Welcome to The Cocktail Barrel! Here I regularly post recipes of rum (or flavoured rums) cocktails that came up with, either for fun or necessity. Hopefully they will inspire you to experiment with your own rum bottlings. Cocktails that have dedicated articles are not included here, you can find more on the Recipes category.
The recipes will always be uploaded to Instagram first so follow me if you’d like to keep updated.
The ingredients with a (*) are homemade – for instructions or any drinks related questions you can use the Contact feature of the page to get in touch or just email me at alex@therumbarrel.co.uk.
Cheers!
Lime Juice – 25ml
Demerara Syrup (2:1) – 20ml
The Bitter Truth Creole Bitters – 3 dashes
Single Barrel Origin Rum PM Guyana – 50ml
Demerara Daiquiri
Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake well and double strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a star anise for some extra flavour.
Just a very simple take on a Daiquiri that enhances the liquorice profile of the Port Mourant distillate.
Santiago De Cuba 11 Year Old – 50ml
Perique Tobacco Liqueur – 15ml
John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum – 10ml
Merlet Sour Cherry Liqueur – 7ml
Bitter Truth Pimento Dram – 3ml
El Habano Manhattan
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass, stir until chilled and strain into a Nick & Nora. Garnish with a burnt dried vanilla pod on the rim for the burning cigar effect and some lovely vanilla aroma.
Tried to make a tropical inspired Manhattan that would taste like a cigar – it went pretty well!
Lime Juice – 15ml
Demerara Sugar Syrup (2:1) – 20ml
Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur – 10ml
Giffard Creme De Peche – 10ml
Coconut Water – 50ml
Peychaud’s Bitters – 2 dashes
Black Tot Caribbean Blend – 35ml
Passion Tot
Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake and strain into a highball over crushed ice. Garnish with some pineapple leaves and a passion fruit wedge.
A passion fruit forward concoction that brings out the tropical notes of the Black Tot Caribbean Blend.
Foursquare 2010* – 35ml
Coconut Water – 100ml
Angostura Bitters – 1 dash
Briottet Creme De Banane – 5ml
*If you’re using a standard 40% ABV Barbadian rum use 50ml instead.
The Tropical Barrel
Add all the ingredients to a highball, pack it with cubed ice and give it a gentle stir. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Coconut water and rum is a classic Caribbean combo and this is, as the name suggests, the tropical flavours in a cup. It uses a special limited edition rum from Barbados that clocks at 60% ABV.
Hurricane Overproof Rum – 25ml
Campari – 25ml
Discarded Sweet Cascara Vermouth – 20ml
Green Chartreuse – 5ml
Pink Pepper & Grapefruit Bitters – 3 dashes
Manx Negroni
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a tumbler glass over cubed ice and garnish with a grapefruit peel.
A Negroni twist that brings out the medicinal notes of this lovely 64% ABV rum from the Isle of Man.
Mint Leaves – 10
Cardamom pods – 6
Re’al Peach Syrup – 15ml
Bitter Truth Creole Bitters – 3 dashes
Bristol Spirits Trinidad 8 Year Old – 50ml
Trini-minty Julep
Add the cardamom pods to a mint Julep tin and crush them. Add the rest of the ingredients to the tin along with crushed ice and churn everything. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with a mint spring, pineapple leaves, dried peach and cardamom pods.
A fun take on one of my favourite underrated cocktails, the Mint Julep.
Lime Juice – 25ml
Strawberry Sorrel Syrup(*) – 15ml
Bitter Truth Elixier – 15ml
El Dorado 8 Year Old – 50ml
Yumchaa Blend Tea – 50ml
Sherbet – heaped barspoon
Lollipop – 1
Popping Candy Sachet – 1
Sizzling Swizzle
Add all the ingredients except the lolli and candy to the glass and add crushed ice 3/4 of the glass. Use the lollipop as a swizzle stick to mix, add more crushed ice and leave the lollipop on top along with the popping candy sachet on the rim and a strawberry jelly garnish.
The lollipop can be left in the drink to impart more sweetness as needed. The sherbet adds a nice fizz to it, but if you want to truly sizzle this swizzle, pop the popping candy on top while quickly mixing it into the drink using the lollipop.
This time I participated in the El Dorado Swizzle competition heats where I made a drink inspired by my childhood and sweets. This is a fun one!
