
60ml milk
60ml coconut cream
Garnish: chocolate shavings

Method
As long as you have a blender, this couldn’t be simpler. Blend everything with a small amount of ice and bring these out instead of (or alongside) dessert to delight guests.

Strawberry Daiquiri

The original is a classic, but with strawberries being such a symbol of the British Summer, we’re going for this much-loved berry riff. The key here is to avoid the cursed super sweet slush puppies some bars serve. If you use delicious, ripe strawberries then they bring natural sugars, so we can go easy on the syrup.

Ingredients
60ml light rum
50g strawberries
20ml lime juice
10ml syrup
Strawberry or lime (optional garnish)

Method
Add everything to a blender with ice but make sure to double strain over your glass when serving. Witness that enchanting red hue and dive in.

Dark ’n Stormy

This spicy and refreshing mix of dark rum and ginger beer is perfect for a summer evening as the sun sets. A splash of lime juice adds the perfect zing, and the background ginger tingles your tastebuds. The Dark ’n Stormy is known for its distinctive layering, where the dark rum floats atop the ginger beer, creating a dramatic appearance that’s as striking as its flavour. It’s a simple yet sophisticated cocktail that’s both bold and refreshing... and it cure seasickness... possibly.

 Ingredients
50ml dark rum (Goslings Black Seal for traditionalists)
80ml ginger beer
20ml lime juice (optional)
Lime wedge (garnish)

Method
Probably the easiest cocktail to make – add your ginger beer over ice and top up with dark rum! 

Zombie

Legend goes that one hungover man at a bar in 1934 ordered this and became zombified for the rest of the day – take a look at the ingredients and you’ll see why. It might be a tiki classic but it isn’t for the faint-hearted or for light summer sipping – though it certainly has its place. A trio of rums each bring a layer of complexity which is given an intense punch of complex spice from the falernum liqueur. Tropical juices and brandy complete a punch style cocktail with powerful flavours everywhere you look.

Ingredients
30ml dark rum
30ml light rum
20ml overproof rum
10ml falernum liqueur
30ml lime juice
20ml pink grapefruit juice
15ml apricot brandy
30ml pineapple juice
10ml grenadine
Pinch of salt (optional)
Garnish: orange slice/maraschino cherry/sprig of mint/pineapple wedge

Method
Shake all ingredients except the overproof rum with ice, strain over fresh ice, and float the overproof rum on top. Garnish as desired. Enjoy… with caution.

Mai Tai

Sticking with the tiki theme as it’s perfect for summer, this treasure traditionally involves tonnes of homemade creations but nowadays, you can make things easier for yourself. The warmth of the rum is perfectly complemented by the almond sweetness of orgeat syrup and the bright citrus notes of lime and orange liqueur, making it a sophisticated yet fun drink.

 Ingredients
60ml blended rum (like Appleton)
20ml lime juice
20ml orgeat syrup
15ml orange liqueur
Garnish: mint sprig

Method
Shake all ingredients with crushed ice until the shaker frosts. Strain over fresh crushed ice, garnish with a mint sprig, and serve. All tiki decorations welcome.

These are some summer specific rum serves, but if you’re after more and you don’t care what season they’re suited to, take a look at 7 Delicious Rum Cocktails.

Snoop Dogg & Dr Dre Bring Gin & Juice Cocktails to the UK

When you have a hit song called Gin & Juice, it’s surely only a matter of time before you join the pantheon of celebrity drinks. It’s been 30 years since Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg released the tune on their album Doggystyle, and after launching in the US, the ready-to-go cocktails inspired by it are making waves in the UK.

The new Gin & Juice comes in four refreshing flavours: Citrus, Melon, Passionfruit, and Apricot. Each flavour boasts an all-natural blend, ensuring a unique and delightful experience. The Citrus option is described as a citrus-forward blend, balanced by rose and other soft botanicals, while Melon offers a smooth melon taste, with complexity evoked via crisp citrus and lush hibiscus. Apricot presents a mellow flavour with a hint of honey and aromatic bergamot, and Passionfruit delivers a tropical punch with refreshing pineapple notes.

Each can of Gin & Juice is naturally low in sugar and calories, with only 2 grams of sugar and 95 calories per 250ml serving. Made with real fruit juice, the drinks contain no artificial colours or flavours and are subtly carbonated with a 5.9% ABV – perfect for light and breezy summer drinks.

