Late last year, I hosted a cocktail craft-o-rama party with bugheart where we made made a series of bitters and syrups. Whilst the participants were peeling fruit for the bitters, I was serving them signature cocktails that featured the fruits of their labor. Since they were making falernum, I had to find an easy to make cocktail that featured it. That is when I came across the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club cocktail (RBYC). I can safely say I was drawn to the “Royal” and “Yacht” aspects, with pleasant association of Magnum P.I. and his tony island haunt; the King Kamehameha Club.
Although no connection to the show or Hawaii exists, it is loosely affiliated with the tiki cocktail genre (though a real RBYC exists no doubt with a bar and signature cocktails). Given its tiki affiliation the brand of rum you use IS important. Over my many attempts to approximate rum substitutes when making tiki cocktails, I have always been most satisfied and impressed when I used the exact one prescribed. Unfortunately in my tweaking of this recipe (the original specifies Barbados rum!), I found the best to be a 7 year old Cuban rum that I got during a recent trip to Mexico. Unless you have access to a foreign liquor store, a domestic search for this is fruitless. I felt a real Bermuda rum was a nice substitute.
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail
(adapted from A Dash of Bitters blog)
-2 parts dark rum (Havana Club 7, or Goslings Dark Seal 80 proof version)
-3/4 parts fresh squeezed lime juice
-1/4 part homemade falernum
-1/4 part simple syrup
-1/4 part Cointreau
-Dash of homemade grapefruit bitters
Combine in shaker with a bunch of cubed ice. Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds, then double strain (filtering out both the pulp and small chunks of ice) into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime peel.
The darkness of the rum, the seasoning of the falernum with the lime juice as their foil, make this both a comforting winter cocktail and refreshing summer one. I’m sure if Higgins knew of its existence, it would be on the menu of the club in paradise.
6 comments:
As one of the lucky attendees of the cocktail craftorama, I can attest to the delicousness of this drink. Looking at the ingredients, it seems like a summer-only drink. However, the spiciness of the falernum and the almost-smokiness of the dark rum make it a great winter drink as well. It's one of my new favorites!
Dude, FALERNUM? How have i never heard of this stuff? Cuban rum? Some seriously esoteric ingredients you have here, although it does sound intriguing. Looking forward to having one, if i ever get to DC. Maybe you just better bring some with you next time you get out here.
joe
thanks for this...i am always looking for new drinks to make with my new bottle of Kraken Rum.
....my cocktail teleportation machine must not be working...as I DO NOT recall receiving mine....
This cocktail was my favorite of the ones our host so kindly made for us at the cocktail craft-o-rama! I had never heard of falernum before and was floored by how much complexity it added. How can you go wrong with lime rind, ginger, spices and high proof rum?! I neglected to make grapefruit bitters at the craft-o-rama, so I need to get to brewing a batch as soon as possible.
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