Lime Juice – 25ml
Fresh Passion Fruit Pulp – 1/2
Agave Syrup – 15ml
Mint Leaves – 5
Apricot Jam – heaped barspoon
Salt – pinch
Ricardo Pastis – 7ml
Saint James Imperial Blanc – 50ml
Monkey Comme Ci, Monkey Comme Ça
Add all the ingredients in the shaker including the pulp of a half of a passion fruit. Shake hard and strain into a champagne coupe. Garnish with the emptied passion fruit shell filled with apricot jam and star anise.Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake hard, strain into a Nick & Nora glass and garnish with a dried pineapple “lid”.
A little while ago I was in holiday in Nice, France and I saw a Daiquiri Day Competition which I really wanted to enter(obviously I didn’t win), so I made this drink along with whatever ingredients I could gather.
Lime Juice – 25ml
Re’al Peach Syrup – 15ml
Campari – 10ml
Briottet Creme de Banane – 10ml
Pimento Dram – 3 dashes
Streamertail White Rum – 40ml
Sun-dried Daiquiri
Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake hard, strain into a Nick & Nora glass and garnish with a dried pineapple “lid”.
A Dry Daiquiri twist I made for National Daiquiri Day using a lovely blend of Jamaican and Trinidad distillates.
Lime Juice – 15ml
Strawberry Sorrel Mix(*) – 15ml
Briottet Creme De Banane – 15ml
Reagans’ Orange Bitters – 4 drops
Smith & Cross – 35ml
Straw & Cross
Add all the ingredients to a tin, shake vigorously, double strain into a Nick & Nora glass and garnish with a strawberry fan on the rim and icing sugar.
The idea for this was simply to make a “girly” looking drink that does pack a punch (the original used cask strength whisky) in order to throw off all those people whose fragile masculinity doesn’t allow them to enjoy a cocktail out of a Nick & Nora glass, especially with a strawberry on top.
Lime Juice – 15ml
John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum – 25ml
Lustau Oloroso Sherry – 25ml
Doorly’s XO – 30ml
Franklin & Sons Pineapple Almond Mixer – Top (75ml)
Doorly’s XO-loroso Highball
Add all the ingredients except the mixer to a highball, fill with cubed ice, top with the mixer and give it a quick stir. Garnish with a lime peel and some lime leaves for the aroma.
A long, fizzy, refreshing drink with fruity and nutty layers highlighting the Oloroso flavours
Lime Juice – 10ml
Organic Maple Syrup – 10ml
Campari – 10ml
Smith & Cross – 10ml
Discarded Cascara Sweet Vermouth – 20ml
Discarded Banana Peel Rum – 30ml
Franklin & Sons Pineapple Mixer With Almonds – Top
Left Ain’t Right
Add all the ingredients to a shaker except the pineapple mixer, shake and strain into a highball over cubed ice. Top with the pineapple almond mixer and garnish with pineapple leaves, dry lime & and dry pineapple on a pick pointing left.
This is another riff on one of my favourite cocktails, the Jungle Bird and uses both their Banana Peel Rum and their Cascara Vermouth. The name is just a fun play on “leftovers are not right” – clever, eh?
Dram Mor Diamond Distillery – 50ml
Choya Extra Years Umeshu – 25ml
Discarded Sweet Cascara Vermouth – 15ml
Absinthe – 5ml
Cucumber water – 5ml
Walnut Bitters – 2 dashes
Devil Fruit
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a coupe glads and pop an ume fruit in it.
A unique Manhattan inspired drink using Umeshu and Port Mourant distillate with a cheeky reference to one of my favourite animes.
Rhum Bologne Gold/any accessible aged agricole – 700ml
Worthy Park 109/Overproof navy style (Pusser’s, Wood’s etc.) – 300ml
Cinnamon syrup (1.5:1) – 125ml
Sugar syrup (2:1) – 125ml
Lime juice – 300ml
Pineapple juice (pressed) – 1000ml
Orange juice – 500ml
Angostura Bitters – 15ml
Cold water – 500ml
The spices are optional, but be careful not to overdo it:
Cinnamon sticks – 5
Cloves – 4
Star anise – 1
NY Punch
Add all to the jar, except the water, and let it cool in the fridge over night. Add the water on the day of consumption and mix – add more water if it’s too much, I like my drinks on the strong side. Feel free to add some citrus wheels as well.
Pour in a glass over ice and garnish each serve with a touch of mint.
A simple, multiple-serve punch recipe containing 4 litre. Makes up to 20 large serves that can be split in smaller ones (177.5ml).