The packaging, designed by the renowned artist and industrial designer Ini Archibong, reflects the West Coast lifestyle that Dre and Snoop are famous for. Fans can find these premium gin-based cocktails at nearly 1000 UK independent retailers, on-premises locations, summer music festivals, and online at www.bydreandsnoop.com and Amazon.

Snoop and Dr. Dre have both mentioned how they’ve been involved from the ground up, taking their passion and friendship in music and applying it to drinks, but they also had help from Patrick Halbert, Andrew Gill, and Rocco Milano, the creators of On The Rocks Cocktails.

As you might expect, the launch party was quite the event. Hosted at Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace in London on July 18, 2024, all the founders and team were present alongside a host of stars such as Idris Elba, footballers Jude Bellingham and Virgil van Dijk and many more stars, including a surprise performance from Eminem.

Ready-to-drink cocktails are increasingly competitive, but with two of the biggest names in hip-hop behind it, as well as a legendary song and some delicious flavours, Gin & Juice looks set to be another hit for the iconic duo.

One Drink, Three Ways: El Mayor Reposado

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join us as we take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves that you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, we help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

Up in the Jalisco Highlands, Destiladora Gonzales has been in production for more than 150 years, producing hand-made premium tequila under the esteemed El Mayor name.

Aged in white oak for a minimum of nine months, their reposado has developed an elegant structure, deep, balanced taste and divine smoothness. Baking spices, rich caramel and a herbal kiss layer up for a benchmark creation. It’s absolutely worth exploring it solo, but of course when it comes to tequila, the thought of a cocktail is never too far away. So, without further ado, let us introduce three simple yet stunning El Mayor reposado cocktails for you to try…

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El Mayor Paloma

Ingredients:
50ml El Mayor Tequila Reposado
25ml Pink Grapefruit Juice
15ml Lime Juice
10ml Agave Syrup
50ml Pink Grapefruit Soda

Super refreshing with a citrus and agave burst! A perfect summertime sipper. Method: Shake the tequila, pink grapefruit juice, lime and agave in a shaker with ice. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice and top up with grapefruit soda. Give a gentle stir to integrate the flavours. Cheers.

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El Mayor Spicy Margarita

Ingredients:
50ml El Mayor Tequila Reposado
25ml Orange Liqueur
25ml Lime Juice
5ml Agave Syrup
2 Sprigs of Coriander
1 Slice of Red Chilli 

Incredibly moreish with a mouth-watering spice, agave nectar and chipotle tequila flavour. Method: Muddle the chilli and coriander in the base of a shaker before adding all of the other ingredients. Shake with ice and fine strain into a tumbler glass filled with ice. Sip with a kick!

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El Mayor Negroni

Ingredients:
60ml El Mayor Tequila Reposado
30ml Campari
30ml Sweet Vermouth
15ml Orange Zest Simple Syrup

For something more brooding, try this dark, bitter and intense Tequila Negroni. It’s the perfect end of night serve that is super simple to make. Method: Fill your cocktail glass with ice and stir together the Campari, El Mayor, vermouth, and syrup until chilled. Strain into a chilled rocks glass with ice, garnish with an orange wheel or slice, and you’re ready to go.

Like this? Check our other One Drink, Three Ways pieces here.

Cheers to Uniqueness: 6 Must-Try Highball Cocktails You've Probably Never Heard Of

The gin & tonic, the whisky soda, and the rum & coke are all incredibly well-known two-ingredient highballs, and for good reason. They are simple, effective, and delicious ways to enjoy a good drink that even the laziest of home bartenders can execute well.

There are, however, many a two-ingredient highball that are lesser known for their polarising nature of “that shouldn’t work, but it does.” In fact, these highballs more often than not, are some of my favourites!

FERNET & COKE

This iconic highball goes by many names (Fernet con Coca, Fernando, Fernandito, 70/30, Bladis, and more) and is a firm favourite of many bartenders. The drink originates from Argentina, specifically the college town of Cordoba, where in the 1980s, college students would choose to drink it on their nights out. The drink gained traction owing to an advertising campaign from Fratelli Branca.

But how did an Italian amaro become a staple in Argentinian drinking culture? In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a mass immigration of Europeans to Argentina, and Italian immigrants brought with them a taste of home in the form of the potent bittersweet profile of amari.

