The Rum Barrel

Rum Barrels – as well as Rum Pots, Rum Kegs and other Rum containers – are drinks that you’re likely to find on a lot of tiki bar menus. The name is a common one, but there is most likely going to be a lot of variation from bar to bar when it comes to what ingredients make it into the drink. Some are extremely strong, while some are extremely fruity. Some are simple, while others include more than a half dozen ingredients. So far as we can tell, the recipes for rum barrels tend to have a few things in common: they use more than one type of fruit juice, they use more than one type of rum and they are always served in a mug that looks like a barrel. Working within those parameters, you can come up with something pretty delicious – and something fun to drink.

We definitely mix things up when we are making rum barrels, but there are some key ingredients that we always use in ours. This particular version is inspired by Trader Vic’s Rum Keg, which is more of a punch and designed to serve a crowd. It has a great combination of flavors, however, and can be turned into a fine single-serving Rum Barrel for us. Here, we use both a light rum and a dark rum, as well as the same passion fruit, lemon and pineapple juice combination from the original keg. We sweeten it with a honey syrup, which works well with pineapple and cuts the acidity of the passion fruit, and add a bit of allspice dram to give it some background spice. Sometimes we throw in a dash of bitters if we’re in the mood for a little more spice. It’s fruity, but packs a punch and it’s always a favorite for us.

The Rum Barrel
1 oz honey syrup
1 oz passion fruit puree
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz apricot liqueur
1/2 oz allspice dram
1 1/2 oz light rum*
1 oz dark Jamaican rum
2 dashes angostura bitters (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, fill with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a big rum barrel filled with crushed ice and serve.

*We usually use something like El Dorado 3 year in this drink, but there is a lot going on and you can easily use something like Bacardi in here, too.