Lime Juice – 25ml
Coriander & Fennel Seeds Syrup (*) – 15ml
Fig Leaf Liqueur – 15ml
Ron Cabezon – 35ml
Black Pepper & Cardamom Bitters – 1/3 pipette
Carbonated Camomile Tea – 100ml
Coriander Punch
Add all the ingredients to a shaker except the tea, shake and strain in a highball over cubed ice. Top with the tea and garnish with pressed coriander leaves, dry lime and Tesco mixed herbs.
A very “green” cocktail using a botanical rum and coriander & fennel syrup.
Lime juice – 25ml
John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum – 15ml
Green Chartreuse – 15ml
Re’al Passion Fruit Syrup – 10ml
Campari – 10ml
Cacao Bitters (*) – 2 dashes
Foursquare Nobiliary – 25ml
Foursquare Port Cask – 25ml
Wasteland Daiquiri
Add ingredients to a shaker, shake well (needs dilution) and double strain into a coupette. Garnish with a fancy red dry lime.
A combo between the Dry Daiquiri and Nuclear Daiquiri I made for World Foursquare Day.
Lime juice – 25ml
Orgeat – 15ml
Creme de peche – 10ml
Ron La Progresiva – 40ml
Fever Tree White Grape and Apricot Soda – 50ml/Top
Cigar in the Orchard
Add all the ingredients except the soda to a highball, add crushed ice and churn. Top with the Fever Tree and give it a quick stir. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with an orange and dry rose petals.
Simple and fruity serve using the Fever Tree White Grape & Apricot Soda paired with Ron La Progresiva.
Pusser’s Select Aged 151 – 50ml
Absinthe – 5ml
Peychaud’s Bitters – 3 dashes
Cacao Bitters (*) – 3 dashes
Honey Syrup – 25ml
Vanilla Syrup – 15ml
Lime – 25ml
Carbonised Coconut Water* – top
*You don’t need to carbonate your coconut water, but it does add a nice mouthfeel.
Liqueur Ace
Add all the ingredients except the coconut water to a highball/sling glass, add crushed ice and churn. Add the carbonised coconut water and give it a stir. Top with more ice and garnish with a banana leaf, star anise and dried lime.
A 151 swizzle/highball tropical drink that highlights the liquorice flavour of the Pusser’s 151.
Tanqueray No. 10 – 25ml
Montanya Exclusiva – 25ml
Kamm & Sons British Aperitif* – 15ml
Keepr’s Apple Blossom Honey Syrup (homemade 2:1) – 15ml
Reagans’ Orange Bitters – 4 dashes
*Instead of Kamm & Sons you can use 5ml Suze and 10ml Yellow Chartreuse.
Bee’s Mead
Stirred down until it reaches optimal dilution & temperature and strained into a Nick & Nora. Garnished with hexagonal lemon zests stuck on the glass using honey – I know!
A Martinez style drink using a split base of gin and rum in order to highlight honey flavours.
Lime Juice – 25ml
Coca-Cola Reduction (*) – 35ml
Pimento Dram – 5ml
Angostura Bitters – 2 dashes
Ron Larimar Oloroso Cask Finish – 35ml
Briottet Creme De Banane – 15ml
Cola Grog
Add all the ingredients to a shaker and shake. Strain over crushed ice in a cola tin mug and garnish with pineapple leaves and cloves.
Used cola reduction to make a grog style drink. Absolutely delicious! For the reduction I used a can of 330ml of coke and heated it until it reduced to 100ml.
Daicurry
Add all the ingredients to a shaker and shake. Strain into a cute coupe and garnish with a lime twist.
A very simple twist on a Daiquiri, the flavour profile reminds me of Thai cuisine. For the infusion I used 2 dried lime leaves and 100ml of Aluna Coconut left to infuse for 18 hours.
Lime juice – 25ml
Cinnamon syrup – 10ml
John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum – 10ml
Absinthe – 5ml
Green Chartreuse – 25ml
Worthy Park 109 – 25ml
Carbonated Black Tea – top (50-75ml)
Wor-Tea Highball
Add all the ingredients except the tea to a shaker and shake. Pour in a highball (or a cool mug like mine), add cubed ice, top with the carbonated black tea and garnish with a cinnamon stick and star anise.
Spicy and very herbaceous, makes very good use of the fizzy tea. Do not underestimate this recipe, it’s quite boozy.
Admiral Rodney Officer’s Release No. 1 – 50ml
White Extra Dry Port – 20ml
Creme de Peche – 10ml
Creme de Banane – 10ml
Dried Lime Leaves – 4
Port Castries
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled and double strain to a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a dried lime leaf on the rim using a tiny peg
A Manhattan style drink, fruity yet fairly dry thanks to the White Port.