This 2 ingredient highball packs a punch, with Fernet Branca bringing bracing bitterness and endless complexity to the party. The Coca-Cola alleviates the harsh bitterness with a syrupy sweetness and the notes of oak, coffee, and sarsaparilla compliment the fernet incredibly.

RECIPE:
50ml Fernet Branca
Top with Cola of choice

Serve in a highball glass with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

LAGAVULIN & COKE - SMOKY COKEY

Legendary whisky writer Dave Broom created this two-ingredient drink while researching for his 2014 book Whisky: The Manual. The drink arose during a larger project of finding the best mixer for each malt whisky. Broom tested highballs with everything from still and soda waters to various teas.

While Dave Broom is correctly accredited for the creation of this cocktail, it was Colin Dunn, former Diageo Whisky Ambassador who made this drink the contemporary classic it has become today. At 2000 Feis Ile (Islay Whisky Festival), Dunn served 35ml of Lagavulin 16 topped with almost flat, room-temperature Coca-Cola in a martini glass with a twist of lemon. Then at the 2016 World Class Global Finals, he served the Smoky Cokey as a highball.

Nowadays, it is drunk by whisky lovers across the globe and has evolved from strictly Lagavulin (although it remains the correct choice for traditionalists) to any Single Malt or Blended Scotch with a strong peated character.

Recipe:
50ml Lagavulin 16
Top with Cola of Choice
Serve in a highball glass filled with ice.

Top Tip:
Adding a dash of Angostura Bitters and serving with a lemon twist adds extra complexity and freshness to the nose respectively.

CAMPARI & ORANGE JUICE - GARIBALDI

Like many other drinks that have stood the test of time, the Garibaldi has unknown origins. Although we may not know how, we do know why the two-ingredient drink came to be. The Garibaldi is named after Guisseppe Garibaldi, a figurehead in the Italian unification and independence. The vibrant red-orange hue of the drink matched the red shirts of the Garibaldini and heroes two icons of Italian drinking culture - the red bitter aperitif, and the humble orange.

The drink was not well known outside of Italian drinking and was on a downturn on home soil as well. On the verge of falling into obscurity, it was Naren Young who brought this drink back from the clutches of the void by starring the drink on the menu of Dante during its 2015 opening. The drink has since been enjoying another moment in the spotlight, but this time, on a global scale.

While the bracing bitterness and bright red colour of Campari are backbones to the appeal of this drink, the real star of the show is the orange juice. The orange juice is blended to make it fluffy, and helps in tempering the bitterness of the red aperitif.

RECIPE
50ml Campari (Or Italian Red Bitter aperitif of choice)
Top with Fluffy Orange Juice
Garnish with an Orange Wedge

NEGRONI & LAGER - NEGRONI PERFECTA

Although not technically a two-ingredient drink, the way I have always been taught to drink one is to order a negroni and a beer as a boilermaker. Once your negroni is about ¾ ways finished, you pour your remaining beer into the negroni glass to create a third drink out of your original two.

No one knows where this tradition comes from, but rumour has it that construction workers having a liquid lunch are responsible for its creation. As is the case with many highballs featuring beer, the origin is normally blue-collar workers finding a way to expedite the inebriated effects of their post-work tipples.

Regardless of its murky origin, the Negroni Perfecta is a juicy, refreshing beer cocktail that deserves much more love than it receives.

Recipe:
1 Negroni
1 Beer
Sip on both drinks until there is only about a quarter of the Negroni left. Top residual negroni with remaining beer. Best enjoyed after a busy Friday night bar shift!

APEROL & MILLER HIGH LIFE

Another beer-based highball with similar - if not much more modern - origins. American bartenders recently (around 2017) started adding a shot of Aperol into their post-shift bottle of Miller High Life. This eventually caught on and has now been published in several cocktail menus across North America.

Adding a splash of lemon juice makes it a “Spaghett”, while adding a splash of orange juice makes it a “Bromosa”. All three variations of this are delicious, refreshing, and ever so slightly bitter, with just enough dryness from the citrus to make you go back for another sip.

Even if Miller High Life is not available where you are, this drink is delicious with any light, crisp lager that sits around the 4.5% ABV mark.

