Directions
More than a cocktail, Rum Swizzle is a way of drinking, a tradition and a style of life, not so much a particular cocktail. The most famous is rum swizzle because swizzles originate in the Caribbean. Therefore, it is natural to use sugar cane distillate, to which lime juice, sugar and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon are added.
But in reality, the swizzle is a tool, a whisk that was once used in colonies to mix and prepare foods such as semi-liquid doughs that had to be stirred. It is not a nuclear turbine but a stick with a helix end, once made of wood, now modeled in steel and sharp spikes. In practice, the swizzle is used to mix the drink and crumble and mix the ice simultaneously. And this operation/instrument gives the name to this type of cocktail.
David Embury comes to our rescue once again and in his splendid book Fine art of mixing drinks, he tells us that the original swizzle is made with Jamaican rum and is essentially a sour. However, they can also be made with all your favorite liqueurs or spirits or even with vermouth, for example, to make a Manhattan swizzle. He then concludes that a couple of drops of Angostura or bitters are ideal for adding a touch of flavor and elegance.
The true ancestor of rum swizzle is the Switchel, a refreshing and invigorating drink made with vinegar, water, spices and molasses or honey served to slaves and workers since the 1600s.
Over the centuries, the boundary between this tonic, swizzle and punch has thinned and overlapped to reach the modern interpretations of the Caribbean and non-Caribbean drinks that we have available today.
Ingredients and doses for making Rum Swizzle
- 6 cl of dark rum
- 2 cl of Falernum
- 2 cl of lime or lemon juice
- 1.5 cl of sugar syrup
- 1 drop of Angostura or bitter of your choice
How to make Rum Swizzle
Put all the ingredients in a collins glass, add the crushed ice until the glass is 80% full. Insert the swizzle inside, squeeze it between your palms, rotate it to mix the ingredients, remove the swizzle, fill with the remaining ice, and then decorate to taste.
If you don’t have the swizzle, use a regular bar spoon and nobody gets offended. You can consider this recipe a base to start experimenting with: you can easily add coconut, passion fruit, peach or pineapple premixes.
Which rum to use?
Dark rum spiced and strong like a Demerara, a Jamaican or even if you want an excellent rum from Martinique.
Other legendary rum-based cocktails you should try
Mojito, Zombie, Mai Tai, Daiquiri, Painkiller, Dark and Stormy, Canchanchara, Pina Colada, Cuba Libre, Hurricane.
Food Pairings
Chicken curry, fish and chips, amatriciana, spaghetti with clams, pumpkin tortelli, pasta al pesto, spaghetti carbonara, pad thai, paella.