Lime juice – 25ml
Cinnamon syrup – 15ml
Fino Sherry – 15ml
Creme de Peche – 15ml
J. Gow Revenge – 25ml
Apple juice – 50ml
Former Caroline
Shake all the ingredients and strain the drink in a highball over cubed ice. Garnish with an apple fan (yes, I’m a fan of my apple fans) and a cinnamon stick.
A spicy and rich beverage highlighting the Scottish distillate.
Lime Juice – 25m
Sugar Syrup – 12.5ml
Lazydog Silver Rum – 25ml
White Cacao Liqueur – 20ml
Green Chartreuse – 10ml
Mint – 6 leaves
Ginger Ale – top
Lazy After Eight
Add all the ingredients except the ginger ale to a shaker and quick shake with cubed ice. Dirty pour the drink into a highball and top with the ginger ale. Garnish with a mint spring, one After Eight chocolate and enjoy!
A long, refreshing drink with cacao and herbaceous notes.
Lost Years Navy Strength White Rum – 50ml
Peychaud’s Bitters – 4 dashes
Vanilla Syrup – 5 – 7ml (by taste)
Absinthe – 5ml
The Pink Seazerac
Stir all the ingredients except the absinthe in a mixing glass with cubed ice until chilled. Wash a tumbler with the absinthe and throw the excess away. Then strain the stirred drink into the tumbler and use a pink grapefruit zest to spray its oils onto the glass/drink and. Discard the peel and enjoy!
A ‘white’ Sazerac twist with vanilla and citrus notes.
Ron Colon Coffee Infused 81 Proof – 35ml
Ron Colon Coffee Infused 111 Proof – 15ml
Black Tea Syrup (*) – 12.5ml
Cacao Bitters (*) – 3 Dashes
Orange Juice – 25ml
Breakfast Treacle
Add all the ingredients except the OJ to a mixing glass filled with ice and stir down until it gets as chilled as possible. Strain into a tumbler with a large ice cube and add the OJ.
Another Treacle twist, this time a ‘breakfast’ drink highlighting the coffee infusion of Ron Colon.
St. Nicholas Abbey White Rum – 50ml
Giffard Creme de Cacao White – 10ml
John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum – 5ml
Reagans’ Orange Bitters – 3 dashes
Dried Vanilla Pod – 1/3
Smoked ‘n’ Oil
Add all the ingredients except the vanilla to a mixing glass filled with ice and stir down until it gets as chilled as possible. Next burn the dry vanilla pod until it gives out a thick smoke and place a brandy balloon on top to fill up with the smoke. Strain the drink into the smoked glass and enjoy.
Wanted to make a ‘white’ Corn ‘n’ Oil and things escalated.
Lime Juice – 25ml
Cucumber Infused Honey Syrup (*) – 25ml
Reagan’s Orange Bitters – 2 dashes
Rhum Bologne 55% ABV – 30ml
Kamm & Sons British Aperitif – 15ml
Green Tea – top
Teacumber Punch
Add all the ingredients except the tea to a highball and fill with cubed ice. Top with the Green tea and stir. Garnish with cucumber, coriander and green olives.
A Ti Punch variation that is “healthy” if that’s a thing.
Chairman’s Reserve Legacy – 50ml
Cinnamon Syrup (*) – 10ml
Angostura Bitters – 2 dashes
Cacao Bitters (*) – 2 dashes
Absinthe – 5 drops
Apple Juice – 25ml
Spiced Treacle
Add all the ingredients except the apple juice to a mixing glass filled with ice and stir down until it gets as chilled as possible. Strain into a tumbler with a large ice cube and add the apple juice on top.
Haven’t made a Treacle in a while and I really wanted to practice my apple fan skills so here we are.
Lime Juice – 15ml
Agave Syrup – 5ml
Cointreau – 25ml
Penny Blue VSOP – 50ml
Pimento Dram – 10ml
Salt – 1 pinch
Pimento My Ride
Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake hard and strain into a coupe. Optionally garnish with a Demerara sugar rim for some extra sweetness.
One of the few times the name came first and then the drink. This is a Sidecar twist with rum and Pimento, although some might say it’s closer to a Margarita, but it doesn’t work with the name (so proud of that name).