Recipe:
25ml Aperol
1 Bottle (12 Oz) Miller High Life
Add the Aperol to the beer and serve

TENNESSEE WHISKEY & MOUNTAIN DEW

Now, before anyone raises any eyebrows at me, this is the way the creators of Mountain Dew intended for it to be drunk. Mountain Dew was created by Tennessee Whiskey sibling duo, Ally and Barney Hartman in the early 1940s who were irked by a lack of availability of good quality mixers. In fact, Mountain Dew is named as such because Moutain Dew was a 19th-century slang term for Highland Scotch Whisky.

The drink was originally a citrus-flavoured, caffeinated, and carbonated beverage only sold in one flavour, as opposed to the plethora of options we have today.

This left-of-field whisky and lemonade number runs on the sweet side of the balance and can definitely be imbibed as a corpse reviver, however, more than one can be a touch sickly, so it is one to be enjoyed in moderation.

Recipe:
50ml Tennessee Whiskey of choice
Top with Mountain Dew
Serve in a highball with ice and garnish with a lemon wedge.

If you enjoyed this, make sure to read more of Fowwaz’s articles, including ‘Do you Remember These Forgotten Classic Cocktails?’ and ‘Weird Food and Drinks Pairings That Taste Great’.

Piña Colada: Hacks and History

Nothing screams beach day more than the popular party cocktail, the Piña Colada. But this absurdly tropical drink has much more to it than just refreshing and delicious flavours. The preparation of this traditionally blended cocktail can be quite involved, and without a hotel bar team at your disposal, recreating these tropical vibes at home can be a daunting task. However, there are some cheats, tricks, and alternatives to creating all the complexity of the original without having to clean all the parts of a blender afterwards. If you can't make it to an island and stay in a fancy hotel to have this drink made for you, The Three Drinkers team is here to help with some history and some at-home beach party hacks and recipes.

THE HISTORY of the Piña Colada

The disputed history of the Piña Colada is thought to have started with a recipe adaptation from a Puerto Rican bartender. The most widely accepted story is that bartender Ramón "Monchito" Marrero created this cocktail by adding the increasingly popular canned coconut cream into a Cuban cocktail called Strained Pineapple - a combination of strained pineapple juice, rum, and lime. Strained Pineapple might not ring many bells for non-Spanish speakers but the Spanish word for pineapple is "Piña" and strained is "Colada."

The most important ingredient is a can of coconut cream which played a part in helping pull the tiny island nation first out of poverty and then into karaoke machines around the world. Though coconut cream was being used in many Puerto Rican recipes, the creation and preparation of this ingredient at home was labour intensive. Enter Ramón López Irizarry, an agricultural professor, with his invention Coco Lopez - an emulsion of coconut cream, sugar, and stabilizers. The mass production of this and global popularity of the cocktail gave the country resources to carry it parallel to the global industrialisation happening at the time. This was also an easy to work with and widely available locally produced product which made it the perfect thing to PuertoRicanise, an already touted tropical tipple. 

The new and improved Piña Colada was in fact so well-received, it became the national cocktail of Puerto Rico in 1978 and gained global sensation status in the 1979 hit song "Escape" by Rupert Holmes which is always listed with a parenthetical of "(The Piña Colada Song)" in the title.

The traditional Piña Colada cocktail

Ingredients
60ml rum
30ml Coco Lopez
30ml heavy cream
180ml pineapple juice
½ cup crushed ice

Method
Add all ingredients into blender and blend for 15 seconds. Pour into hurricane glass. Garnish with pineapple wedge.

Piña Colada HACKS

Just about any coconut cream will suffice for an at home Piña Colada, but Coco Lopez is the best choice because it already includes sugar. Most other coconut milks will need added sugar and will fall out of solution meaning they will settle at the bottom of the cocktail. So, while other coconut milks and creams may be more readily available, they will not work as well in any cocktail. Coco Lopez is available easily online, both in the US and the UK, so using this in any of these alternatives is going to make a more traditional, better performing, and better tasting cocktail.

Piña Highball-ada 

Though no substitute would claim to come close to the OG blender banger, sometimes you find yourself in a corner shop craving a tropical treat to make at home. This alternative uses just three ingredients that are available in almost every store.

Ingredients
25ml pineapple rum
25ml coconut rum/liqueur 
110ml coconut water 

Method
Build all ingredients into highball glass with ice. Swirl to combine. No garnish required.

