Rum is one of those all-purpose spirits - it goes great in tropical summer drinks, and is also an essential ingredient in a bunch of holiday recipes for both food and drinks, like rum balls, rum cake and traditional egg nog.
To spice up your coming holiday parties here are some drink recipes, including one for unforgettable homemade egg nog, from
Mount Gay Rum. Made in Barbados since the early 1700's, it's the oldest rum in the world, and has a smoothness that comes from premium molasses and Kentucky oak aging. Which makes it ideal for adding to whatever your baking or mixing up this season.
And these drinks work before dinner to get the relatives mellowed, or after, as an alternative to Aunt Mildred's fruit cake.
For more, go to
www.mountgay.com
Mount Gay Pumpkin Pie Frappe
2 oz Mount Gay Rum Eclipse
4 tsp pumpkin puree (canned)**
2 tsp Sugar in the Raw (or Turbinado or Demerara)
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground allspice
3 oz half-and-half (use fat free for a ‘skinny’ version)
1 cup vanilla ice cream (slightly softened) (use fat free for a ‘skinny’
version)
Combine all of the above ingredients into a blender and blend
until smooth. Serve in nicely chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
[** There is a difference between ‘pumpkin puree’ and ‘pumpkin pie mix.’
Use the puree – it makes a difference.]
Spice Night
1 1/2 ounces Mount Gay Eclipse Gold Rum
1 1/2 ounces Scented Apple Juice*
1/2 ounce Fresh Carrot Juice
One quarter ounce fresh Lemon Juice
One quarter ounce Maple Syrup
One Teaspoon Fresh Ginger Juice**
Garnish: 3 Whole Allspice Pods
Place all ingredients in cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously.
Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with whole allspice pods (they
will float on top of the cocktail)
* Scented Apple Juice
Overnight, combine 3-4 whole allspice pods with one cracked cinnamon stick
to 2 cups of apple juice. Refrigerate.
**Ginger Juice
If fresh ginger juice is not available in your area, you can order it at www.gingerpeople.com
Holiday Eggnog
Makes 16 cups
Serves 18-20
8 large eggs
4 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
5 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cup Mount Gay Eclipse Rum
1 cup 80º bourbon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, yolks and granulated sugar until smooth. Pour into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in milk, gradually, blending well with each addition. Heat slowly over very low heat, stirring steadily, until the mixture reaches 160º-170ºF on an instant read thermometer.
The custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - If you draw your finger across the back of the spoon, the line will remain distinct and the custard sauce is done.
2. Pour the custard through a fine-meshed sieve into large bowl. Stir in vanilla, the Mount Gay rum, bourbon and nutmeg. Let mixture cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least three hours, or up to one day.
3. Just before serving, whip cream to very soft peaks, beating in superfine sugar as you go. Gently fold into custard mixture until incorporated. Serve from a chilled punch bowl or ladle into individual martini glasses, garnishing with grated nutmeg if desired.