Lime Juice – 25ml
Orgeat (*) – 15ml
Appleton Reserve Blend – 35ml
Briottet Creme de Banane – 15ml
Lustau Blanco Vermouth – 25ml
Reagans’ Orange Bitters – 6 dashes
Angostura Bitters – 4 dashes
Ting Grapefruit Soda – 75ml
Lusting For Funk
Add all the ingredients except the Ting to a shaker, shake hard and strain into a glass with fresh ice. Top with the Ting and garnish with a mint spring.
Made orgeat for the very first time and I made this Mai Tai twist in order to celebrate it.
Lime Juice – 25ml
Re’al Passion Fruit Syrup – 10ml
Tempus Fugit Creme De Banane – 15ml
Doorly’s 3 Year Old 47% ABV – 35ml
Kamm & Sons British Aperitif – 15ml
Absinthe – 5ml
Macaw Gland
Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake hard and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a lime zest.
Wanted to make my own “signature” Daiquiri and this is the recipe I ended up with. I might’ve gone a bit off track but it ended up delicious nonetheless.
Pusser’s 15 Year Old – 50ml
Cocchi Torino Vermouth – 15ml
Tempus Fugit Creme De Banane – 15ml
Raegans’ Orange Bitters – 2 dashes
Absinthe – 7 drops
Pimento Dram – 5ml
Mahana Tan
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice and stir down until it gets as chilled as possible. Strain into a Nick & Nora/Coupe glass.
A tiki/tropical take on a Sweet Manhattan.
Lime Juice – 25ml
Tempus Fugit Creme De Banane – 25ml
Lustau Blanco Vermouth – 25ml
Appleton Reserve Blend – 25ml
Absinthe – 6 drops
Egg White – 1
Movie Star
Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake hard and strain back into the shaker. Shake again without the ice and pour into the glass.
One of the most underrated rum drinks in my opinion is the Culross. The apricot, Bacardi, Lillet and lemon combo is absolutely delicious and refreshing. I decided to make a twist on it, but I might’ve gone a bit too far and made an entirely different drink.
Lime Juice – 25ml
Singapore Breakfast Tea Syrup (*) – 50ml
Coconut Cream (*) – 12.5ml
Pineapple Juice – 25ml
Coconut Water – 50ml
Cacao Bitters (*) – 4 dashes
Doorly’s XO – 37.5ml
Wood’s Navy Rum – 12.5ml
PX Sherry – 15ml
Colada Sling
Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake hard and strain into the glass. Add crushed/cube ice and drizzle the Sherry on top.
Created this drink around the Singapore Breakfast Tea Syrup which is a blend of black tea, green tea, roasted rice, coconut flakes and other flavours and imparts a rich toasted coconut note. Note that the syrup isn’t your classical 1:1 sweet with 9 barspoons of brown sugar to 250ml of tea.
Lime Juice – 25ml
Pineapple Juice – 25ml
Grapefruit Juice – 25ml
Vanilla Honey Syrup (*) – 25ml
Re’al Passion Fruit Syrup – 12.5ml
Falernum – 7ml
Grand Marnier – 10ml
Reagans’ Orange Bitters – 3 dashes
Angostura Bitters – 2 dashes
Mount Gay XO – 25ml
Don Q Vermouth Cask Finish – 25ml
Pusser’s 50th Anniversary – 15m
The Mead Barrel
Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake hard and strain into the glass. Add crushed/cube ice and grate nutmeg on top.
Couldn’t have a website called ‘The Rum Barrel’ and not have a look at the Rum Barrel cocktail. My twist focuses less on the spice and more on enhancing the honey floral sweetness, hence the name.
Fantastic looking recipes!!
Thank you!
Hello Alexandru , my name is Simon, i recently acquired a bottle of Appelton 8 yo and was eager to check out reviews in regards to tasting notes and cocktail options. I came across your website which is excellent and i was glad to see A8yo got such good review. i usually use Havana 7yo for old cubans and old fashioned’s but felt like a change. When i went in to your cocktail barrel i was blown away by the variety of complex flavours and fantastic sounding drinks, so many new cocktails to try. Thanks for that.
I have many questions, i like to make my own syrups where possible Orgeat grenadine and Cinnamon syrup etc but obviously there is much more to learn.
So may i begin by asking what is Guinness syrup and how is it made?
Cheers
Hello Simon! Glad to hear you enjoy my page. For the Guinness syrup take a 440ml can of Guinness and boil it in a deep pan (it foams up) until you’re reducing it to about 250ml. While hot pour it into a graded glass and add demerara/brown sugar until it reaches the 500ml line, stir to dizolve it and then refrigerate it for a day.