CocoPiña Daiquiri 

The Piña Colada origins are possibly based on a variation of a Cuban Daiquiri made with added pineapple juice, it is possible to reverse engineer that recipe to create a version made more simply at home with three ingredients that drinks a bit lighter and is more balanced. This cocktail will be delightful to guests looking for a not so sweet alternative. It works for hosts as it requires less planning and purchasing, is faster to create, and is a delightful treat nonetheless.

Ingredients
50ml pineapple rum
30ml Coco Lopez
20ml lime juice

Method
Add all ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake & fine strain into coupe glass.

BONUS - Piña Co-Lager 

As an added bonus, this final cocktail is less of a hack and more of a wild innovation and adaptation, named with an unbeatable pun. Leave it to none other than the Scots to come up with a dangerously punchy Piña Colada that not only includes scotch and beer, but is even more fun to say than the original. It’s created by the staff at The Gate, Glasgow - led by Ally Shaw!

Ingredients
35ml scotch 
15ml coconut rum
25ml rum
10ml sugar syrup
50ml pineapple juice 
Top w/ lager (preferred: Tennents)

Method
Add the first 5 ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake & fine strain into highball glass. Garnish with pineapple leaf.

The Piña Colada stands as an icon of tropical concoctions, blending history with technology to transport imbibers to sunny shores. From local origins in Puerto Rico, where innovation and necessity gave rise to the beloved Coco Lopez, to global acclaim catalyzed by pop culture, this cocktail has become synonymous with summer holidays and escapist moments. While traditional creations are still available where they make the classic blender concoction, modern adaptations and hacks allow enthusiasts to enjoy the fantasy in simpler ways. These inventive mixes and playful variations will bring the spirit of Puerto Rico to any party. Whether it is the simple smooth Piña Highball-ada or the powerful and fun Piña Co-Lager, the Piña Colada and all its variants continue to prove a taste of paradise is always within reach.

By Zach Sapato

Danilo Frigulti Wins Britain’s Best Bartender at Diageo World Class GB

From hundreds of bartenders to just one, it was Danilo Frigulti from Viajante87 bar in Notting Hall who was crowned the winner of Diageo’s World Class GB final in June. Since establishing himself as a barista in the south of Italy where he’s from, it was a move to London that kickstarted a bartender path, first at The London Edition, then The Nomad Hotel where he progressed all the way to Head Bartender.

Competing against 22 other finalists over a couple of days in London, Frigulti shone in a series of challenges such as The Don Julio, an outside the box challenge using Don Julio tequila and a mystery box of ingredients, and The Walker of the World which challenged bartenders to become inspired by a particular country using Johnnie Walker. Once the group was whittled down to 10, an intense four cocktails in four minutes speed round took place and then the winner was finally announced.

Speaking after his victory, Frigulti said, “Wow, this is incredible; I’ve worked in this amazing industry for 5 years now and I’m so proud to be recognised like this for a career and industry I feel so lucky to be part of.”

So, what now? Well, Frigulti will fly the fag for Great Britain at the prestigious Diageo World Class Global Final in Shanghai from the 9th-13th September later this year. If he’s successful, there’s every chance he’ll be back at the British finals next year because Matt Arnold, 2023’s winner was in attendance dishing out his Dinosaur Food cocktail with Johnnie Walker Black Label front and centre.

If you want to follow this journey or perhaps even put yourself forward for next year, find more information on the @worldclassgreatbritain Instagram or website.

Do You Remember These Forgotten Classic Cocktails?!

Over the many years people have been imbibing, cocktail trends have come, gone, and come again multiple times. Throughout these cycles, and the memory obscuring nature of alcoholic beverages playing its role, many a mixed drink has slipped through the cracks into relative obscurity. This is not to say the drink is bad, however, as they were thoroughly enjoyed in their heyday. In fact, if every drink that fell out of fashion was in fact unenjoyable, then personalities like renowned cocktail historian Harry Craddock would become obsolete, and we could not be happier that this is not the case.

Craddock and co’s work allows home cocktail enthusiasts and professional bartenders alike to rediscover some of the best drinks of generations past. It often begs the question “How did this drink even fall out of fashion in the first place?”

