Tips On Where And How To Celebrate National Rum Day And Enjoy the Perfect Rum Drink
Go to an island. A beach. A bar with a palm tree.
Aug. 16 is National Rum Day in the USA and that means one thing: tropical vacation tune!
Even if that tropical vacation is in your mind, a good rum drink can mentally transport you to Hawaii, to the Florida or California coast, to a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands.
So what makes a good rum drink? It’s a combination of things, not the least of which, of course, is rum. Good rum. Something from the islands, mon. The Caribbean makes some the finest rums, including Appleton’s (Jamaica) and Cruzan (St. Crox). Go for the aged rums; Bacardi, which has rather pedestrian silver in nearly every bar in America, has an 8-year-old rum, and if you can find Appleton’s or Cruzan aged 12-15 years, take it.
Another key to a great rum drink is the mix. Don’t hide great rum with Coke or even a “Skinny Pirate,” rum and Diet. Mix it with juice. Orange juice with a spash of papaya, mango or grapefruit. These are what Jimmy Buffett sang about in Boat Drinks.
An excellent way to get all that in one concoction is to order a Mai Tai. And the best Mai Tais, for anyone fortunate enough to be there, is the Mai Tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki Beach. If there, be sure and order it “old school;” that’s the original and not the tourist version that’s fairly recently replaced it on the menu.
The next criteria in having a great rum drink is the location. Certainly, the Royal Hawaiian at a table next to the sand with Diamond Head in the distance is a great place. So, too, is any beach or tropical location. A boat. A boat at a tropical location is ideal, such as the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands. Any bar with any type of island theme (if your town has a rum bar, that would be an excellent location).
Finally, it’s about with whom you are having that great rum drink.
Okay, so National Rum Day is Aug. 16. What’s next? Or what is the national day for your favorite adult beverage or drink? To find out, just click here.
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