Eight Tasty Ways To Spend National Rum Day

Rum lovers get ready to celebrate because National Rum Day is August 16th, so make sure you have the right ingredients to make your favorite rum based cocktail.

1. Atlantico Rum Banana Boat: Something sweet to celebrate the beloved spirit.

1.5 oz. Atlantico Reserva Rum

1 Slice of Banana Muddled

.5 oz. Frangelico

1 oz. Coconut Milk

.5 oz. Honey

Directions: Add ingredients in Boston glass. Add ice and shake vigorously. Stain into rocks glass. Garnish with toasted hazelnut.

Diplomatico Old Fashioned. (Courtesy Photo)

2. Classic Mojito: A traditional rum drink and favorite for many.

1.5 oz. Flor de Caña 4 Year White Rum

1 tbsp. Superfine Sugar

Lime Wedges

4 sprigs of Fresh Mint

Directions: Muddle mint leaves, superfine sugar and lime in a mixing glass. Add Flor de Caña and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with club soda and garnish with a sprig of mint. Sugarcane syrup can be used to replace superfine sugar.

3. Black and Ginger: A refreshing, bubbly and easy to make cocktail.

2 oz. Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum

Q Ginger (Ginger Ale)

Fresh Lime Wedge

Angostura Bitters

Directions: Pour Mount Gay Black Barrel into a rocks glass with ice, top with and Q Ginger Ale and two dashes of bitters. Garnish with a lime wedge.

4. Mai Tai: Why go away for some R+R when the Hamptons have the best beaches? Whip up one of Nick & Toni’s (136 North Main Street, East Hampton, 631-324-3550, www.nickandtonis.com) Mai Tai’s and you’ll feel like your on a mini vacation.

1 oz. Diplomatico Blanco Rum

1 oz. Rhum Clement VSOP

.5 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacoa

1 oz. Orgeat

1 oz. Fresh squeezed Lime Juice

Sugar Cane for garnish

Directions: Combine ingredients, shake vigorously and strain over new ice. Garnish with sugar cane and lime wheel.

Black and Ginger and Mai Tai. (Courtesy Photo)

5. Botran Beachbum: Chris Hudnall of the Soho Beach House in Miami created this cocktail which utilizes delicious summer produce.

2 oz. Botran Solera Rum

3/4 oz. Ginger Syrup (preferably house-made)

3/4 oz. Freshly squeezed Lime Juice

1 oz. Fresh Watermelon Juice

3/4 oz. Peach Bitters (preferably house-made)

Soda Water

Mint sprig for garnish, if available

Directions: Put all ingredients except soda water into a Boston glass and give it a very light shake. Strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice, charge with soda water, garnish, and serve. Garnish with mint sprig or your favorite traditional garnish.

6. Diplomatico Old Fashioned: If you like your cocktails classic, then try East Hampton Point’s (295 3 Mile Harbor Hog Creek Road, East Hampton, 631-329-2800, www.easthamptonpoint.com) version of an Old Fashioned.

Painkiller and Botran Beachbum. (Courtesy Photos)

1.5 oz. Diplomatico Anejo Rum

1 Sugar Cube

5 Dashes of Orange Bitters

5 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

1 Flamed Orange Peel

Directions: Shake and serve on the rocks and garnish with a cherry.

7. Cruzan Pineapple Passion: Is another tropical and sweet concoction to celebrate.

2 parts Cruzan® Passion Fruit Rum

2 parts Pineapple Juice

1 part Lime Juice

1/2 part Honey Syrup

2 Pineapple Chunks

Fresh grated Cinnamon

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender with 1 cup of ice and blend for 20 seconds. Pour into a cored pineapple and garnish with fresh mint. Note: Slice the top of the pineapple off a half-inch from the top. Core the inside of the pineapple. If you don’t have a pineapple corer handy, core your pineapple with an ice cream scoop. Make sure you don’t scoop all the way to the skin or your pineapple will leak.

8. Painkiller: Navy Beach (16 Navy Road, Montauk, 631-668-6868, navybeach.com) adapted this summer favorite from The Soggy Dollar in the British Virgin Islands.

2 oz. Dark Rum

Coconut Milk

Pineapple Juice

Orange Juice

Grated Nutmeg for garnish

Directions: Mix 2 oz. dark rum with equal parts coconut milk, pineapple juice and orange juice. Shake with ice. Pour into a Collins glass. Top with freshly grated nutmeg and garnish. with an orange slice.