In honour of our beloved historians, let us look at some classic cocktails that enjoyed the spotlight some years ago, but rarely see play in the bars of today.

ALAMAGOOZLUM

Similar to many American classic cocktails of its era, this cocktail's time and place accreditations are muddy. However, while we may not know who created it, it was popularised by John Pierpoint Morgan Sr. more popularly known as J.P. Morgan.

Like the cocktail, the word Alamagoozlum itself has unclear origins, with some sources stating it to be a stand-in for doohickey or thingamabob, while others claim it to be a French-Canadian-American term for maple syrup.

What can be said for sure is that the drink is just as unique as its namesake. Created by the founder of a worldwide financial conglomerate, it initially served as a batched punch recipe to serve five cocktails. It also has the oddity of being shaken with an egg white despite a distinct lack of citrus and all other ingredients being spirits, liqueurs, or bitters. Normally, a drink with such a recipe would be stirred over ice.

This cocktail is not one for the faint of heart either, with punchy ingredients such as genever and Jamaican pot still rum forming the base, and seasoned with healthy pours of Yellow Chartreuse and Angostura bitters. If sweet and herbaceous sounds like a little bit of you we recommend giving this one a go!

Ingredients
20ml Genever
15ml Jamaican Pot Still Rum
15ml Yellow Chartreuse
5ml Orange Curacao
5ml Angostura Bitters
10ml 2:1 Simple Syrup (15ml if using 1:1 Simple)
20ml Water (Trust me)
15ml Egg Whites or foamer of choice

Method
Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin. Shake without ice, and then with ice. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON

Contrary to popular belief, this drink is not named after the Ernest Hemingway novel, it was created by the man himself. The original drink called for “1 jigger (45ml) of absinthe” and “iced champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness.” As we are well aware, Hemingway was not a man for just one casual drink, his instructions state to “Drink 3 to 5 of these slowly.”

Like many Hemingway cocktails, the modern spec had to be adjusted to suit the palate of today, as his spirit-forward, zero-sugar approach results in a harshly dry, unpleasing drinking experience. Even with the toned-down pour, and a splash of sugar, the drink remains absinthe forward, with rich notes of anise and candied fennel seeds in the spotlight. The sharp acidity and brioche/biscuit notes of the champagne add a reprieve from the potency of the absinthe, and the lemon twist garnish adds a lingering freshness to the nose. We would not recommend having 3 to 5 of these, but we recommend one!

Ingredients
10ml Absinthe
5ml 2:1 Simple Syrup (7.5ml if using 1:1 Simple Syrup)
Top with Champagne

Method
Combine absinthe and simple syrup in a mixing tin and stir until cold. Strain into a champagne flute. Top with champagne. Garnish with lemon zest.

SATURN

This gin-based tiki drink with a storied history gives rum a run for its money. Created by California bartender, J. “Popo” Galsini, it was originally called the X-15, after an American rocket-powered aircraft. However, the drink required a change of name as shortly after the advent of the drink, an X-15 pilot suffered a fatal crash. Galsini renamed the drink Saturn after the rocket of the first Apollo space flight.

Under the name Saturn, Galsini submitted the drink to the International Bartender’s Association World Championship in 1967, in which he placed first. The drink enjoyed its moment in the spotlight during the tiki boom in mid-century America, after which it faded into obscurity, and would more than likely have been lost forever were it not for famed tiki cocktail historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Berry came across a commemorative glass in a thrift shop in Southern California, and opted not to purchase it, but took a picture of the recipe listed on the glass, and then included it in his recipe book “Beachbum Berry Remixed”.

This publication caused a mild resurgence of the cocktail and can now be seen in the deep cuts of cocktail bars. Much like the Pina Colada, the Saturn falls into the category of can be shaken but is much better blended. The rich tropical combination of Falernum, Orgeat, and Passionfruit syrup gives this drink unmatchable crushability making it easy to see off multiple in one sitting. The drink is traditionally garnished with a cherry and lemon peel on a cocktail skewer resembling Saturn and its rings, however, for ease of recreation, a simple cherry and lemon wedge will suffice.

Method
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend with ice until slushy. Served in a sling glass. Garnish with a cherry and lemon slice.
OR
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake over ice. Strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a cherry and lemon slice.

ANGEL FACE

This pre-prohibition cocktail comes from Harry Craddock’s “The Savoy Cocktail Book” with little else other than a recipe. Many have tried to use external sources to find out more about the origin of this drink but to no avail.

A lack of history does not make this drink any less delicious though. A simple foolproof recipe of three ingredients in equal parts brilliantly displays the keystone bartending principle of simplicity in execution and complexity in flavour. The original recipe calls for the drink to be shaken, and modern bartenders will tell you it should be stirred, however, my preferred serve is to combine all three ingredients with water for dilution and store in the freezer beforehand. This results in a drink with the appropriate amount of dilution and a rich silky texture which matches the flavour of the drink itself.

This is a rich, sweet, spirit-forward cocktail and makes an excellent summer sipper for Manhattan drinkers. Rich apple and apricot notes star on the palate with seasonings being offered from the botanicals of the gin.

Ingredients
25ml London Dry Gin
25ml Calvados
25ml Apricot Brandy

Method
Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin. Stir over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or apple slice.

LA LOUISIANE

With a name like this, it comes as no surprise that this classic cocktail originated from the French quarter of New Orleans. This drink was the signature cocktail of Restaurant de la Louisiane, one of the hallmark French restaurants of New Orleans.

The modern recipe is an adaptation of the one listed in Stanley Clisby Arthur’s 1937 publication “Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em” and has the distinctive DNA of a Manhattan - Rye Whiskey and Sweet Vermouth, alongside various modifiers. These modifiers include Benedictine, Absinthe, and Peychauds Bitters, resulting in a sweeter take on a timeless classic a rich herbaceous character.

This cocktail serves as an excellent alternative to the classic Manhattan for the winter months as the Benedictine offers a lovely warmth, with the Peychauds bringing a complex winter spice character.

Similar to the aforementioned Angel Face, this is another cocktail viable in the freezer-door category. Precombining all the ingredients with 10% of the total volume in water, and storing it in the freezer for later drinking makes for easy drinking after a long shift, or good for serving a large crowd without having to remove yourself from the social for too long.

Ingredients
30ml Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whiskey
30ml Sweet Vermouth (Ideally Italian)
15ml Benedictine D.O.M.
2.5ml Absinthe
2 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

Method
Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin. Stir over ice. Strain into a Nick & Nora Glass. Garnish with a cherry.

CULROSS

Yet another drink with an unknown origin, this cocktail is named after the Scottish village and former royal burgh, Culross. The earliest documentation of this drink comes from the bible of forgotten classic cocktails; Harry Craddock’s “The Savoy Cocktail Book”. This cocktail calls for Kina Lillet in the original recipe but has since stopped production and is no longer available. As a substitute, we recommend Lillet Blanc or Bordiga Vermut Bianco.

The drink is dry, and lightly sour with a rich fruity backbone owing to the aromatised wine and Apricot Brandy. The rum comes in the mid-palate to bring an alcoholic punch, and the touch of lemon juice brings much-needed freshness to the drink.

Ingredients
30ml Light Rum
30ml Apricot Brandy
30ml Blanc Vermouth
7.5ml Lemon Juice

Method
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with an orange zest.

DAISY DE SANTIAGO

This summer refresher is an adapted recipe from Charles H. Baker Jr.’s book “The Gentleman’s Companion Volume II - An Exotic Drinking Book” (1939). The passage it is mentioned in states that it was served in a special skyscraper the Bacardi distillery had erected in Cuba, where they would invite various travellers to come and imbibe various Bacardi-based cocktails. The passage also states that this cocktail is “along with the immortal Daiquiri, …. The best Bacardi drink on record.”

The drink reads as a potent variation of the Canchanchara - a daiquiri with honey as opposed to sugar syrup. The Yellow Chartreuse adds rich honey sweetness and complexity from its proprietary blend of botanicals, with the rum and lemon juice forming the main flavour profile of the drink.

Ingredients
60ml Light Rum
22.5ml Lemon Juice
7.5ml Yellow Chartreuse
7.5ml 2:1 Simple Syrup (10ml if using 1:1 Simple Syrup)
5ml Yellow Chartreuse to float on top

Method
Combine all ingredients except the last 5ml of Yellow Chartreuse in a shaker tin. Shake over ice. Strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with Yellow Chartreuse float, seasonal berries, and a mint sprig.

By Fowwaz Ansari